PANJIM: Before the hard yards on the pitch, the grind of pre-match training and tough half-time chats, FC Goa chilled with the media during a hang out in the idyllic setting of Dona Paula on Tuesday where players, coach and officials shared thoughts and plans for the upcoming ISL season commencing on October 7.
Ravi Puskur , Director of Football, was no less focused on the task ahead while reflecting on the gains of the past few years, a disappointing ninth finish (out of 10) at the last edition notwithstanding.
“We’re working on a solid foundation this season. It’s been a steady change after the fourth season and we are pleased with the work so far.
“In 2017 we had just the first team. Now we have six in all, playing around the country in various tournaments.”
Puskur’s yearning for the FC Goa fortress at the PJN Stadium at Fatorda was plain to see. The Covid-19 pandemic deprived his team the atmosphere created by its legion of fans and he expressed the hope of having a full stadium when FC Goa take on East Bengal on Nov 3. “We hope to have a full stadium and the atmosphere it created. The last time it happened was two years ago when we lost to Chennaiyin in the semifinals (5-6 on aggregate).
“We hope to replicate that atmosphere which will be daunting for visiting sides,” he said.
“We may have finished ninth last time around but we’ve taken proactive steps since then. We now have different players, mostly in mid to late 20s, though retaining the core.
“We want to take the game to the other camp and not allow the opponents to dictate matters.”
Carlos Pena, an FC Goa loyalist and player-turned-coach, made no secret that he wants to build an “attractive team.”
Tiki-Taka? “Not for me,” the Spaniard, former captain and midfielder, said. “We want the ball, to attack,” he affirmed.
FC Goa achieved a fair amount of acclaim during his time with the club as a player but Pena declined to compare those teams with the current one.
“I don’t like making comparisons,” he said. “We had a good time, enjoyed some success. But this is a new era and we want to create our own story.
“He summed up the character of the team. Right now we have a group of players with a lot of ambition and hunger. We have a team of the best quality,” Pena said.
About expectations – Pena said he wants his players to play at their best level. “We know there are many good teams in the league and it’s quite tight but we are ready to face anyone,” he said.
Iker Guarrotxena, a forward, is aware of the task ahead. He reflected on the weeks gone by. “We, as a team, have got to know each other more and more. We know we have come here to win and win. That’s our goal and we start next weekend (when FC Goa kick off against East Bengal, away, on October 12).
Like Iker, Noah Sadaoui, the Moroccan forward, brings in loads of experience from around the world. He complimented the growth of Indian players in recent times. “The ISL is getting more professional by the year, with better players and coaches coming in. Indian players are doing well and they are hungry, want to learn and really committed…..I see that in them.”
Iker concurs. “Indian players have ambition and foreign players will help them in a few game situations like learning to win. We have a good mix of Indian and foreign players in our team.”
Glan Martins, defensive midfielder, ratified Iker’s conviction. “Yes, after finishing poorly last time, we are hungry to do well,” he said.
Brandon Fernandes, the hub in the midfield, who will share the captain’s armband with Martins (along with Seriton Fernandes and Marc Valiente), feels the players and coach are on the same page.
“That will help us to go into the first match to win. And we’ll take it match by match,” he said.
FC Goa players and fans must be patient, however. The cauldron at Fatorda will come alive after nearly a month into the league – the team’s first home game.
Brandon hopes to make that a memorable occasion but with a rider. “It all depends how we fare in our first three matches, away. How we fare there will impact our performance in our first game in Goa,” he said.
