Taking this season’s opening first-time loss against the NorthEast United FC side on the chin, FC Goa’s Brazilian gaffer, Zico who has been with the squad from the outset looks positively to the season ahead in this from-the-heart interview with Basil Sylvester Pinto
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Q: Do you look at tinkering with your formation? Rafael Coelho looked isolated upfront against NEUFC. May be start with a two strikers against FC Pune City …
A: We do not have much of a concern if we are attacking with one or two forwards. When we are with the ball, we attack with everyone. When we are without the ball, everyone defends as well.
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Following are the excerpts:
Q: What are the factors that you would attribute the opening game loss against NorthEast United FC to?
A: I think the NorthEast Goalkeeper (Subrata Paul) was a very nice player in the game who caught a lot of good balls. Then also the mistake we made in the first half wherein we gifted the game to them (custodian Kattimani’s blooper).
Q: What are the positives you would take from the opening game?
A: I think our team came back well from adversity after conceding the first goal. We reacted well. We created chances. We played united. But unfortunately, we could not finish and score a goal. I would like to acknowledge that their goal-keeper played well. Our team in general played well too.
Q: How will the side look to counter the threat of the FC Pune City strikers “ Oberman and Tato?
A: We have to keep our team well placed and pay attention to the game. We saw their first game (against Mumbai City FC). We will do the work expected from us after having seen their game and try to neutralize it. Q: FC Goa did not play any friendly at home ahead of ISL 3. Did this affect the team’s performance against NorthEast?
A: The NorthEast player (referring to forward Emiliano Alfaro) played alone there (in Guwahati) and scored twice. But, of course it did affect all our programmes. If you see, in the last two years, we always had practice games prior to the commencement of the ISL. We had to change our entire programme. Though we are very thankful to Nagoa to consider place for us to practice, I would like to add it was not a ground that would support a professional team as FC Goa.
Q: The squad is two less from the maximum (26). There is still room for a foreign signing and a domestic player as well. How do you look at completing the squad?
A: I am just dependent on the situation of Subhasish Roy Chowdhury (goal-keeper). We took him to Brazil to do tests there and he did not pass in his physical test and everything else. But when he came here, he was registered already. Now we have to look to it as I did not know he was registered already. We are now expecting an answer from the ISL to take the next step.
Q: On the five injured players “ Robin Singh (forward), Luciano Sobrosa, Grégory Arnolin, Denzil Franco (all defenders), Subhashish Roy Chowdhury (goal-keeper), when are they expected to be match fit?
A: You have to ask this with the doctor.
Q: Until his unfortunate injury, forward Robin Singh and an otherwise regular defender, Grégory Arnolin emerged as certain starters to the first XI. Are they available for the home game against the Pune side?
A: No.
Q: How important is captain Lucio to the team, especially with the constant presence of Grégory Arnolin in defense still nursing an injury?
A: We expect him (Lucio) to what he has done all his life “ be a leader, to lead this team and do their best on the ground.
Q: How crucial is the home crowd to rally behind with their vocal support coming from a loss?
A: The most difficult moments are when we count on their support. I think because when we have everything okay it is very easy to support. So we expect now, their support in our hard times like they have been with us always previously. So we count on them. The strongest point of FC Goa is the interaction with the team and fans which has helped us a lot.
Q: How was the experience working in ISL with FC Goa squad comparatively where you have coached earlier in places like Japan?
A: I think the only difference is that the players I have worked with before with FC Goa in ISL because before there was only one league but now there are two leagues which in future I expect there will be only one league which will be a lot beneficial for football like it was initially.
