When Goa last hosted the Santosh Trophy in 1996, it turned out to be a heartbreak for the host in the final as it lost to Baichung Bhutia-led Bengal in front of a massive crowd at Margoa.
Twenty one years later, during which a sea change has happened in Indian football, Goa is hosting the Santosh Trophy again. The once prestigious tournament no longer holds the charm of yesteryears, but a final between two traditional rivals, Goa and Bengal, at GMC Stadium Bambolim will be fitting end to the 71st Santosh Trophy National Football Championships.
The two teams faced each other in a group match and played out a goalless draw. Bengal looked the better side on that occasion and was let down by the prodigality of the strikers.
Going into the final, Goa will feel confident after having beaten Kerala — the best team in the competition — 2-1 in the semifinal. Backed by a vociferous crowd, Goa came up with a flawless performance in the first half against Kerala but had to withstand a barrage of attacks from its rival in the second. But the defence led by Peter Carvalho soaked the pressure admirably as Goa moved into its first final in eight years.
Coach Mateus Costa and his boys are at doorsteps of a significant win. The Goan coach said his boys will put the best foot forward and shrugged off the pressure of playing in front of the home crowd. “The crowd will be behind us. The crowd’s support helped us against Kerala and it will the same in the final. Bengal is a good side. But we have worked really hard to reach the final. Our aim will be to win the trophy in front of our supporters,” he said.
Liston Colaco, the nimble footed striker, will again hold the key for Goa but unlike Kerala defenders Liston will have to deal with a tough Bengal defence which has not conceded a goal in regular time so far in this tournament.
Though the defence has not conceded a goal, the injuries to three of his key defenders has coach Mridul Banerjee worried. “Santu Singh, Rana Gharmani, Provat Lakra are far from fit. But I don’t want to change a settled side and the three will play against Goa which obviously has momentum now. They are the favourites and have a lot of experienced players. Our team is young but the boys have exceeded expectations by reaching the final. Our strength is in the defence. We have played against Goa in this tournament before and know what they are capable of. They will have a lot of support too,’’ said Mridul.
The Bengal attack has revolved around Manvir Singh, Shaikkom Ronald Singh and Basanta Singh. The three have made their presence felt against all teams and will again pose questions to Goan defence. Manvir Singh is the lynchpin in the attack. The striker has been among goals but has also missed easy chances in the tournament. Coach Mridul Banerjee expects Manvir to get his act together in the final.
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