When the Gaurs galloped, the lions forgot to roar

FC Goa's Reinaldo celebrates after netting the second goal of the day

When the Gaurs gallop , the lions forget how to roar. Instead , the 18,000 odd spectators at the Nehru stadium in Fatorda, broke out into a riot of emotions. Four minutes were enough for Romeo and Mandar to repay Zico with the trust reposed on them. As the match meandered through the ninety minutes and FC Goa walked home victorious 2-0, Zico's storyline read a simple home truth-honesty pays in football too.

Romeo Fernandes time and again proved that he is a different player under the Brazilian's tutelage. He was at the right place , at the right time;handled his opponents with maturity-this included John Riise- and when to release the ball to his colleagues to bludgeon the opponents goal. There were times when he made playing look so easy. Mandar Rao Desai had an equally eloquent ninety minutes on the pitch. The two used the flanks with speed and sent in crosses that had coach Roberto Carlos watch exasperatedly at his team mates on the pitch.

FC Goa's comfort level against Delhi was borne out from the fact that captain Lucio , Gregory Arnolin and goalkeeper Elinton Andrade created a defensive buffer that gave their opponents little room to play into their penalty area. Lucio and Arnolin let nothing pass them - as the stopper backs of the team they covered space and anticipated intelligently.The long range shots were deftly dealt by goalkeeper Elinton. Keenan Almeida and Debabrata Roy who who played as right and left backs were given plenty of room to have a ball. After long , Zico proved that defense is still the best form of attack.

Delhi did enjoy ball possession for the greater part of the first session after being down. Infact , they earned four corners to FC Goa's none. But , that was because they tried to break the FC Goa defense with long shots at goal. With things not working , Carlos thought it best to take the jump himself. His entry in the second half -if anything - proved that sometimes age pulls it's own strings. The closest he came to give a glimpse of his past was when the game had lapsed to extra time.He let go a free kick that for once had Elinton in trouble. The power in his shots had Elinton grappling to avoid the ball rolling in after he stopped it with his body. It showed that age does not always evaporate power.

 FC Goa's second goal reflected opportunism. Spanish Joffre let go a powerful free kick towards Brazilian Reinaldo. The last named sidestepped his marker and smashed the ball past a helpless Delhi goalkeeper Sanjiban Ghosh.

In a way , that was a cue for Zico that it was time to shut shop for more adventures up front.Luciano Sabrosa came in place of Joffre and Indian Sabeeth replaced forward Reinaldo. Jonatan luca took the place of Moura.

Delhi dynamos did try to make meaningful forays but by then , the FC Goa players were well camped in their own territory. With the numbers in their favour , there was little the men from the North could do.

As the referee blew the long whistle one reality was clear-FC Goa did the right thing leaving the onus on Zico. The man can be trusted. For , just on the first days performance-barring some uneventful mishaps-FC Goa has been moulded to play creative and clean football.

Lucio or Roberto could decide where ISL 2015 rests

Roberto Carlos or Lucio could well decide the way ISL 2015 swings

19,800 spectators  will watch expectantly as FC Goa take on Delhi Dynamos in their  first match of  Hero India Super League (HISL) 2015 at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, Fatorda. The flight the FC Goa balloon meanders through will define the chaff from the grain.

 Whatever be the outcome of the opener, for the thousands gathered it will be a life time opportunity to watch the greatest proponents of the game- Lucio of FC Goa and Roberto Carlos- demonstrate why football is all about love.

How the game will transcend is difficult to predict because both managers- Zico and Roberto Carlos-refused to divulge the formations they are going to adopt. Football in Brazil is normally translated through the 4-3-3 format.  But, times are changing. With international contours colouring the teams, formats may well be decided to suit the fittest players selected.

“FC Goa is not the only team. There are seven more teams and all want to win. I can tell you we will play good football,” is what FC Goa coach Zico said. Lack of good football is why the number of spectators in the stadiums was dwindling. Good football will galvanise the crowds back to the games.

Whatever be the permutations and combinations  the mantle of taking FC Goa to the pinnacle of the competition and roping in the crowds back will fall only another legend from Brazil-Lucio. The way he caresses the ball will determine whether FC Goa fans are left laughing with joy or fuming. He has shown great form during training. At 38, he has demonstrated he has the years to lead of team of 20 plus.

“I know my responsibility and I am here because I can do what is expected from me. A player can win a game for his team but he cannot win a tournament. The playing eleven have to be one at all times,” is what he said while explaining he was ready for the hugs and brick bats.

