Tag: acl

  • ACL 2021: With sturdy midfield and backline, FC Goa maintain Qatar’s Al Rayyan

    On debut on the AFC Champions League group stage, FC Goa punched above their weight to carry Qatar Super League membership Al Rayyan 0-0 on the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Wednesday night time.
    The draw introduced hope of Indian groups in a position to match stronger sides however as seen up to now consistency is usually a bugbear, be it a membership or the nationwide staff.
    In September 2019 when India held the Asian Champions Qatar in an away recreation, the consequence was touted because the ‘sleeping giants’ waking up. Draws towards Afghanistan and Bangladesh introduced an finish to the chatter. As gutsy as that night time in Qatar was, it was one other one-off efficiency adopted by disappointing outcomes.
    During the tryst final night time with their Qatari counterparts although, FC Goa was courageous.
    Goa’s model of play within the Indian Super League this season, in addition to their earlier two seasons has been fixed to the assumption that enjoying with the ball, coupled with some sturdy central defenders taking cost on the again, is the best way to maneuver ahead. It has helped them attain the AFC Champions League and preserve their inroads into the ISL playoffs regardless of dropping some key gamers.
    They didn’t neglect to play the identical means, regardless of a transparent elevate in high quality of the opposition.
    Midfield battle
    Nothing signified this greater than fielding dwelling gamers Brandon Fernandes and Glan Martins in the midst of the park, simply forward of captain Edu Bedia, in a three-man midfield. Having to play deep within the pocket for a lot of the recreation, each midfielders, just lately rewarded with long-term offers by Goa, had been calm within the face of being pressed by opposition gamers. They all the time discovered a means out of hassle within the midfield.

    Didn’t put a single foot flawed all recreation! 👌@GlanMartins! 💪#RiseAgain #GOARYN #FCGoaInAsia pic.twitter.com/ACoEez4y3z
    — FC Goa (@FCGoaOfficial) April 15, 2021
    Martins particularly all the time appeared to be in the very best positions and was in a position to frequently nab an interception or two, particularly proper exterior his personal staff’s field. Goa ended the sport with a complete of 16 interceptions, to Al Rayyan’s 9. FC Goa’s midfield was not one thing that was bypassed when in possession of the ball, however relatively an instrument used to carry onto possession – a stark distinction in how the nationwide staff performed in 2019 and FC Goa performed yesterday.
    A foreign-led defence
    One of the key selections that FC Goa coach Juan Ferrando needed to take was to omit ISL’s high objectives scorer Igor Angulo from his staff. The determination was made retaining in thoughts that Goa wanted two overseas centre-backs who might play with the ball.
    Both James Donachie and Ivan Gonzales had been essential in not simply snuffing out any probabilities but additionally passing the ball relatively than clearing it out and giving possession away. It led to Goa solely marginally dropping the possession battle, making over 400 passes in 90 minutes and doing so at an accuracy price above 80%. Choosing each of them relatively than dropping one and choosing Angulo may need helped with the objectives, however it signifies that Goa now may need a preventing probability in the direction of the top of most video games.

    Step by step! 💪🏻#RiseAgain #FCGoaInAsia #ACL2021 pic.twitter.com/LBj2j9S4xN
    — FC Goa (@FCGoaOfficial) April 15, 2021
    Striking points
    Despite Goa’s Indian-centric midfield exceeding expectations, not sufficient probabilities had been created. The dwelling staff managed a mere three pictures all through the sport, certainly one of which hit the goal. For Ferrando, the lacking probabilities in assault was the difficulty that wanted to be sorted for his or her subsequent recreation, an encounter towards UAE’s Al Wahad on April 17.
    “From a coach’s point of view, we need to grow in some details and tactics. We need to improve in certain aspects of the attack because this is the AFC Champions League and it is necessary to prepare and compete in every aspect.” He then continued and stated, “The first game went well, the new target for Saturday is to further improve in attack. We have to go step by step and continue improving. This is not our limit and we have to improve more.”
    Looking ahead
    In a match the place a staff has to play each three days, restoration and sustaining the identical ranges of play turn into essential. The climate additionally turns into a significant component, as Al Rayyan coach Laurent Blanc made clear after his staff’s draw final night time.
    “The weather and humidity had the biggest impact on Al Rayyan’s level of performance during the Goa match. We did not take advantage of the opportunities we got and failing to register a goal at the beginning of the match made the team’s task further difficult and gave confidence to the Goa team, who played in a tight defensive manner,” stated Blanc within the post-match press convention.
    Goa’s subsequent opponents Al Wahad might have made their means into the AFC Champions League via the playoffs, however have been regulars at this degree and supply one more check to a Goan staff that must present the identical degree of focus that was required to maintain the Qatar Super League membership at bay.

  • 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.

  • FC Goa publicizes 28-man squad for AFC Champions League

    Indian Super League facet FC Goa on Thursday introduced a 28-member squad for the upcoming AFC Champions League marketing campaign, together with 11 gamers from the state.
    The membership has submitted its squad to the Asian Football Confederation.
    The Gaurs will start their maiden voyage into the continental membership competitors on April 14 after they tackle Qatar’s Al-Rayyan.
    As per the principles, all golf equipment are allowed to have not more than 4 international gamers of their squad. Out of this, certainly one of them should belong to an AFC (Asian Football Federation) member affiliation nation. Australian defender James Donachie fulfills that standards.

    Squad Update 📜
    Coach @JuanFerrandoF has introduced his squad for the upcoming @TheAFCCL. 💪🏻
    Read extra at https://t.co/Sw6GmWpPh1#RiseAgain #FCGoaInAsia pic.twitter.com/qpuN20i3QI
    — FC Goa (@FCGoaOfficial) April 8, 2021
    Forward Igor Angulo and midfielder Alberto Noguera miss out from amongst the membership’s international contingent that performed within the final ISL.
    Meanwhile, Romeo Fernandes made a comeback to the FC Goa primary staff for the primary time since 2016.
    The FC Goa squad sees 4 foreigners being named within the squad along with 11 gamers from the house state.
    FC GOA SQUAD
    Goalkeepers: Mohammad Nawaz, Naveen Kumar, Shubham Dhas, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem
    Defenders: Sanson Pereira, Seriton Fernandes, Leander D’Cunha, Ivan Gonzalez (Spain), Mohamed Ali, James Donachie (Australia), Aibanbha Dohling, Saviour Gama, Adil Khan
    Midfielders: Edu Bedia (Spain), Glan Martins, Princeton Rebello, Brandon Fernandes, Phrangki Buam, Redeem Tlang, Makan Winkle Chothe, Alexander Romario Jesuraj, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Romeo Fernandes
    Forwards: Jorge Ortiz (Spain), Devendra Murgaonkar, Ishan Pandita.