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After some good and spirited performances in the first four games, Odisha FC is all set to take on FC Goa in their fifth encounter of the ongoing ISL-7 at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim on Saturday evening.
The Kalinga Warriors, under the guidance of head coach Stuart Baxter, would want to make the chances count in the next game so that they can get the required winning momentum ahead of the upcoming games in the long season.
Although the team didn’t get the desired result in the previous game against Mumbai City FC, there were a few positives to take from that match. The return of Jerry Mawihmingthanga from injury on the right wing gave the much-needed boost and Marcelinho, who had injured his shoulder in the ATK Mohun Bagan game, also came on the pitch for the second half.
Odisha FC had also created some good chances in the match and they would be looking forward to ensuring that they convert these into goals in the next game against Goa. Conceding penalties in the early passage of play has been a cause of concern for Stuart Baxter and his boys and they have conceded a goal because of the same three times in four matches so far this year.
Meanwhile with players like Steven Taylor and Jacob Tratt in the defence Odisha FC has a good defensive line-up. Goan defender George D’Souza also had an impressive debut in the match against the Islanders and along with Shubham Sarangi, he will want to prove his consistency in the backline.
Gaurav Bora and Cole Alexander were together in the midfield and Vinit Rai coming back will add to the team’s strength in the upcoming games. In the forward line, Diego Mauricio, Manuel Onwu and Marcelinho were impressive in the last game and would want to set things in motion against the Gaurs this Saturday.
“We played in 48 hours (after the previous game) and some of the boys were tired so maybe but what I saw in the first 50 minutes wasn’t very good. At first, we went 3-5-2, pressed high, took our chances. We had three of our chances and we needed to score one of them to put some pressure on Mumbai City. Because when they 2-0 up, they played without pressure. They are a technically good team and they made it look like it was a bit of mismatch,” Coach Baxter had said after the last game.
“We went 2-0 down and we were very flat. The chances we had, we didn’t take. We needed everybody to make that improvement in terms of their quality. I put Marcelinho on, he was carrying a shoulder injury, but I put him on at half time because I thought he would get into some pockets, some spaces. We needed an all-round improvement. When you are down against a side like Mumbai City, you make sure you improve your game and manage their game as well. That makes it difficult.”
Arshdeep was injured and Kamaljit got hit in the last game and had to be stretchered off as well. However, having three good quality goalkeepers with prior experience of playing in the League is a plus point for the team. Ravi Kumar had a decent outing last game and the entire second half went goalless against Mumbai City FC which is another positive takeaway for coach Baxter.
FC Goa, on the other hand, has a new coach this season like Odisha FC and they have been on and off with their performance so far this season. Out of four games that they have played so far, they have two draws and one win and one defeat. With five total points, they are in fifth position on the points table. Juan Ferrando’s boys must have gained confidence from their last outing against Kerala Blasters where they won 3-1 thanks to a brace from Igor Angulo and one goal from Jorge Ortiz.
This will be an important match for Odisha FC and after some good football, coach Baxter would be looking ahead to this match to get the desired result going ahead in the competition. A win against Goa in the next game will boost the confidence of the entire unit and will help the team get back on track in this long ISL season.
