There's a theory among a number of old-timers that until about a decade ago, it was impossible for a team from outside Kolkata to win anything in Indian football. Goan clubs particularly have often spoken about how the only major events they have ever won have been ones with live television broadcast, the insinuation being that referees in Indian football have always sided with the region that has traditionally called the shots in the sport in India.
The ISL suffers from no such anonymity. If anything, with each match televised with the best of equipment and a broadcast crew comprising the best professionals from around the world, it is impossible for any major errors to slip under the radar. As Dharmaraj Ravanan of FC Pune City discovered, even a stomp which was missed by the on-field officials was caught on tape and acted upon in retrospect to punish the player and his team.
In light of this, it is hard to empathise with Zico and his FC Goa's repeated run-ins with officials, which seems to have become a pattern since the ill-tempered 2015 final and only gathered momentum this year.
The final last year saw the bizarre post-match presentation, boycotted by the entire Goa team, and then a reported scuffle between one of the co-owners of the team and Elano Blumer, the Brazilian marquee player of Chennaiyin FC, who was even detained by the police for a while.
Goa invited some severe penalties, not just financial, including docked points for the 2016 season. Many believe it was the fact that the latter was overturned quite late into 2016 which kept a number of potential signings away from joining Goa this season.
Also see: Goa's woes are deja vu, but can Zico find an answer?
After the 1-1 draw against Atletico de Kolkata, a furious Zico said that he was ready to "pack up and leave" if his team was always subjected to "the wrong decisions".
In reality, Zico's constant berating of ISL refereeing standards and tantrums have shown him in poorer light than the officiating itself, which admittedly has been erratic at times. Referees will make mistakes, and football must always recognise that until laws are introduced to implement the use of technology, it shall always remain a game of opinion.
On Tuesday night, Zico lost their second successive game this season to Kerala by a 2-1 margin after going 1-0 up, but this time, there was an air of inevitability about it.
Kerala were fluent up front, but Goa had a calm air about them in defence, with the experienced pair of Gregory Arnolin and Luciano Sabrosa putting themselves about. It was blood and guts stuff, quite literally, as both Arnolin and Sabrosa suffered injuries, with Sabrosa carrying a wound from Goa's previous match into this particular game.
The game changed dramatically when Arnolin picked up a straight red for what the referee Nick Waldron deemed as deliberate hand to a ball headed towards goal. Strictly by the letter of the law, he was spot on with the verdict, and Kerala were only too happy to bring themselves back in the game.
In a match that had its share of frayed tempers, Goa then did themselves no favour with Richarlyson, perhaps their most influential player this season, earning himself a second yellow. He and a couple of teammates got themselves into more trouble by getting in Waldron's face, and their protests carried well into the added time. Richarlyson even came close to hurling the ball at Waldron, only to back out in the last second, and after the final whistle, Zico angrily gestured towards the cameras, letting his displeasure with the referee's decisions be known.
While one can have some sympathy for Goa and how unlucky they have been from time to time this season, if there are more sanctions for their behaviour, there is no theory that Zico can pass around that will carry any weight.