Goa: Since the very start of the Indian Super League (ISL) FC Goa have been one of the most consistent teams in the history of the tournament and that was reflected in last season too when they won the ISL League Winners Shield, qualifying for the AFC Champions League.
However, this season, they made some changes to the squad and the most distinctive among them is bringing a chunk of Spanish players all of whom spent most of their career in Spain. Out of the six foreign players, five are from Spain with the sixth being Aussie defender James Donachie.
Spanish footballers have always been quite popular in India largely due to their soothing, crisp and composed playing style along with the large following of the La Liga. New coach Juan Fernando, a Spanish himself is hoping to make a fresh new start to the campaign but will this Spanish influence to the squad really bring a change?
Let us first look into Spanish players who are going to feature for Goa in the upcoming season.
Igor Angulo: The 36-year-old from Atletico Bilbao certainly has bags of experience playing in Spanish lower divisions and will have to fill in the shoes of a certain departed Ferran Corominus whose goalscoring prowess was seen by all. Igor last played for Polish side Górnik Zabrze and had a great stint scoring 84 goals in 142 appearances. Angulo will hope continue the same when the new season begins.
Jorge Ortiz: The winger who moved to FC Goa ahead of the upcoming season and had experience playing in the B squad of a certain Atletico Madrid. At 28, he is at his physical peak and will be hoping to make difference in Goa’s hunt for goals.
Alberto Noguera: The 31-year-old midfielder started his youth career at Getafe before making his senior debut with Rayo Vallecano and playing with various Spanish sides of which a notable stint was with Atletico Madrid for whom he played in the La Liga. He will make his ISL debut this season and will be an important man to feature in the middle of the park for the Gaurs.
Ivan Gonzalez: An astounding figure in the Goa’s squad will be the man from Parla. After coming through the youth ranks of Real Madrid, he played for various clubs in the Segunda Divison as well as Segunda Division B with hopes to bring his A-game to ISL.
Edu Bedia: A former Spain U-21 international Edu joined the club back in 2017. Although he had very limited chances last season being the club’s longest-serving foreign player, it’s no surprise he was to wear the captain’s armband after the departure of Mandar Rao Desai.
From a tactical perspective, last season FC Goa largely played more of a possession-based high pressing attacking football with overlapping full-backs coming into the play. Although, as reported, the coaching staff assured that they will keep the same this season as well but under new coach Fernando, we might see a change a few times keeping in the mind of the usual playing style, we are accustomed to Spain over the years with short, precise passing and patient build-up.
However, one can only hope things go in the right way when the new ISL season starts from November 20 with the Gaurs starting their campaign against Bengaluru FC on Sunday (November 22) at the Jawaharlal Stadium in Fatorda.
