FC Goa had finished third from bottom in the previous season of the Indian Super League (ISL), with its head coach switching sides mid-season as it finished out of semifinal spots for the first time since 2016.
Under head coach Carlos Pena, who won the club’s last silverware, the League Winners Shield, the club looks to continue its rebuild. And one of the most important players for the same has been Pena’s compatriot Iker Guarrotxena.
The former Athletic Bilbao midfielder, after joining the ISL this season, has taken up the role of a striker with ease, scoring 10 goals this season, including a hat-trick against East Bengal and a brace against Jamshedpur FC.
While his goal-scoring prowess has been compared to former Gaurs Igor Angula and Ferran Corominas, the Spaniard stresses that his aim is to win titles – silverware beyond personal accolades.
“At the start of the season, I mentioned in interviews that my objective with FC Goa is to win titles. We’re three-fourths into the league season now, and I want to say that this target remains unchanged,” he told Sportstar.
“Before I joined the club, I had understood that we had the squad and the ability to be among the best in the league. Having spent a few months with the team now, my confidence has only increased. I still believe in my goals, and we as a team are working together to achieve them,” he added.
An answer to the striker problem
For Pena, the striker problem was one of the most important questions at the beginning of the 2022-23 season, with Jorge Ortiz, who had a great season with the club (14 goals) last season, leaving for China.
Consequently, Goa signed a few (strikers) to strengthen its arsenal – Noah Sadaoui, Alvaro Vazquez and Guarrotxena.
While Vazquez had come in after a great season with Kerala Blasters, scoring eight goals and assisting two more, Iker was new to the league. Eighteen games later, the former has just one goal in 16 while Iker is into double digits.
Sadaoui, on the other hand, has shifted to the left wing as Goa’s attacking looks more fluid than having the Moroccan in the centre.
“During the pre-season, Coach Carlos moulded us to play a style of football best suited for the ISL, which happened because of his prior experience in the league as a player. I appreciate the confidence he has in us, and during every game, we try our best to repay his faith,” Iker said.
Goa’s last pursuit for playoffs
FC Goa has lost three of its nine home games so far, and all of them have come against former ISL Champions – Hyderabad FC, Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC.
“Our home record has been good so far, winning six out of nine games and scoring 22 goals in these matches, and at least a portion of the credit should go to our fans,” he said, welcoming the fans back to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium after the pandemic hiatus.
But the hurt from the losses was evident. After all, wins in the three games would have had Goa sit third in the league table at the moment.
“Mumbai City FC and Hyderabad FC are two other teams apart from my own, that have my respect. They have their own style and play with unity,” Iker added.
FC Goa, with 27 points from 18 games, is already eight points ahead of its points tally last season and will have to win both its next games to secure a confirmed spot in the playoffs. And for that, Iker will be Pena’s Ace of Spades.
“Given our current position, obviously, it’s going to be harder than expected, but I see the hunger among us and our quality, so the objective remains the same, 100 percent. And we will continue giving our best in training sessions and in matches,” Iker opined.
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