gaurs set to play against I-league giants mohun bagan and east bengal
Niraj Prabhu
PANAJI
FC Goa will play three friendly matches against I-League powerhouses East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and new-entrants Gokulam FC, early next month, before they get into the cauldron of an extended fourth edition of Indian Super League.
The Gaurs commenced training at Bambolim athletics stadium under floodlights on Monday evening, after resting over the weekend upon their arrival from, what the club terms a ‘successful pre-season' training camp in Spain. Spanish coach Sergio Lobera, however, is yet to arrive and is expected to reach here on Wednesday.
FC Goa will play East Bengal on November 3, followed by their clash against Mohun Bagan on November 9. The Gaurs will take on Kerala's new I-League outfit Gokulam on November 12. The Gaurs could be tested by the quality of their opponents particularly the likes of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, who will be hungry to show that even the I-League clubs have the mettle to play and match the ISL sides.
On the other hand, FC Goa will use the opportunity to play tough opponents here, to gauge the acclimatisation of their foreign signings in Indian conditions and various tactical combinations on field, before the high-stakes tournament.
The fans here, meanwhile, will be interested in watching their team play in front of their own eyes as the Gaurs have assembled a new squad by retaining just two of their players from the previous editions of ISL, in the form of Mandar Rao Desai and Laxmikant Kattimani.
With a Spanish coach in charge now, most of the foreign signings are from his home country; and the fans here, will be curious to see the style of former Barcelona staff, Lobera's football.
FC Goa's returns from the trip to Spain, have been encouraging. They won three friendly matches in successsion after having lost the first two at the La Manga club in Murcia, during their three-week preparatory tour. After losing to FC Cartagena and Real Murcia CF in back to back games, Sergio Lobera's boys staged a fine comeback and beat Spanish Tercera Division side Deportivo Minera, CD Algar Deportivo and FC Cartagena B in the remaining three matches.
Manuel Lanzarote scored four goals during the pre-season tour of Spain. The 33-year-old former Real Zaragoza winger has played for 13 different club teams - including Barcelona B and C - in his career so far, and FC Goa is the 14th outfit, he will be playing for. Adrian Colunga, 32, and Ferran Corominas have each scred three goals, in the pre-season friendlies so far. Colunga, former Getafe striker, has turned out for 16 clubs including Brighton, before joining FC Goa.
Corominas, who played for seven sides in his club career so far, is the most high-profile of FC Goa's foreign signings this season having played for Spain at the youth international level. Coro, as he is popularly called, won European U-19 championship in 2002 and and FIFA U-20 World Cup runner-up with Spain in 2003. Aged 34, the experienced forward has in his cabinet the Copa Del Rey 2005-06 title and UEFA Europa League silver medal 2006-07
with Espanyol.
