PANAJI
Goa Football Association (FFA) president Elvis Gomes never misses an opportunity to watch any big-ticket football events like the World Cup or the Euros and is now headed to Russia to watch some top-notch action after having witnessed Italy lift the cup in Germany (2006) and Spain win it in South Africa (2010).
“The passion amongst Goans runs very high during the World Cup. I had the opportunity to watch eight matches in Germany and two matches in South Africa. Also, I have great memories of the Euro in Paris where Portugal beat France with the whole stadium rallying behind France. I was supporting Portugal and that game is by far the best I have witnessed live,” the GFA
president said.
“This year I will be travelling to Russia and I have a few matches lined up in Moscow and St Petersburg. To watch some of the best nations compete is the ultimate for a football lover,” the GFA president added.
Elvis is a big fan of Germany’s style of play and backs them to do well this time too. “I love the way Germany play; with confidence and they generally stick to their plan of play. This year they have a fairly good chance to lift the World Cup.”
Besides Germany, Elvis believes that traditional powerhouses -- Brazil, Argentina and Portugal -- stand a good chance to emerge champions this time. “You can never count teams like Argentina, Germany, Portugal and Brazil out. On paper, Brazil seem to be the strongest of the teams. But in football, anything can happen. The team that players better on the given day will win,” Elvis reasoned.
With the timings of the matches in Russia more suitable for Indians, the former bureaucrat feels that the viewership in India will increase drastically. “This year we won’t have to stay up late to watch the matches as compared to the previous editions. The timings are ideal for us this year and it will certainly result in an increase in our viewership,” he reasoned.
When asked about India’s chances of playing a World Cup anytime soon, Elvis was optimistic about the chances but admitted it would require immense hard work. “I don’t see India qualifying for the World Cup anytime soon. India has a long way to go in creating a team that is capable of playing a senior World Cup. Probably 10 years down the line we could qualify. That being said, it would require a lot of hard work.”
