Liston is a good player

AUGUSTO RODRIGUES

There are two teams from Goa participating in two national football events- a league and a tournament- and both appear to be painted by a similar brush. Their tone may vary but some similarities are distinct.

Churchill Brothers FC and FC Goa are the two teams. The former is representing Goa in the I-league while the latter is in the Indian Super league (ISL) tournament. Both teams have reached the half way mark and both are sitting pretty on similar positions in their respective competitions.

However, the similarities of the strokes from the brushes are most visible in the highest goal scorers in both competitions. Willis Plaza of Churchill Brothers is the highest goal scorer of the I-League with 15 goals to his name while Ferran Corominas is the highest goal scorer for FC Goa with ten goals to his.

Both are foreigners, from different countries, and both have distinct impacts on their respective teams. Churchill Brothers looks toothless when Willis is having an off day on the field and FC Goa appears to be searching for goals when Coro is harangued by opponents.

Look at the play of both teams and the brush is once again visible. Petre and Sergio Lobera form their nucleus of play around their foreign players. The rest are there to fill in the blanks or to recover the lost ball. Little play is expected from them.

Whilst Churchill Brothers have the types of Ceesay , Wolfe and other foreign players in the team ; the team is on a song when Plaza is doing the scoring. The FC Goa is similar. Coro has to score for the team to appear that it has been lit by the spark of football.

The presence of players from Goa on the field, when these two teams play, is negligible. There are boys from Goa playing but either they are not giving their best or the best are not being given a chance to excel.

Let us go back three years. At that time, Liston Colaco was the name that many expected a lot from on the football field. He was young then – just about 17 – but was a player who veered the fortunes of his former club Salgaocar FC. Liston had a lanky look when playing with senior players but made most senior players look small when he had the ball at his feet.

Liston was fast, was learning to dribble well; was able to take sharp and powerful shots at goal; was capable of making space for his colleagues; and was capable of shooting with an ease not seen by strikers from Goa for many years.

Here was a boy who appeared to be growing to fit the boots of Bruno. Or at least a player ,who with his play ,had the potential of getting the fans back to the game. Three years down the line, Liston’s story has changed.

Liston left Salgaocar FC and joined FC Goa because the grass was greener across the border. He is making the money and is on a financial high but  his football and football in Goa is not flourishing.

Liston is little spoken of these days because he rarely plays for the senior team. In fact, he has not played one game for FC Goa this season in ISL. He has been part of the developmental team – whenever he has got the chance- and the FC Goa developmental teams are where they are because of Liston Colaco.

Now, this is not football. Liston moved from Salgaocar in hope of improving his game. For a player, his game is primary, money secondary. Good players leave clubs because they do not get sufficient playing time and one is sure Liston joined FC Goa for good playing time at the national level and not to help develop the youngsters in FC Goa stable.

Goan FC and FC Goa Reserves, the two squads that FC Goa maintains to groom talent , are where they are today because of Liston. It is his goals and play that has helped the two teams be where they are now. Get Liston out of them and you get another story. Liston is not the same play maker anymore. Youngsters may be learning from him but Liston needs to learn from people better than him and he could do that best when he plays with them and not practise.

Liston has been practising with the senior team. He has been going to Spain etc…  but for a player to develop he needs to play professionally and not just practise. And, Liston is doing more of the former. In the process his development is laggard.

A boy who could have and should have been in the India team has not even been amongst the probable. This is not a cause for Liston but all those who have been following him because he will never get a chance to be spotted if he is not played at the level he should be playing.

The Go Professional League or the Second division of the I-league is not windows for an India probable. Liston should start looking at his future from a window that will help develop him as a player. He should not allow himself to be nipped. If one window has closed others open.

A good player knows this and Liston is a good player.