Like most teams, FC Goa will utilise the quota of six foreigners in the starting eleven. Captain Lucio and goalkeeper  Elinton  Andrade are sure to find themselves in the starting eleven. Spanish Jofre and French  Gregory Arnolin can be in the scent, of being the first to trudge, onto the pitch too. The presence of the remaining will unfold Zico’s strategy for the tournament.

Romeo Fernandes – who Zico is familiar with since last season – is one among the eight Goans who could have a whiff of the pitch for the full ninety minutes. Victorino Fernandes and Mandar Rao Desai appeared impressive during training in Goa.  From the two, Victorino has the penchant for scoring. But , his reliably quotient is lesser then the others vying for a place in the starting eleven. Mandar has played for FC Goa last year. Victorino will be making his debut.

From amongst the foreigners defender Luciano Sabrosa and striker Daryl Duffy  may have to bide their time before they take to the field. Zico can select only the best six and these two may fall in the teams surplus pool.

Football cannot be discussed without Brazil.The HISL is trying to get glamour back to football with the foreigners recruited. From many that have joined this year, two (both Brazilian Lucio and Roberto Carlos) could well decide which way the Trophy goes this year. Will it stay in Goa or will it go North(Delhi)? This discussion might well  be settled by these two Brazilians.

The Turf Begins To Tick for FC Goa at Tilak Maidan

FC Goa players on their first day of training at the Tilak maidan,Vasco

The turf at Tilak maidan, Vasco got the first feel of the feet and brains of the FC Goa players that are set to stake claim for the title of Indian Super League (ISL) II champions. Except for coach Zico – who is in Zurich attending some private business- FC Goa were in full force with captain Lucio in their first training session – after their two week sojourn in Dubai.

Training started at 8.30 am and finished at 10.05 am. In the one and a half hour the team was together, two players stuck out- Lucio, despite his age still possess the demeanour of a champion, and goalkeeper Elinton Andrade also from Brazil.  The defence envisaged by Zico is set the rest of the team wetting the fans appetite for goals and more goals.

Thirty seven year Lucio beats his age on the field. Still athletic and strong Lucio displayed  in the one hour thirty five  odd minutes of training that he still understands the psychological nuances of getting all to play together. During training, he was at the right place at the right time for the ball; he demonstrated when to use his left or right leg; he made receiving the ball look simple and on one occasion let go a shot at goal that differentiates a genius.

 Thirty six year old goalkeeper Elinton Andrade showed in his training along with Laximikant Kattimani and Luis Barreto that age is not a deterrent for quick reflexes and anticipation of the flight of the ball. Elinton is agile, very good at the traditional style of goalkeeping and uses the unconventional methods of stopping the ball when needed.

You need eleven players for a victory clap in football. Lucio and Elinton may well be the base of this clap. The rest can translate Zico’s offensive lines into reality by meandering through with a samba and bharatnatyam fusion.

Four Brazilians oversaw the training with started with warm up exercises. The players were then divided into groups of thirteen and put through routines supervised by Zico’s back up start. Since most spoke Brazilian (Portuguese) a translator was at hand. The players were then split into pairs for the last part of exercises that lasted roughly for around forty minutes.

Ball possession, endurance and mental cohesiveness formed the remaining part of training that spread for almost an hour. The 5 versus 5 methods was employed in this session.

Last year’s pick Mandar Rao Desai   and Laximikant Kattimani stood out amongst the rest of the Indian players in training .From the manner training was crystallising a picture began to emerge on why football is not only about skill. Like in life, thinking helps let the ball flow flawlessly.

ISL Franchises will have to at least wait for 5 years for financial returns

Nita Ambani ,founder and chairpersom of \Football Sports Development

“The eight franchises in the Indian Super league (ISL) will have to, at least, wait till the fifth year to start getting some returns. The ISL has paid All India Football Federation (AIFF) thirty five crores in the first two years, thirty eight crores in the second and forty one crores now. Almost hundred and fifty crores have been paid in the last three to four years,” stated a top ISL source on condition of anonymity.

“It is just not FC Goa that is not being paid. All are and that is because the AIFF needed the funds to build up infrastructure. We cannot afford having foreign players suffer injuries due to lack of infrastructure. That is detrimental to the sport ,’ explained the source.

“Initially, we did not think of such a huge outlay. But, once we got the ball rolling we had to make sure that there were no slip ups. We had to resurface a stadium and even had to pay up for the lights in Goa. Money was spent practically all over India. I don’t think the clubs are expecting returns at this stage from the ISL,” surmised our source.

“ Football Sports Development Limited ( FSDL) is promoted by IMG, Reliance and Star. Money comes to FSDL and then distributed after taking care of expenditure. ISL is a brand name for FSDL,” explained our source.

