RAIA: The Indian Super League Shield may have become a distant dream for Manolo Marquez and his boys but FC Goa are willing to give it their all and do their due diligence, with two games remaining in their league campaign.
The first of these clashes, set to happen on Tuesday, will see the Gaurs take on a resolute Jamshedpur FC side at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur, the latter’s home turf in the Steel City of India.
Having slipped to 10th spot on the points’ table following three losses and a draw in their last four matches, Jamshedpur FC are out of the Play-Offs race.
Khalid Jamil and company can be potential dark horses for Manolo’s boys, who are not only chasing an elusive League Shield but also aiming to finish as high up in the standings as possible, as insurance if they miss out on the coveted piece of silverware. Currently in fourth, three more points will help them leapfrog Odisha FC to third and even Mohun Bagan Super Giant to second place, provided they win with a handful of goals.
Any other result will virtually end their hopes of becoming champions and the Men in Orange will have to settle for just the Play-Offs spot that they have already been assured of.
FC Goa Head Coach Manolo Marquez addressed the importance of his team needing to play a good game against the Men of Steel. “Under the new coach (Khalid Jamil), they (Jamshedpur FC) reacted very well in the second half of the season,” he opined.
“I remember their win over Mumbai City FC. It will be a difficult game for both teams for sure, and we will have to play a good game. They usually play with four Indians in their defence line, which makes it seem easy for opponents, but it also means that the remaining six outfield players will be in midfield and attack and four of them will be foreigners.”
“All games in the ISL are difficult. The other day, we played against the bottom team in the league (Hyderabad FC) and the score was still only 0-0 at half-time. We faced many problems in the first half as well,” Marquez went on.
