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Juan Ferrando's FC Goa have already scripted a lot of firsts in Indian football this year. They went on to win the Durand Cup in Kolkata after making their debut in the AFC Champions League a few months ago. FC Goa have been playing together consistently throughout the year and are in great shape to challenge for their maiden ISL title.
The Gaurs have an exciting group of young talent with a good mix of Indian and foreign stars on their squad. FC Goa have a balanced roster and will be one of the firm favourites to make it to the play-offs yet again in the upcoming ISL season.
Strengths
FC Goa's biggest strength in the upcoming ISL edition will be the continuity factor. The squad has been together throughout the year since the previous ISL edition. Juan Ferrando's men have been impressive in every tournament they've participated in over the course of 2021 and will be high on morale heading into the new ISL campaign.
FC Goa have one of the most balanced squads in the league with an exemplary mix of youth and experience in every area of play. The Gaurs like to play with the ball and have the likes of Edu Bedia, Alberto Noguera, Jorge Ortiz, Brandon Fernandes and Muhammad Nemil to dictate the middle areas with their creative skillset.
The Gaurs were also highly disciplined in defense in the 2021 ACL and rarely conceded goals, thanks to Ivan Gonzalez at the back.
Weaknesses
The Gaurs seldom have any weaknesses as far as squad quality is concerned. However, with the departure of Igor Angulo to Mumbai City FC, the onus will be on Airam Cabrera to score as many goals as possible.
Cabrera did not score regularly the previous season back in Spain and could be a gamble for the Gaurs. FC Goa will also start the season without the availability of Muhammad Nemil and Jorge Ortiz due to pre-season injuries.
Opportunities
FC Goa have a total of 11 homegrown Goan talents in the 28-member ISL squad. They have experienced Goan campaigners like Seriton Fernandes, Brandon Fernandes and Glan Martins along side emerging Goan talents like Devendra Murgaonkar, Princeton Rebello and Christy Davis.
The club has been known for promoting local talent and this is yet another opportunity for local names in the squad to make a name for themselves. They will be aided by the new ISL rules which makes it compulsory for teams to have seven Indian players on the pitch at any given time in the game.
Threats
FC Goa seldom have any real threats to be wary of in the current season. They are a complete side and are expected to stay in the top four. The only concern might be their striking options as Airam Cabrera will have to rise to the occasion after the departure of Igor Angulo as mentioned earlier.
Teams like ATK Mohun Bagan and NorthEast United FC that keep a very tight defence might be a problem for FC Goa.