 “Pune City FC has just got land for a new stadium. Very ISL team has pledged to spend Rs two crores on grass root football every year. Grass root development has started but we do not expect the teams to be spending that much at this stage now. Expenditure will materialise when we all start talking in terms of profits and losses. Everyone is here for the money. This is no secret or CSR initiative. But, like us, the franchises have to wait too.” acknowledged our source.

“Spending and income gross is different amongst teams. Some teams have managed sponsors others have not been so lucky. That does mean that sponsorship doors have been closed. Some other companies will come calling. Like the spectators, sponsors too are watching. It is too early to ride now. Patience is the essence,” retorted our source whilst sounding confident that ISL will ride through to money at some point.

I League,ISL merger can be a fruitful reality if tackled realistically 

Bengaluru FC have shown that getting crowds is not a problem with  right commitment

After speculations, threats and half-hearted clarifications the cauldron is left alone. This is not time for football to simmer. With just two weeks left for the Indian Super league to start, it is too late to expect the cauldron to heat. When the ISL started last year, we all said let us wait and watch. We did. And , there was plenty of contentment that football did not need a kick to start ; that the ball just rolled on and on -as the spectators who preferred the labyrinths of their homes – decided to come out and just love football.

From the reports; from the contract signed by IMG Reliance and All India Football Federation (AIFF) it is pretty clear that football in India has a new partner in IMG Reliance. They have the money. So, they call the shots. AIFF, for all practical purposes, is the big daddy of Indian football. However, daddy has grown old. It is the boy growing up with affluence who is calling the shots for daddy.

The ISL will one day merge with the I League. This will happen one day and has to happen because the ISL is IMG-Reliance’s baby. Now read this: “This agreement grants IMG Reliance all commercial rights to football across all football properties controlled by AIFF including but not limited to the national teams and all current and future professional leagues. Such rights include media rights, sponsorship and advertising rights, licensing and merchandising rights, franchise rights, new league rights and any other commercial rights attached to any of these properties.”

Let us not get into the theatrics of when, what, why or by whom. The agreement is in place and since it involves heavy players, room to scuttle it will sound naive. All we can do is sit and wait and hope the contract will not be extended. If football is growing it may well be. But the sign will be when the Indian begins to enjoy playing the game.

Every ISL franchise spends in crores each year on players and sundry other facilities. No I League team can scale such a wall. Jumping from a few crores to plenty will be a herculean task for most – if not all- I league teams at the moment. In many ways, the merger song starts on budget blues.

An ISL team requires having a minimum of nine foreign players and a maximum of eleven. Six foreign players can take the field at a time in the maximum.

Look at the picture when it comes to the I league. Four foreign players in the maximum and all four can take the field. Most teams do not have four players. If they do, the majority of players are mediocre -Bengaluru FC is the only exception.  Less spoken, the better. If the good are injured, the story turns pathetic.

The I League introduced the system of allowing only four foreigners to play to give our boys a chance to play. The equation as of now stands at 4 to 7. Just the reverse happens in the ISL. In the 6 to 5 swing, our boys end up being the back benchers on the field and at the banks. Their pie has neither cream nor sauce.

The ISL expects all franchises to spend Rs two crores a year on grass root development. Cash incentives of even over a crore have been offered to teams pursuing tapping and training talent. Most teams have hardly started moving in this direction. It will take time. Some have already asked longer time than others.

Grass root football has taken off with the I league teams. Though not really structured, efforts are being ploughed. Results have started showing in the North East. Bengaluru is beginning to bloom. Kolkata and Goa – once the nerve centres of football- have joined but look pretty late then the new comers on the block.

As long as we learn to seed the roots ingenuously, the grass will have to wait.

ISL teams are now enjoying State support as each state has a team and most of the teams carry the name of their state or city. The setup is different in the I League. What happens to the supporters of East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Atletico de Kolkata? Which way do the supporters of FC Goa turn? Where do the Sporting, Salgaocar and Dempo  supporters look to?

Like smart cities, do we have smart teams? Will the mergers of the two lead to more fragmentation or will it help unite?

AIFF president Praful Patel has time and again said that the interest of the I League teams will always be kept in mind. But, it is the ISL teams that are spending the money and bringing in the crowds. It’s money having sway over people.

The ISL has danced to different tunes from the end of last season till now. Babies are loved when they are born. Because babies cannot talk, they make us think. The I League has been on the beat for many years and has us confused. Let us not tread quickly with the ISL baby. Its second year could well shed some light why football in India is bouncing erratically.

