Basil Sylvester Pinto
PANAJI
The spirit and confidence may be indomitable for Zico despite crashing to yet another defeat at home recently. He says as long as they are breathing, they have hope.
But if the same can be said about the team’s chances of winning at least five of the remaining second games in the latter phase to qualify for the play-offs, only an eternal optimist could stake such a belief in the Gaurs. It is not that they are playing poorly, but their conversion rate is the most abysmal. Their shots on target are plentiful, but bore fruition rarely. In this lies the bare facts, that they need to strike upfront and early to dictate terms to the opposition.
The Gaurs will not forget how the Stallions had won on a last gallop with the super-sub making them pay dearly in their second game of the season, and the first at home almost a month ago. Since then a lot has changed, their team wears a new look but things have not changed for the better for the Gaurs.
On Thursday at the Balewadi Stadium, they will effect a few changes from the starting XI that played the Delhi side at home and will play with a 3-5-2 formation. Under the horizontal bar, Laxmikant Kattimani gets another opportunity after being benched the last three games.
After sitting out last game more so to loss of form than anything else, a once regular Grégory Arnolin, will wear the captain’s arm-band marshalling the citadel and positioning himself in the heart of it. Either side of him would be Rafael Dumas returning into the mix, while Luciano Sobrosa will continue to build upon from his impeccable performance from the last game and rub on the same to his counterparts to help keep a clean slate.
Used as a floater whenever fielded, Sanjay Balmuchu who looked quite lost in defence last game would start against the Pune side in defensive midfield. The Goan poster boys, Mandar Rao Desai and Romeo Fernandes will continue with their wizardry in the wings and would look to provide assists to the attackers and contributing with an odd goal too.
Twice-capped international, Brazilian midfielder, Richarlyson Felisbino will look to play the pivot to which forays into the rival terrain are made while shouldering responsibility if need arises to fall back. Jofre Mateu González, the mercurial midfielder who has the knack of holding the ball for long periods would look to merit his creative abilities to translate into results in the final third.
Playing just behind the two-pronged strike force, he will look at feed the attackers with goal-scoring opportunities as ever before and will hope they are not wasteful if results have to be forthcoming.
Bad news to the team, if it there were not already umpteen is that Júlio César who looked impressive for a few games now and was shaping to a nicety has not travelled with the Gaurs to Pune after a muscle tear enforced him to be substituted at a shade over the hour mark last game. Taking his place, Robin Singh needs to play a several notches better as he combines with Rafael Coelho to form a good strike partnership.
Playing XI: Laxmikant Kattimani (goalkeeper), Rafael Dumas, Grégory Arnolin, Luciano Sobrosa (defenders), Romeo Fernandes, Sanjay Balmuchu, Jofre Mateu González , Richarlyson Felisbino, Mandar Rao Desai (midfielders), Robin Singh and Rafael Coelho (strikers)
