Clockwork Orange in Goa - Fans drive team in ISL

Fans of FC Goa have provided their team with fanatical support throughout the ISL (Image courtesy: ISL)

“Tu janta nahin mera baap kaun hai”

That’s the kind of response I am typically used to when a vehicle hits another. That mind you, is usually an epilogue after the customary hurling of abuses! You can’t really blame me for having anticipated a similar reaction earlier while I was trying to reach the Jawahar Lal Stadium in Fatorda, Goa earlier today.

Instead what happened amazed me; both, the driver of the scooter who seemed a little hurt and that of the jeep got off their respective vehicles and in what seemed like a rehearsed deed shouted “Forca Goa”! The onlooking crowd joined in unison, almost reaffirming that football is indeed the state’s favourite pastime and the ISL franchisee-its greatest unifying force.

The scene inside the fortress was no different, a sea of orange and blue greeted the players as they walked on to the pitch for the pre-match warm up. Quite in contrast to what we saw in the first leg in Delhi, it wouldn’t be unfair to assume that it wouldn't just be the 11 players who the Dynamos need to get past tonight; the 20000 in the stands and some more outside would be cheering with all their might to deter the visitors.

Goa’s marquee manager Zico had emphasised the same yesterday, saying, “Our fans are brilliant, they have stood by us throughout and I expect the semi final will to be no different.”

“We know that a positive result is imperative to take the team through and for that we need to build pressure on the opposition. As anyone who would have played the game would tell you, the support from the crowd matters a lot- its called home advantage for a reason.”

Counterpart and former pupil Roberto Carlos had however played down the occasion, “Over my playing career, I have been a part of a lot of knock out matches. Many of them, we had to play at different venues- so the fact that the stadium in Goa would be brimming doesn't perturb me. Our players would be ready.”

Benign of their manager's exuberance, even some of the Dynamos players admitted that the scene here was unreal, one of them, on the pretext of being not named said, “We have I League matches here too; but none of Salgaocar, Churchill, Dempo or Sporting Clube inspire such devotion.”

We would know in another hour or so if the hysteria created by the sea of orange will indeed be replicated in the final in 4 days time. Irrespective of that though, one has to acknowledge that the ISL and the Gaurs have become a part of the folklore in the football crazy state that Goa is!