As the final whistle was blown in FC Goa's AFC Champions League 2 campaign opener against Iraqi club Al Zawraa SC, fans were left asking: What if?
FC Goa’s return to the continental stage was met with heartbreak as the Gaurs fell 0-2 to Al Zawraa in their AFC Champions League Two Group D clash at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Fatorda, on Wednesday.
The scoreboard told one story, but the night was alive with chances, close shaves and missed opportunities that left the home fans ruing what might have been.
Both teams shared equal possession and FC Goa had 20 shots but only two shots on target, while Al Zawraa converted twice from seven shots.
The home team squandered as many as four chances with striker Javier Siverio found wanting, while local boy and substitute Brison Fernandes also missed a chance from outside the box late in the game.
Brison's introduction had injected some hope for FC Goa, but a golden chance in the 77th minute for an equaliser that went abegging was decisive in the end.
FC Goa's coach Manolo Marquez revealed that Siverio was a late addition to the squad despite being unwell for the last two days.
He also tipped his hat to Brison, who is giving it his all despite some injury concerns.
"I need to give Brison more minutes," the 57-year old conceded.
"He has a lot of personality. He is playing with an ankle issue, he is playing without a nail in the toe. Still he is giving his best.
"He wasn't his best today but he can be very dangerous. Even the opponents worry when he has the ball because there is always a possibility of something happening," the gaffer added.
The Gaurs, though beaten, walked off knowing they fought the good fight.
"We played a good game in general. I'm very satisfied with our performance, especially in the 2nd half. We risked a lot in the last minutes but I'm really satisfied," FC Goa coach Manolo Marquez opined.
"In the first half, in the last minutes we were a little scared. But in the 2nd half the team showed very good spirit. Sometimes we were not clinical but we should not forget that the team were facing are a tough side. But I think the game was equal and the team was very brave," he added.
An early scare set the tone of the match as Mahdi Humaidan pounced on a back pass, cut inside and squared for Mohammed Qasim, whose booming effort rattled the crossbar.
Dejan Drazic then swung in a teasing cross for Javier Siverio, the Spaniard’s header skimming just over in what was the hosts' first real chance.
The action was end to end and Al Zawraa were happy to slow the pace down a notch, until they found a spark on the cusp of half-time.
Hassan Abdulkareem’s clever ball found Kadhim Raad, who cut back for Reziq Banihani. A messy deflection, a ricochet off Nim Dorjee Tamang, and the ball nestled cruelly into Goa’s net.
The second half began with chaos as Banihani’s cutback almost turned into an own goal before Hrithik Tiwari clawed it off the line.
Ayush Chhetri's introduction and resultant change in formation brought some clarity to the Gaurs' game.
With Herrera playing up as the feeder, the Gaurs upped the ante, pressing forward in search of the equaliser.
The experienced Iraqi keeper and captain Jalal Hassan was forced into service twice, first in the 53rd minute when he tipped Ayush Chhetri’s rasping drive over and later reacting sharply to deny Siverio’s back-heel flick.
FC Goa had many a chance to score from the four free-kicks they were awarded but it all came to nought as Borja Herrera found Al Zawraa's defensive wall hard to penetrate.
But even as Goa still searched for the equaliser in stoppage time, Al Zawraa struck the killer blow.
Substitute Ibrahim Gbadamosi’s shot thudded against the post before Nizar Alrashdan sealed it with a composed low strike.
FC Goa had their moments, but on a night when margins mattered, Al Zawraa showed their pedigree.
"FC Goa's coach has my respect. He made a lot of changes defensively and in offence, especially in the second half. But he has some problems on the defensive line," Al Zawraa coach Abdul Ghani Shahad observed.
Marquez assessed: "I feel our level was good in some moments and in some moments we weren't good enough.
"We were ready to win this game but we knew the kind of team we were facing. In football the good teams need to react quickly and I think that the team will train better. I'm very optimistic about the level of the team this season," the gaffer signed off.