When FC Goa came back from their pre-season in Brazil, hopes for high for a team which represents a state that has football as its official sport; Almost everyone expected them to finish the ISL 2016 season on a high. In the first edition, FC Goa were beaten in the semifinals by eventual winners Atletico de Kolkata, a year later, they lost the finals to FC Chennaiyin at home in Fatorda.
Six games later in the new season, FC Goa is floundering at the bottom of the table. One win, one draw, four losses, reads the tally. The team has only scored four goals, although the shots on goal percentage is high. Stats aren’t always everything and they don’t usually tell the whole story but this is not good, not for FC Goa. The fans are standing by the team, for the most part, but there are many who are questioning the direction that the club is going in.
It did not bode well for Goa when the club was sold do the Deltin Group. There are some fans who now blame the new owners for the losses. This argument does not hold water, but it does certainly showcase the frustration that some fans have. If it all boils down to the tactics then the management will have to take a call here. Why is Zico’s tactics not working this time around, when it did so well the first two seasons? Is it perhaps because the personnel roster has changed?
Leo Moura has been a huge miss this year. He was easily the player of the season for FC Goa in 2015 and his absence has left a void in midfield. Even though FC Goa did bring in new players, many of them were injured before the season began and have only now started training properly. Young players like Sahil Tavora do add a burst of fresh energy to the team, but the results have begun to weigh heavy on them. It remains to be seen what can happen now. A few major wins can propel them up the table, but will it be too late?
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In my opinion, we made some pretty decent transfers overall, but didn't fill the biggest gap caused by the departure of Leo Moura, who was the heartbeat of the team last season. That creative spark that he provided is definitely missing this time. Along with that, there have been some decisions by Zico, which are a bit confusing, like taking of Joffre at half time and bringing on Lucio. That being said, it also seems like the other teams have improved big time compared to last season and are way more competitive. One thing FC Goa shouldn't lose though is their crowd support. A negative vibe is spreading around a bit, but they should just support the team fully.
Elroy Carlos Figueiredo, systems engineer
I feel the reason is not buying proper players. We should have retained the previous team; instead of strengthening we sold good players like Haokip and some players were not available like Moura. New players take time to get used to each other, also injuries to key players at the start of the season put them on a backfoot. Poor results have a negative impact on the team. We are also missing a talismanic player who can lift the team up with moments of individual brilliance, like Santos and Leo Moura. The other teams are having at least one of those in their ranks.
Fronton Noronha, mechanical engineer
I think the chemistry between the players is too weak. Robin Singh and the likes who have higher potential are lagging behind. I guess FC Goa should play a bit more attacking football and score some goals in the future.
Shaunak Bale, engineering student
