FC Goa cannot miss the bus to the semi finals

“Man and I are sweethearts

He craves me and I long for him,

But alas! Between us has appeared

A rival who brings us misery.

She is cruel and demanding,

Possessing empty lure.” Kahlil Gibran in Song of Fortune

FC Goa did not need fortune to win against Delhi Dynamos. They were fortunate not to have lost by a more humiliating margin. At the end of the day , the best team won and the thousands that gathered to see their teams fortune change for the better, the story was the same – the best is yet to come.

One win, one draw and five defeats. This is not statistics but the story of FC Goa in ISL 3 and nothing could have been worse. At the Nehru stadium yesterday evening when India was lighting itself to fireworks, Delhi left Goa dumb with its blasts. When the first blast happened, the writing was imminent. On the second blast, the stadium started emptying. Enough is enough.

FC Goa coach Zico opted to start with Luciano Sobrosa- who was played for the first time – along with Sanjay Balmuchu and Raju Gaikwad. Gregory, Dumas and Lucio sat on the benches. Richarlyson and Mandar who were expected to bolster the attack played deep behind their lines leaving strikers Rafael and Cesar with little to do upfront.

Infact, the first half belonged to neither. In the forty five minutes, Mandar  had a good strike of his hit the horizontal and Subhasish had to dive to thwart a Gazde strike. That was it as the twenty two on the pitch appeared to look to the skies.

FC Goa had two attempts at the Delhi goal during the first half. Goalkeeper Toblas came to his teams rescue in the fourth minute and the horizontal denied Mandar the opportunity to register his name amongst the scorers of this season. The first half excitement for the FC Goa fans lingered on these two chances.

Delhi Dynamo coach Zambrotta made two changes in the second half- Kean Lewis and Marcelo Pereira . This was enough for the dynamo from Delhi to ignite.

Two goals in four minutes and the crowds realised that this could perhaps be FC Goa’s worst run in the Indian Super League.

Kean and Marcelo added steam to the Delhi attack . both changes flanks initially and it was during one of these changes that Marcelo found the back of the nets. He ran deep into the FC Goa box and when he appeared to be narrowing the angle for himself , let go a shot that flew past FC Goa goalkeeper Subhasish  into the side netting for what would eventually be the beginning of a damp start to the first half of ISL.

The second goal was equally classy. There was nothing anyone from FC Goa could do about it. Delhi Dynamo had three chances- the third one came their way during extra time but not utilised- and they scored two.

FC Goa did not have chances because they could create none.  All they did during the ninety minutes was run through the flanks to cross to the centre to be cleared by the Delhi defenders. In the end it looked routine.

At the end of the day , Zico must have been an unhappy man. No one is in football to lose. However, when one is thrown in with the ball and few players to choose from, one waits for the roll of the ball. This is luck . Yesterday  even with luck , the result  would not have gone FC Goa’s way because Zico did not have men who could make or could bring change.

The battle for FC Goa is now and it has to be so till the end.

FC Goa play;FC Pune scamper with 3 points

FC Goa came, they played and they let FC Pune City conquer their first points of Indian Super league (ISL) 3. It was not travesty of justice but a misdemeanour in a game that could have rightfully belonged to brand Goa.

FC Goa started well and kept playing with fluent rhythm until their former Brazilian stepped in with the Samba beat. His shot – the first by a FC Pune player- hot the pole and the rebound  coolly slotted in by Arata Izumi.

Kattimani was not to be blamed. However, he would have won applauds had he reacted to the ball after it hitting the pole. It would have been a saved that would have wiped the blemish of the first match.

FC Goa , however , came back into the game through a first time clearance by Kattimani outside his own box. His long shot travelled to Rafael who after out pacing Pune keeper Bete scored the equaliser and brought back life into the fans that revisited Fatorda after a long, long time.

FC Goa’s first home game belonged to them and greatly to FC Pune City’s goalkeeper Apoula Bete. The Cameroonian was at his best making the tries from the boys from Goa look so simple. Good goalkeeping is knowing when to be where and what to do when.

Defenders Fulganco Cardozo and Sanjay Balmuch , who played as withdrawn defender in the first half, did themselves proud. So did Mandar Rao Dessai - until he was substituted after sustaining an injury. The three played with extra zest bringing a balance that gave Spanish Joffre plenty of space to explore through the sides and the middle.

