Not part of match, cared about having only one goal (6-6)
I believe the answer is:
single-minded
'not part' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives. Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?
'match cared about having only one goal' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'cared' could be 'minded' (I've seen this before) and 'minded' is found in the answer.
'only' could be 'single' (synonyms) and 'single' is located in the answer.
This accounts for all the letters.
This explanation may well be incorrect...
'of' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for single-minded that I've seen before include "Determined" , "Concentrating on only one aim" , "Concentrating purposefully" , "Mentally focussed" , "Dedicated to one outcome" .)