PanAji
Incidentally, when Goa had first won the title it was jointly with the Bengal side. The home State subsequently won the title another four times. When Goa last played host in 1995-96, they entered the finals but lost to arch rivals West Bengal in the last hurdle by 1-0 in Margao. They now have the golden opportunity to settle scores after a long 21 years. The last time they won the title at home was in 1989-90 with Goa lifting the Trophy defeating Kerala 2-0 in the final in Margao.
On paper, Goa appears more formidable of the sides in their quest for their sixth title which they last won at home in 1990. And they would look to gain nothing less than the coveted title rather than adding to their tally of seven runner-up honours.
But playing in front of a home crowd and with three U-21 lads on field for the duration of the all-important clash, will the pressure get the better of Goa remains to be seen.
“A Goa-Bengal match is always a high level matter, so the expectations will also be very high,” stated Mateus Costa, Goa Coach when asked how he views the match-up.
But he had a word of caution for his lads as well. “I want my boys to keep their head on their shoulders and not get carried away, they worked very hard to come this far,” Costa stated.
Having played West Bengal earlier in the tournament which petered out to a goalless draw, how does he see the opposition in the title clash? “We played Bengal in the Group stage, and they played a disciplined game. But that was another day and on Sunday we want to put our best foot forward,” he said.
Another draw against their arch-rival in the finals, would not guarantee them the title as it did once. It has to be recalled that in 1982-83 in Kolkata, Goa had their hand at the Trophy which was shared with the hosts West Bengal after a goalless draw.
But since, rules have changed and tie-breakers are in place to enforce a result if the scores are level at the end of regulation time. And what would be the areas of improvement to improve the better of the sides on Sunday night to lift the coveted title, as he did before the gaffer stated that first and foremost, they have to be very strong as a defensive unit and also put in the extra yards on their finishing. On the team formation, he reveals that would only be finalized in the team meeting ahead of the final. As for injury concerns, he stated that every player is available.
Goa’s seasoned midfielder, Cajetan Fernandes talking ahead of the finals had this to say. “We are very positive that we will win the trophy and the atmosphere was positive (in the semis against Kerala). We need the crowd support like our last match which was really awesome,” the free-kick specialist stated.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal Coach, Mridul Bannerjee plays down the thought that they have the upper-hand given that the Goa has added pressure of playing in front of their innumerable fans. “I do not think so we have an advantage as Goa as a side has more maturity, comparatively to us and besides, a few of our starting XI players will carry injuries into the game,” the seasoned visiting Coach stated matter-a-factly. “On Friday, four of our starting XI injured players visited an orthopedic doctor in Margao and had these players bandaged and given medication. I have no option but to play them in the final given there are no good replacements. These players are Rana Gharami (defender), Moirangthem Basant Singh (attacking midfielder), Probat Lakra (stopper) and Ronald Singh (winger), with the last two named being U-21 players,” Bannerjee added throwing further light on the grim situation his side faces ahead of the final.
While stating that Goa has a mature, well-balanced side, he came high on praise for Goa’s promising U-21 forward Liston Colaco who he hints as a threat to his side’s last line of defense after his stellar performance in his side’s win against Kerala in the
semi-finals.
Having played Goa to a goalless draw in a Group game earlier in the competition, what would be the side’s approach to break Goa’s back-wall to emerge triumphant on Sunday night? Without revealing his strategy, the West Bengal Coach stated that his players are ready to strike at goal at the given opportunity. “Though 7-8 of my players are inexperienced, they are ready to showcase their performance on the day, Bannerjee confidently stated.