If Bete carried the day for FC Pune City , Joffre looked to be Goa’s  Christmas star.  He was seen everywhere , at times taking two Pune players simultaneously, taking and making space and falling back to help the defenders. That he played hard is a fact that can be hardly overlooked by any.

Coach Zico substituted Fulganco with Romeo in the second half.  Romeo had two clean chances to take the tie away from the lads from Pune. The first time, Pune goalkeeper Bete was the bête noire. The second time, Romeo blasted away an opportunity. He should have kept the ball low instead of wasting it by ballooning it over.

FC Pune goalkeeper Bete was confidence personified; Goa’s Kattimani appeared to be making amends to his first match faux pas. He was not confidence personified nor was he a laggard. The two goals he let in were goals that could be let in by many or even the best. This time, there were no errors of judgement. However, it was evident, his wounds were healing.

Except for the two blemishes, the ninety minutes were FC Goa’s and their fans. There was a lot of good football played by FC Goa but it would have been better had there been goals. In football goals transcend into wins and wins into points.

Two losses is not the end of the road. Through the two years in ISL, FC Goa has proved to be a slow starter. Zico has kept his fireworks for the end. The road could be similar this time too.

Simple truths cannot be fudged by dishonest people

Goa Football Association (GFA) president Elvis Gomes in his Presidents report printed in the Association’s Annual Report of 2016 writes: “The said FD (Fixed Deposit) of Rs 48,47,017 was encashed on 28^th April 2014 when I was not the President.” The statement is to deny The Navhind Times Report where  it is mentioned that Fixed Deposits totalling over Rs forty eight lakhs were encashed  as mentioned in the GFA Annual Report of 2015.

After the AGM, GFA issued a press note which claimed: “ The President produced records to tear apart malicious reports in a section of the media which had tried to insinuate that fixed deposits to the tune of Rs 48 lakhs were broken to run the affairs of the GFA. It was clarified that the said amount was withdrawn during the tenure of the previous president and for official purpose.

Many of the GFA members present for the AGM specifically told this paper that “no proof, in the form of bank statements, were shown to the members during the AGM, corroborating Elvis’s statement.”

The Navhind Times is in possession of the GFA  Annual Reports from 2014 to 2016.

The annual Report of 2014 has Shrinivas Dempo as president. In it the annual Report  says that fixed Deposit from Axis Bank (Account No 165457) totalling Rs 3713715 was encashed in the previous year and nil amount in 2014.

The Annual Report of 2015 has Elvis Gomes as president. He took charge in June 2014. In it the Annual Report says that Rs 4876,017  from a Fixed Deposit in  Axis Bank Account No 170635 was encashed in 2015 and in the bracket of ‘previous year’ “nil” is mentioned.

The 2016 Annual report which has Elvis Gomes as presi dent states that Rs 4,876,017 has been encashed from the Fixed Deposit in Axis bank Account no 170635 and that Rs 771,679 has been encashed from PNB 205.

Page 94 of the Annual Report has the following details of Fixed Deposits:

The Balance with Central Bank of India , Margao Branch is Rs 1,45,208.72  with IDBI bank Margao is Rs 3,017,079.95 and Bank of India (Bandodkar Gold Trophy ) Rs 62,445.30. The total Fixed Deposits amount to Rs 3224733.97.

Based on the three Annual Reports, the following is the breakdown of the interest earned by GFA on the Fixed Deposits:

The Annual Report of 2014: Rs 808,562.61;

The Annual Report of 2015: Rs 440,737.56:

The annual Report of 2016: Rs 370,656.00.

In the Notes to Accounts in the Annual Report the following observations have been made: “ During the course of audit we have come across payments for hire of bus, security charges ,accommodation charges and ambulance charges which are reported to have been paid by account payee cheques however no official receipts are obtained, accounting is done on basis of bills submitted by the respective parties. The Association has not invited any tenders for giving contract to transporters. In case of Transport Expenses Self Made Vouchers Should Bear Vehicle No, Distance in Km etc which is not found on some vouchers.”

“The Association is having various sub-committees such as Finance Committee,Media Marketing Advisory Committee,Women committee etc..minute books are to be maintained for recording the deliberations of the committee.” says the Audit Report.

Transports is generally provided for all GFA activities by executive member Anthony Pango.