FC Goa raise Base tickets To Rs 200

Tickets for the FC Goa home matches have been priced at Rs 200 , Rs 250,Rs 480,Rs 800 plus tax and the box ticket Rs 3000 plus tax. The Rs 800 and s 3000 tickets carry and additional 15& entertainment tax and 14% sales tax. Tickets are to be available online through Book My show according to highly placed FC Goa sources in Mumbai.

Though there appeared a bit of hesitation on pricing the base tickets-at the time of going to press- sources informed The Goan that the remaining prices were settled and that the tickets will “be on sale after Ganesh Chathurti.” “One group of tickets is priced Rs 480 to avoid the tax slab if tickets are priced at Rs 500 and above,” explained our source.

The prices of tickets last year were: Rs 100, Rs 200,Rs 500 and Rs 2,500. “The tickets had to be increased as the revenue generated last year was just around Rs 2 crores. The Fatorda stadium seats 19,800 people. There was little room to manoeuvre,” rationalised the FC Goa source.

“The prices of tickets may change if FC Goa reach the semi-finals. But, the change will be marginal. The prices for the finals in December are fixed by ISL. FC Goa will have no say in that as the finals is organised by them, not the home team,” added our source.

FC Goa has spent around Rs 21 crores just on the players. Another Rs  4 crores is being spent on Zico and his back up team taking the cost overruns to over 25 crores. The response has not been good from advertisers. We have Adidas for the moment but that is not enough. That is why we are trying to rope in some Goan entrepreneurs. We know the impact will not be much but something is better than nothing at this stage,” stated our source.

“The ISL has to be paid a yearly franchise fee of Rs 12.20 crores with 20% service tax. That comes to around 14 crores this year.”  Disclosed our source, elaborating on the cost structure the franchise has to face while bringing together the effort.

In a recently released press statement Chennaiyin FC too declared their tickets at Rs 150, Rs 200,Rs 300,Rs 500 and Rs 2,500. Unlike the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Goa, the stadium in Chennai accommodates 40,000 spectators.

Meanwhile, highly placed sources in Dubai confirmed that coach Zico will not be arriving with the team on the night of September 22. “Zico is going to Zurich for a few days. He will return to Goa from Zurich. The boys will be looked after by his technical team, in his absence.”

“ I know he is going for some FIFA related work. I don’t know whether his visit has anything to do with the FIFA elections. “quipped our source in Dubai.

FC Goa Play Safe;Victorino Sent Back After Contracting Contagious Skin Rash

FC Goa striker Victorino Fernandes has returned  to Goa from pre-season training in Dubai as he contracted a contagious skin disease. “There is nothing to worry. He was sent back as a precautionary measure. He was checked by team Dr Sandip and then taken to a hospital in Dubai where the diagnosis was confirmed. He was asked to go back keeping in mind the other players,” stated an FC Goa source with the team in Dubai.

“ Victorino will definitely recover before the first game ( October 4) . Since there was a chance that the other players may contract the rash, it was decided to send him back. The rash is contagious. It’s been done for the safety of the team,” read a communiqué of the team doctor.

FC Goa marquee player Lucio – who was recovering from an injury a few months back- is hundred per cent fit. “ Lucio’s level of engagement in training dwarfs the others . Despite his age, Lucio does exercises better than even the younger players in the team. He is a born leader,” asserted our source while disclaiming doubts about Lucio’s past injury woes.

FC Goa play their first practise match on September 11 the second on either September 14 or 15 and the third and last one on September 19. The team leaves Dubai for Goa on September 22 and is expected to land in Dabolim airport at around 11 pm after leaving Mumbai around 10.30 pm.

FC Goa will not be playing a friendly with Mumbai City FC who is also practising in Dubai. Mumbai City FC was keen on playing a friendly with their Goan counterparts. “Zico did not accede to the request” stated a Mumbai City FC official with his team.

“Players will be having a session with Indian Super League (ISL) channel partners Star TV on September 23. Practise starts at Tilak maidan, Vasco on September 24,” stated a senior management official associated with the club.

“A crate of twenty four water bottles for training costs 30 Dhirams ( Rs 543 at today’s market rate). One banana costs around Rs twenty. Things are not cheap compared to India,” stated our source. “but , the boys are doing fine. That is not their worry,” elucidated our source.

FC Goa  co-owner  Dattaraj Salgaocar ,who was in Dubai with the team, is expected to pay another visit this week along with memorabilia for the hundreds of  FC Goa fans that have been witnessing the training so far. FC Goa chief advisor  Prasun Kumar Mukherjee is also expected to be with the team in Dubai for a few days.