FC Goa purpose to fly the Indian flag excessive in AFC Champions League: Coach Juan Ferrando
After virtually seven years of existence, 4 semi-final appearances and two summit clashes within the Indian Super League (ISL), FC Goa will forge historical past on Wednesday once they make their debut within the prestigious AFC Champions League group stage towards Qatar’s Al-Rayyan SC at The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.
Entering unchartered territory on the again of their ISL League Winners Shield final season, the Gaurs can be up towards three groups in Group E who all hail from nations which are both regulars or are about to take part within the FIFA World Cup. Apart from Al-Rayyan SC, final yr’s runners-up Persepolis FC (Iran) and Al Wahda FC (UAE) are each robust matchups for the Juan Ferrando-led aspect.
“It’s an important moment for the club, for Indian football as a whole. We are working hard. We know all about our opponents and their level. These matches are going to be of high intensity, so it’s important to be prepared — both physically and psychologically,” FC Goa head coach Ferrando informed indianexpress.com.
“After the conclusion of the Indian Super League, our entire focus shifted to the AFC Champions League. We are on our way to create history by becoming the first Indian club to compete in a tournament of such a high calibre and high level. We are very excited and we will try our best to fly the Indian flag high,” he continued.
pic.twitter.com/k5WQaijNEG
— Juan Ferrando (@JuanFerrandoF) April 13, 2021
Despite being on a 15-match unbeaten streak, Ferrando understands that the AFC Champions League is a special problem. Aware of the dangers of continuous their free-flowing possession-based fashion of play in such an elite competitors, the Barcelona-born tactician took the robust name of dropping top-scorer Igor Angulo and key playmaker Alberto Noguera from the squad to be able to prioritise his defence in step with the AFC’s 3+1 foreigner rule. In the tip, Ferrando opted to go along with defenders Ivan Gonzalez and James Donachie, membership captain and midfield stalwart Edu Bedia, and versatile ahead Jorge Ortiz for the burdensome group stage.
Because of such a restriction, the home contingent now face a double-edged sword. While the expertise of enjoying towards high-profile groups will definitely show to be invaluable, there’s added stress on the likes of midfielders Brandon Fernandes, Glan Martins and Amarjit Singh, wingers Alexander Romario Jesuraj and Redeem Tlang, and promising ahead Ishan Pandita to carry out.
When requested about the opportunity of a “false nine” system within the absence of Golden Boot winner Angulo, he stated, “We will use every trick in the book to sway the odds in our favour. However, what those tricks will be — well, they will remain a secret.”
With late targets changing into their forte, @FCGoaOfficial loved a high-scoring #HeroISL season in typical Goan fashion 🧡
Watch all of their targets from the season passed by 📽️#LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/sweVCDciwO
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 31, 2021
The 32-year-old Bedia, who had stints within the La Liga earlier than becoming a member of FC Goa in 2017, is aware of a factor or two about bucking the chances and popping out on prime.
“Fortunately or unfortunately, I have played in a number of matches throughout my career in teams which you can say to be ‘inferior’ and that includes games in the UEFA Europa League,” stated Bedia in a current on-line interplay. “So obviously, all that experience counts towards understanding how difficult the matches are going to be when you have to run the yards without having much of the ball.”
“That’s something we are trying to explain to the Indian players as well.”
“Al Rayyan and Persepolis are among the top-10 teams in Asia. It will be very demanding but we will try to be competitive and make it difficult for them,” Bedia informed the web site on the eve of FC Goa’s marketing campaign opener. “After a brilliant season in the ISL, now comes the ACL, which will have six very difficult games in which we have to be fully focused. This will also help us to learn and grow as a team.”
Apart from the robust prospect of going through a aspect coached by former Paris Saint-Germain supervisor Laurent Blanc, enjoying in yet one more bio-secure bubble sans followers, and adjusting life to simply 4 foreigners for the primary time, FC Goa have one other potential headache to take care of — late kickoffs, i.e; 10:30 PM IST.
But, contemplating Ferrando has moved the night coaching classes by a few hours — from their common 5 PM begins to the rescheduled timing of seven PM — all appears to be going as deliberate for FC Goa. Now, what stays to be seen is strictly how efficient the well-thought-out plans turn into for the underdogs from India.