In his Presidents Report Elvis Gomes says the following about the government: “On March 26,2012 football was declared as the “official Sport” of Goa by the Government of Goa. The declaration of football as the official sport has proved meaningless to Goa football Association. We have been charged exhorbitant sums of money to use the Fatorda stadium , Tilak maidan……Meetings held with the authorities where delegations of affected clubs were taken have no effect.If Goan players and Goan children ,are not able to use the facilities which are developed in their own state, I do not see how Official Sports status can benefit Goa and its football. Truth is sometimes hard to digest and bitter to swallow.”

Fc Goa have advantage Zico

With five days remaining for FC Goa to start their campaign in the 2016 edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) four players – Gregory Arnolin, Subhashish Chowdhury , Denzil Franco and Luciano Sobrosa- are the road to recovery. From among them, Gregory is crucial but with Zico managing the ship and Lucio steering, the first tie will not much disturb FC Goa’s plans of winning the third edition of this competition.

FC Goa head coach Zico has been the star of the ISL and the brains that have seen the club manifest itself in vibrant colours with umpteen injuries in the last two editions of the tournament. Defender and captain Lucio has steadied the ship since his arrival last year and going by the way the team has started its practise in Goa – the ride should not be bumpy this time too.

FC Goa have started with nine defenders and midfielders and three strikers and goalkeepers. From the practise – that started at 3.40 pm and winded up at 5.50pm – Zico appears to be gauging the best from among the lot at his disposal and the Brazilian will this year to expect his boys to play anywhere.

Defenders Gregory Arnolin, Luciano Sobrosa and Denzil Franco along with goalkeeper Subhashish Chowdhury did not practise with the team at Nagoa grounds yesterday. From the four, Gregory appears closest to gain recovery before FC Goa’s opener.

The recovery of  the other three  will not worry the head coach much- unless there are unexpected injuries through the season-  as  he seems to have buffered the FC Goa line up with some judicious  foreign signings. The new foreign signing looked young; slender in the manner they tackled the ball and quick. If their presence has not decreased the average of the team, the overall speed of play looks to have been taken to a higher tempo. This in itself will be advantage designed by Zico before the start of the ISL.

Laxmikant  Kattimani is definite to start below the horizontal.

Lucio, Rafael Dumas and Gregory Arnolin should be the starting three  ,if not , Zico will have to choose from Fulganco Cardozo, Keenan Almeida, Debabrata Roy and Raju  Gaikwad. Fulganco played on the left for a major part of training yesterday and was often advised by the coach where he should be positioning himself. From nine – even with two recovering from injury- Zico appears to have a lot to choose from.

With nine midfielders, the midfielders too appears spoilt for choice. A team is entitled to play with six foreign players. With three in the defense, Zico will have to decide whether to take three in the midfield and leave the strike to Robin Singh or give Rafael  a chance- he looked sharper then Robin during practise today – or expect the midfielders to play a more advancing game as they did last season.

From the nine midfielders at his disposal, Romeo Fernandes could get the first nod in going by his form in practise. Joffre should start along with either Julio Cesar, Richardson or Trinidade  Goncalves (the new trio from Brazil). Mandar Rao Desai may find a nod – depending on where his final pick of six foreign players. Pratesh Shirodkar and Sahil Tavora will have to wait.

FC Goa had a problem last season- the team became over reliant on Reinaldo as one of their foreign players started the season with an injury and hence could never recover to play. The story appears different today. Though it has three strikers, the onus appears to be falling either on Rafael or Robin Singh.

Between Rafael and Robin, the former showed more skill, anticipation and ability to strike aerially or with shots. The latter is more of an aerial play and has really not played in India after his injury with Delhi Dynamo in the last ISL. Yet, he showed promise but Zico is not the type to take promises lightly.

Football is not fun; it is funny !

India is out of the AFC U-16 Championship and out of the cradle of Asian football. Pragmatically, the one year long training has proved results, the best of which is that a baby needs time to grow. India is witness to the growth of football.

Football has been evolving world over through a time when the emphasis was on developing organising skills instead of developing the game- feeding the mother, thinking the baby will grow stronger, instead of focussing on the game. What we have is a skewed baby.

It has been a year now that team India is being put together and the AFC U-16 Championship has shown that with a year left for the World Cup, we are still far behind. Honestly, we may never reach the post in a years’ time and it will be an occasion for many to say – at least a start is being made.

