© ISLFC Goa became the third team after defending champions Atlético de Kolkata and Delhi Dynamos FC to reach the semi-finals of the 2015 Hero Indian Super League following a 5-1 win over Kerala Blasters FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Sunday evening. Gaurs head coach Zico expressed unbounded joy speaking to the media after the match.“It was a very good game, we accomplished our mission which was to qualify for the semis. To win here in Kochi against Kerala like we have today means the players played well today. We had a lot of injury concerns and we had to play Pronay Halder in defence and he played very well. I have to congratulate them for such a performance,” the Brazilian enthused. Zico also hinted that he will not rest his important players in their last league game against Delhi Dynamos FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on December 6. “Leo Moura is out for a game after receiving four yellow cards. We have another game to go, and we are looking for the second spot because of the home game advantage in the second leg [in the semi-finals]. So, in the next game we will still try our best,” he said.Kerala scored first, in the second minute of the game, before Reinaldo’s hat-trick and one goal each from Joffre and Mandar Rao Dessai led the Gaurs to a thumping win. Things got worse for the Blasters at the stroke of half time when Josu Currias was given his marching orders for an altercation with Joffre. When asked if he passed any instructions onto his players at the break, Zico said: “Of course, I had given the players some instructions at the break. They [Kerala] were one man down in the second half, so I told my players let's keep the ball to ourselves, make sure we have possession, exchange passes and make use of the extra space, through which we scored. Kerala played well today, [Antonio] German played well and passed the ball well and they scored. But I'm happy, my team had the maturity to come back from a goal down.”
