FC Goa marquee player Lucio, left, and head coach ZicoOnce again, FC Goa are pinning their hopes on Samba magic to boost their chances to take home the elusive Indian Super League (ISL) crown. Brazilian players and supporting staff swell the ranks of the team, which will play its home matches in the third edition of the league at the Fatorda Stadium in Margao.
There are eight Brazilian players in the team, and out of the nine coaching staff, five are Brazil-born. Moreover, the team’s head coach is Zico, a legend who played in three World Cups for Brazil.
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The team’s marquee player is former Brazil captain and 2002 World Cup winner Lucio. The Gaurs, who lost in the semifinals in the inaugural edition in 2014 and in the final in 2015, have undergone a grueling pre-season training program in Brazil with a strong desire to improve on their second-place finish last year.
They came up with impressive performances in the six pre-season games held in Rio de Janeiro in which they took on some of the major sides in the Brazilian league, including Flamengo.
Formidable defence
The franchise’s management has reposed its faith in Indians to man the goalpost as it decided not to retain Brazilian-Portuguese goalkeeper Elinton Andrade for the third edition.
The trio of Dempo Goa’s shot stopper Laxmikant Kattimani, East Bengal’s Subhasish Roy Chowdhury, and junior international Sukhdev Patil may not appear formidable on paper, but the team’s backline does boast some big names.
World Cup and UEFA Champions League winning defender Lucio and Frenchman Gregory Arnolin, a former La Liga star, will form a solid partnership at the heart of the defence. The veteran Lucio can play in the attacking or holding positions with equal panache. Young Rafael Dumas, on loan from Flamengo, I-League’s Brazilian star Luciano Sabrosa, Indian internationals Denzil Franco, Raju Gaikwad, and Debabrata Roy, and youngsters Fulganco Cardozo and Keenan Almeida give Zico too many defensive options to choose from.
Penetrating midfield
In the absence of Leo Moura, arguably the most influential player for FC Goa last season, Spanish star Joffrey Mateu will be entrusted with the task of marshaling the midfield.
The speed and skill of Mateu, a Barcelona product who played for Atletico De Kolkata in the inaugural ISL, was evident in previous seasons. He will team up with Brazilians Richarlyson Barbosa Felisbino, Trindade Goncalves and left winger Julio Cesar to dictate the flow of the game in the middle.
With several years of top-flight football in Brazil under his belt, Richarlyson will be a vital cog in Goa’s wheel.
Cesar, who has turned up for different teams in European leagues, too is an experienced campaigner, whereas Trindade has the ability to break any defensive barrier with his swift, counter attacking moves and is said to be one of the finest young prospects to join the ISL this season.
The team’s Indian midfielders are no pushovers either. Mandar Rao Desai and Romeo Fernandes are ready to take care of the wings. Local Goan player Sahil Tavora, Mohun Bagan’s Sanjay Balmuchu, and Sporting Clube de Goa's Pratesh Shirodkar will be waiting to add Indian flair to FC Goa’s midfield packed with foreign players.
Menacing attack
The attack will be spearheaded by Rafael Coelho, a former junior international with Brazil. The management has retained his compatriot veteran Reinaldo da Cruz Oliveira or simply Reinaldo, who won high praises for his last season’s performance.
The forward line-up also comprises Indian ‘goal machine’ Robin Singh, who played for Delhi Dynamos in ISL 2.
Possible starting XI: Kattimani, Gregory, Debabrata, Cardozo, Romeo, Mandar, Richarlyson, Joffrey, Cesar, Coelho and Robin Singh.