As a team, India has taken great strides in preparing the youngsters physically for the competition. The boys have been fit; have been robust; and have been able to match their counterparts physically in most spheres of the game.

Physical is one aspect of football. Skill is another; mind-set is still another and the ability to read the opponent is yet another. There are many sides to this coin of football and to expect the boys to understand all is being harsh. Yet , one thing is sure- the AFC U-16 Championship has thrown up a goalkeeper who will make many sit and start singing to many happy goalkeeping days.

Dheeraj Singh was the best Nicolai Adam has given India in the championship. There are others waiting on the wings to burst. But, Dheeraj has burst and now needs to be given the chance to bloom. If he does not go far then it is a sign that there is something seriously wrong with Indian football. A wrong we are too scared to address.

India has scored five goals and conceded nine. Definitely not an average that speaks well of the defense . Yet, given the saves- not all of which were instinctive- Dheeraj was the last line in the defense that gave the few thousands who came to witness the match a lot to carry on for the future of football in India.

Boris, Aniket, Raman were the other boys who stood out in this group that has been pushed through passing time  to get ready for the World Cup. The strikers, the midfield players and defenders have stood up during the AFC but it is time they start taking steady stride if they do not want to feel like novices in the world stage.

India needs to have game plans and not a game plan. Playing is physical as well as mental. Being strong is good but being strong and steady is better. There need not be a change in focus but a few turns and twists could go a long way in making us weigh our progress globally.

Too expect this group to do India proud during the World cup is outlandish. They could not do it now; they will not be able to do it later. Not all but at least a few. For that change to happen the scouting system will have to be re-invented all over again and the Indian boy will have to believe that merit is the criteria of selection and nothing else.  Let us separate politics from sports, for a change.

India is a country of billions and yet it has been difficult to find eleven boys who can play football. From all the States, we managed to pick boys from a few states that are relatively new to football. It is here that the problem lies.

It is futile pointing fingers at Nicolai because Nicolai is not India. India needs to change, not Nicolai.

Sports in India have always been afflicted with problems because of the lack of moral policing. There is too much of cheating, nepotism. Fair play is something that sports is new to. Football is not fun; football is funny. This is the problem India has to address itself if it wants to prepare for the world Cup next year.

Let’s stop being funny and let the boys have fun!

FSDL is shutting the wrong door on the right people

Football in India is going through its worst times because the ball is being replaced by money. Talking about money is easy. Writing is not. They used to say, to cover a lie, one has to tell a hundred. This is going out of rationalist realms.

The ISL, many thought, would change football in India. By that we were meant to believe money would flow to Indian players. Honestly, nothing like that has happened in the last two years. Money has flown. Instead of cleaning Indian homes it has helped the rich be richer. Money in the ISL has helped foreign players, foreign coaches and foreign support staff.

Make in India does not mean, get foreign players to play in India. Make in India does not mean Indian coaches should have licenses to coach and foreign ones can get away with it. Make in India does not mean foreigners can flout rules- marquee players being appointed as coaches- while Indians have to be taught rules.

Make in India means an Indian enjoying watching another Indian play good football.

All of a sudden, football is being coined as a beautiful game. What is beautiful, the money or the way a ball is kicked. Football lovers, at least in Goa, have been sucked into a confusion that has been perpetuated by FSDL.

Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) today reads more like – Financially Sound Development Limited. The ball has got lost or muddled with money. To make money is necessary. But, at the cost of sports? Have the rich gone bankrupt on how to make more money, so suck on football? Many a times when excuses are tabled as reasons, one gets sucked into a vortex that eventually spills ill will.

If, to make money was the intent to help football AIFF or FIFA should have been asked to grant ISL perennial permission.  But don’t kill football by trying to eliminate those who have nurtured football for years. Do atheists pray to God?

It appears that so much money has been washed down on AIFF that the boss does not know grass, grain or gender. This is not a paradox; it is a simple anecdote on money. Nuances do not come with money. In the end, there are just two things we all know: 1- we all die;2- we all leave money behind.

So, where do we go from here?

When the ISL started, many said it was too early to comment, Let us give it time. Two years and out and it looks like ISL’s existence was etched from long. It was never seen because it was laid on a cushions of money .That money is spilling on the streets now just the way we used to wash our linen in public. There is no difference. Money talks and man walks bare.

Unfortunately, football is being stripped now. Is that why it is a beautiful game?

