Will Victorino Start His Victory March With FC Goa ?

Victorino Fernandes....will he start his victory march with FC Goa?

Sporting Clube de Goa’s Victorino Fernandes should feel he is not a cheapskate on FC Goa’s field as the players get ready to board the plane for Dubai for their pre-season training, tomorrow. One of the number of other Goans in the team, Victorino has a realistic chance of allowing the FC fans  lap up on a good performance by a Goan for his team.

Every fan gets delirious when his or her team wins. This delirium can cascade into riots of emotions if the local flavour stands out. Romeo Fernandes did it on occasions last year. They were momentary jerks. Victorino could bring in stability and fluidity if he manages to gel with his new teammates and impress coach Zico in the weeks the team has in Dubai and Goa before they embark on their second onslaught of the Indian Super league (ISL).

Then, we can expect the Goans to do the samba at the Fatorda stadium.

Romeo Fernandes from Dempo Sports club was the cynosure of all fans last season. In his eleven appearances , he had eleven shots on targets and three goals to his tally. According to ISL statistics, his shots on target percentage was 57.89. Nearly, first class.  Romeo’s performance earned him accolades from Zico and a trip to Brazil for further training. Somehow, Romeo appeared to get confused, alone in foreign land and came home before his sojourn could actually begin.

Romeo has not been playing competitive football after his trip to Brazil. He played in the Federation Cup and for a bit in the I league. He appeared hazy, the thrust lost.  Actually, Dempo Sports Club was a confused team. The internal shenanigans spelt out in the end.

Victorino Fernandes , on the other hand , scored twenty one goals during last season. Six of those came in the I league (three) and three goals in the Federation Cup. But, he showed he was streets ahead of his other Goan counterparts in the match he tricked against East Bengal.

Victorino has learnt to run and create vacant spaces for himself; he has understood the nuances of carrying players along with him – to free others; setting himself free from his opponents and shooting on target on a high percentage.

Victorino will be getting quality international exposure for the first time. As a player, he has grown with foreign players trading their ware with Sporting. But, the story is different with FC Goa. Here, wisdom is imparted by players who have seen the highs of the game and who have taken the game to highs on their own merit. The scale is huge.

“I am happy I got this opportunity. I am not allowing anything to frighten me. For me it is going to be a great experience not only to learn but put my talent on display against the best in the game. Football for me is a passion and it will remain that way with whichever club I play. To have the ball on my legs is the greatest thing, to hear the fans is even better” said Victorino  on  starting his journey with FC Goa .