ABIGAIL BARRETO/ Goemkarponn
MARGAO: Covid-19 has hampered the daily routine of millions and disturbed the habits we were once accustomed to but has failed to restrict football fans from constantly browsing for the latest news regarding their preferred club.
Prolific Indian football club FC Goa has settled itself permanently in the
the core of thousands of hearts, who used to throng the Fatorda Stadium 9 times every year hungry for the most promising and entertaining football that ISL has ever witnessed until Covid-19 decided to play spoilsport.
It is now general knowledge that FC Goa was the first Indian club to assert their place in the group stages of the Asian Champions League (ACL), where they proudly featured the country and competed with the continent’s finest clubs to secure the 3rd spot on the table in Group E.
From the reign of Zico to the domain of Lobera and current gaffer Juan Ferrando, the Gaurs’ execution on the pitch has captured the attention of Indians and ISL viewers abroad, which steps up the calibre of Indian football and makes it the optimal place for foreign professionals to make their mark.
Considering the trying times prevalent, it will be a Herculean task for Football Club Goa (FCG) to put together a team capable of earning their maiden ISL trophy considering the many knockout matches lost by a difference that seemed like a fraction in the past 7 Indian Super League editions.
FCG has provided a better brand of football that has crazed football fans in the past, and it will be a massive project for head coach Juan Ferrando to undertake and for the team to get familiar with a consistent rhythm once again after a long break.
This season, prodigious success is anticipated by the club. The club has existing secure contracts with foreign footballers such as the likes of Edu Bedia, Jorge Ortiz, Ivan Gonzalez, and Alberto Noguera and promising Indian players such as Redeem Tlang, Makan Chote, Alexander Romario and 19-year-old Phrangki Buam etc.
The vacancies which were open for 2 foreign (a forward and a player hailing from an AFC affiliated nation) and domestic players, opened the door for young footballers to showcase their talent and an opportunity for the team’s management to look out overseas for the experienced resulting in the recent signing of Spaniard Airam Cabrera, Dylan Fox, (from Northeast United FC) promising locals- Kunal Kundaikar and Manushawn Fernandes.
Although along with the pros come the cons, it is a burning question whether the coming team will produce the same unparalleled skills that FC Goa has offered in the past.
Juan Ferrando and Company have commenced practices at the Panchayat ground in Salvador do Mundo. With central defender Adil Khan returning to Hyderabad FC and the reduction in foreign players from five to four in the starting 11, FCG has decided to begin their pre-season at an early stage, focusing on the domestic players, who will be accompanied by the foreigners at a later stage.
It is disheartening for FC Goa fans to digest that prominent goal machine Igor Angulo has parted ways with FC Goa and is now under the former head coach of Fc Goa, Sergio Lobera, in Mumbai City Fc; the club which has targeted integral FCG players since last season. However, the freshly signed players have had successful stints elsewhere and have also been excellent in ISL. Brandon Fernandes and Lenny Rodrigues in the midfield, Seriton Fernandes’ reliable defending, besides the favourable thought of Dheeraj Singh guarding the goal, will accelerate the assurance of an influential season of the Gaurs, who have always had the fans’ extensive support.
Without the fans, even the brightly lit field would seem dull. Since the expectations are high, it is disappointing for the fans that owing to the pandemic, the Indian Super League, which is scheduled to take place from November to March, will be held behind closed doors in Goa, with three stadiums selected as the venue for the seventh edition of the league- PNJ Stadium, Tilak Maidan and Bambolim Athletic Stadium. 12 smaller grounds in Goa with satisfying infrastructure have been shortlisted as practice grounds for the ten clubs.
The electric atmosphere in the Fatorda Stadium has proved to be one of the keys that almost always results in match victories for the Gaurs, who have found themselves at the top in the stats for maximum home victories. Still, it will the empty seats and cold silence generate the same energy to become the driving power for the team even if it is year-round on familiar turf? Goans now have their fingers crossed, hoping that the absence of the fans will not impact the success of Football Club Goa and that they advance through the tournament to end up as the much-coveted victors.