All of a sudden there is talk that India needs to grow in FIFA rankings. Surely it needs but first, we have to grow as humans and the best way of showing that is by leaving the ball with the foot. Simple. Let the girls and boys play and as they play, they will grow. When they grow, they will realise what they need to do with the money. Not I or you.

Boycotting a prize distribution ceremony or filing a police complaint against a foreign player is not a crime. What would have happened if Elano was an Indian? The reason forwarded was , with this precedent other foreign players would think twice before wanting to come to pay in India. Mendy came, months after the incident, and the lesson is clear– if the money is good, any player will go anywhere. They came to India not for the love of FSDL but for the love of the money. Plain simple truth understood by people who only understand money.

Let us stop pretending.

What really exposed FSDL was the manner it went about laying the sanctions on FC Goa. It was not the fines that exposed them but the docking of the fines and the suspensions on two of the owners. They say , let the cat out of the bag. In this case, the FSDL let out their ego and it when scurrying around every house, every filed, every mountain and every waterhole available in India. This was a family problem with pan Indian connotations. Poor football in Goa was being soiled in a dirty game.

It is a game that none of us are interested in because what matters to us is our rice and curry and how john passes the ball to peter and how bruno scored. What the referee did and how we kept ourselves warm with a tot of caju on our way home from a rain infested match.

Loud music is good. The screen effects are good. The camaraderie is good. The pitch can be the best. Yet the players were far from the best and yet we came not because football is a beautiful game but a game we all love.

India opened its doors to FSDL. There was glitz; there was glamour but there was little of football. Yet , we did not complain. And , the door we opened is being shut on us all.

Football does not need FSDL. FSDL needs football because, in life, we know the rich always want to be richer. If the air is too much, a ball bursts. This time though, the foot will not feel the pain for the scars will be on FSDL!

Drohini wins bronze for India surviving on juices for four days at the World Champonship

Sixteen Indians participated in the World Martial Arts Masterships in South Korea. Eleven came back with medals-  one silver and ten bronze. One of them was Goa’s Drohini  Vasant  Gavde. Despite her achievement at the world stage, Drohini continues her daily routine in Priol , cooking for the family,cleaning and practising Kurash twice a day.

Kurash is an Arabic form of wrestling where in the victors throws the loser on the ground staying up on his own feet. In wrestling both get soiled; in Kurash the one who is thrown loses. This and the uniform used is what basically differentiate a wrestler from a Kurash player.

Kurash is expected to be included for the 2020 Olympics.

Twenty three year old Drohini is happy for winning the bronze on the world stage. The daughter of a labour worker at the Engineering College in Farmagudi she is unfazed by the lack of attention to her achievement. “ I had to go to New Delhi by train and from there we flew to Korea. During my four days at the completion I drank only juice. I could not eat food because all the food served by them contained beef and I had no money to eat out,” recollects Drohini with no traces of ill feelings.

“My mind was focussed on winning during the competition. Food really did not matter. It was only when I won that I sent a message to my parents to keep some food for me when I reached home. I did miss eating food but I knew I had to ignore the hunger,” admits Drohini.

There is a Kurash Association in Goa and Uday Dangui is the president. The Association is recognised by the Goa Olympic Association (GOA) and is expected to gain recognition from the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) . The President of the Kurash Association in India is Jagdish tytler. Yet for her trip to Korea , Drohini had to depend on the largesse of Govind Gavde from Priol.

“He paid for my full trip. Right from my fare from Goa and back and even the hotel room and food in Korea, everything was paid for by Gavde. I got no help from anyone else,” says Drohini showing no signs of neglect from the authorities or the government.

Unlike many girls, Drohini took to wrestling at the age of seventeen and from then on she has been winning medals for Goa through the Goa University where she excelled as a wrestler. She was the best judoka in the Goa University for two years, during which time she completed her BCom.

 After having won the bronze , Drohini knows she has the ability to go higher and bring greater laurels for her country . But, she does not dare dream big. She realises with no government backing there is little she can fall on. “If Kurash becomes an Olympic sports I would like to compete and bring a medal for India ,” says well-built Drohini. “If I am unable to realise this Olympi dream I want to start training children and popularise the sport in Goa. I hope I will get a job as a Kurash coach at some stage and am able to give back what I learnt,” says Drohini unassumingly. “Winning a gold may look unrealistice. Teaching the children in my village is not,” concludes Drohini.