ISL 2020: Goa eye win against struggling Odisha

BENGALURU: One of the favourites for the ISL title, Goa FC did not start their season as desired, with two draws and one loss. But they did provide glimpses of what they could achieve in those games. Finally, they managed to produce a positive result in their last game, beating Kerala Blasters with a dominating display. 

With a spring in their steps, Goa will hope to continue with that momentum against Odisha FC at GMC Stadium on Saturday.

In the few matches played so far, Goa's attacking football has been good to watch. If Igor Angluo has been impressive in front of goal, scoring five times, Brandon Fernandes and Edu Bedia have been brilliant with the ball on their feet. It seems that head coach Juan Ferrando has been able to make his players gradually understand what he wants from them. If the trio comes up with their A game, Odisha might well be in trouble.

However, the next few matches will be a test of mental and physical fitness, with Goa set to play four games in 12 days. But Ferrando wants to focus on Odisha for now. "Our focus is to prepare against Odisha because we know that the next three weeks are going to be hard. The most important thing for the team now is to worry about the next game because it's very important for us, and the future," Ferrando said in a virtual interaction on Friday.

"At the end, three points is good for the confidence of the players as it's very important to stay positive during training. In football when you lose or win, the next day is a new day. It's important to forget the Kerala game because we want to win three points against Odisha."

It is going to be a tricky clash against Odisha, who will be eager to bounce back after a poor start. They have not won a game this season, lying second last on the table.

If Odisha are to make a match of this, they need to improve in both attack and defence. Other than scoring two goals against Jamshedpur FC, a match which ended in a draw, they have not managed to find the back of the net in three matches. And coming against a team like Goa, who play possession-based football, it is important to convert whatever chances come their way. They have also conceded six goals.

"They (Goa) have a set way of playing and they stick to it. I think it's important that you don’t allow them to gain too much momentum. We have to be a constant threat," said Odisha coach Stuart Baxter, who also feels that the start has been difficult but not disastrous.

"If we play well, if we take care of the ball better, if we make better decisions and keep the principles of play that we have spoken about, then we can be competitive. I don’t have problems with the boys and their motivation. It's more of their belief. When you don’t get the points the way we are wired today, you feel like you have failed. There is no such thing as failure. A win, loss or draw is just information for everybody to tell them how to progress. At the moment, we say that we can play well and if we do the things that we do well, then we will be competitive. And, if that leads us to a victory, that’s more information for us."