Team Herald
PANJIM: FC Goa enjoyed an extraordinary 2018-19 season. While the senior team won the Super Cup and emerged runners-up in the India Super League, the Development Squad clinched the Goa Football Association Goa Pro League.
The arrival of the Spanish gaffer Sergio Lobera influenced a new philosophy in the team –‘attacking football’, which have suited the team the most and have earned him fans across India and with the help of another India Maestro Derrick Pereira, the vision and goal of the senior team was plasticised in the youth set-up.
It wasn’t all over, as the junior Gaurs also had a point to prove to their seniors to show why they were termed as ‘the best’ in the youth system.
FC Goa Youth Development Technical Director Derrick Pereira had always stressed ‘development is a process’ whenever the results and team performance was questioned in the Goa leagues in the past and today the team have proved the efforts put in by the coaches.
The FC Goa (Goan FC) won the U-20 TACA Goa beating Sporting Clube de Goa and within weeks time laid their hands on the U-18 title.
Whilst the journey has been a long walk, one man –Gavin Araujo was present in the team right from the inception of the grassroots back in January 2015.
“I don’t know how to express what I am feeling right now. All I can say is that it’s wonderful to see the results after years of efforts and dedication,” said FC Goa U-18 coach Gavin Araujo, who headed the grassroots programme for the first two years.
“If I look back when I started with the club and look where the club is heading now, it’s simply amazing. After Derrick Pereira joined us as Technical Director we are at a different level. The way we play and our style is completely satisfying. We stick to our philosophy and the results are here to see,” explained Gavin.
If one had the opportunity to watch any of the Goan FC youth league matches, they would agree the fact the juniors play similar football of attacking game plan to that of the senior team.
The U-18 team scored 8 goals in their three outings and conceded just one goal in the tournament. “Although we play a risky style of play, somehow we have developed a habit to play and defend together when we lose the ball,” added Gavin.
“That is reflecting our game. We know how to keep the ball even when we were a man down. We have proved that physically strong players are not required in football we have proved that technically better and quicker players can overcome strength,” explained Gavin.
Initially for two years, Araujo was heading the grassroots, which saw the inception of the U-14 team and then the U-16 and U-18.
A collective effort of Goa?
Ironically, despite having the youth set-up in place, the Goan FC have been roping in talented youths from different clubs and set-ups across the state.
It could be noted that the Development side featured maximum players from Goa’s big clubs –Dempo SC, Sporting Clube and Salgaocar FC youth set-up in the Goa Pro League.
The similar situation was witnessed in the U-20 and U-18 sides wherein top players from the other local clubs were roped in by the Gaurs.
When sought to know regarding the composition of the players from the youth set-up, Gavin said, “More than 11 players were part of the initial set-up now playing in the U-18 and U20 teams. We have kept the first eleven together. Leewan Castanha and Sahil Inamdar are two players from our programme who were part of the National camp,” said the former Dempo SC youth coach.
“We keep the core team same but there will be some joining and some leaving. We cannot have the same squad. Yes the good players will remain but there will be some addition,” added Gavin explaining about the squad and the other players joining the club.
Gavin has a distinct experience of working under experiences coaches with the likes of former India coach Armando Colaco, Arthur Papas and Derrick Pereira during his coaching stint at various clubs.
“I am lucky as a coach as I had the opportunity to work with big clubs and with coaches. And the knowledge which I got from these high-profile coaches helped me,” he added.
“We want to balance the situation. Sometimes when the player gets early break it hits their head. We don’t want the players to go up and then to fall down. We want to be sure about the players as we don’t want to play with their careers. Right now we have very good players in the development team but at the same time there are very good players in the same position in the senior team” explained Gavin speaking about the progress and development of the youth team players.
When asked about the quality of players they are looking at, Gavin said, “We want agile and quick players. We believe at our continent level, we won’t be able to make strong and big players and hence we would need to be quick, we would need endurance.”
