30 Nov 2021  |   08:16am IST

Plumbing the depths

The headline said it all. Goa losing to Gujarat in the West Zone qualifiers for the Santosh Trophy was a shock without a doubt. Then there was the depressing start made by FC Goa to their ISL campaign losing both their games. Football fans in the state have never ever experienced anything like this and had much to say

Life has its ups and downs! You win some, you lose some. See the Indian cricket team’s performance at the T 20 world cup. One cause for worry is player’s monetary expectations without performance. Hopefully all will be well soon!

- Rodney Severes,

Seaman, Majorda

It is very depressing to witness this. I was the secretary of the association and we won the Santosh Trophy. Those moments were very memorable. It felt terrible to hear we had lost to Gujarat. Some of the people at the helm should start working hard or quit otherwise Goan football will die like other sports like Volleyball.

- Savio Messias,

Former football Administrator, Vasco

I have not followed the Goa Santosh trophy team’s performance much this year but it’s weird that so many top players from the Goa Pro League have not made it to the team. Gujarat’s manager also happens to be Goan. So he probably knew this team well and hence the master class. I don’t know how the squad selection is done but we definitely did not send out our best team.

- Conrad Barretto,

Football Dugout, Margao

Goa has the best grassroots program as of now in the country. Although other states are catching up fast. “One swallow doesn’t make a summer”. Goa just won the Durand Cup. Yes we need to pull up socks, other team’s are getting better.

- James Marcel Mendonca,

Duler Mapuca.

With Goa being the focal point of Indian football the state teams are always under the spotlight. Ever since the commencement of ISL, critics have raised their levels. Every move any team from Goa makes is watched. With FC Goa losing the opening 2 games and Santosh trophy team also losing, the question of Goa’s dominance has been raised to another level altogether. But as a Goan and a follower of Goan football it doesn’t bother me when Goa’s dominance has been questioned, as most of the ISL sides directly scout the Goa Pro League for top talents with a huge number of Goan players plying their trade in ISL and I league. As far as the Santosh Trophy team is concerned there are better players in Goa that are not selected in the team. And FC Goa just has a bad patch of form that takes no time to turn around. So it’s too early to judge the Goan football with its history so deep and long.

- Johnny Carvalho,

Sound Engineer, Nagoa, Verna

Players who haven’t even played proper 90 minutes of football for this season here in Goa were given first 11 preferences. I really don’t understand how and why? They will lose first. The selection of the coach of the team for the Santosh trophy tournament has to be questioned and removed. A coach who topped the Goa pro league for 2 consecutive seasons was not given a chance. The assistant coach who was taken was not even part of any team for the last season of the pro league. How does he get a chance to even be there as an assistant coach? There were a lot of injury concerns pertaining to some players at the start of the season for the Goa pro league. I don’t understand how these people were given a chance there and taken there. There were many more players who deserved a spot. If you take players based on their previous year pro league stats many were left out

- Valley Rodrigues,

Footballer, Cortalim

I don’t think we need to press the panic button so soon. As far as the Santosh Trophy squad for Goa goes, it was a young inexperienced team compared to the big names that used to participate in the glorious past of the Tournament. Now since many of Goa’s top players ply their trade in tournaments like ISL it’s not possible to send the best team. As far as FC Goa goes, it is still early stages of the tournament. Our problems haven’t been compounded by the numerous injury problems for some key players. As soon as these players are available, we will see a different picture. We still believe in Goan Football overall. #VivaGoa

- Omi Tunes,

Musician, Vasco-Da-Gama