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The town of Madgaon, the commercial capital of Goa, is buzzing with excitement in anticipation of the high-voltage encounter between FC Goa and Hyderabad FC at the Fatorda Stadium on Friday.
With it being the beginning of a weekend, the stadium is expected to be filled to its brim. It gives Goa's head coach Manolo Marquez the right ammunition to attack his former team - whom he has publicly berated for failing to bring in crowds - with.
The people of the city of Vasco da Gama, famous for being located on a peninsula in the state, too are excited to watch this game, with hordes of them willing to make the trip south.
All of Goa will wait with bated breath for the result of this encounter, given that it has the potential to either make or break their hopes of winning the ISL Shield this season.
They are currently ranked at the fourth position of the league table at the moment with 36 points to their name. The Gaurs mathematically still have a chance of winning the league if their closest challengers Odisha FC, Mohun Bagan and table toppers Mumbai City drop points.
Sportskeeda had the good fortune of speaking to a few of FC Goa's supporters ahead of this game, and the mood this correspondent sensed was one of immense confidence in the hosts' camp.
Vishlesh Mapsekar, who runs a taxi business in Morjim, about 60 km north of Madgaon, lives and breathes football and FC Goa. He seemed rather confident of his team's chances on Friday.
"It is going to be a fight till the end for sure. FC Goa are a club who are not known to give up easily. This year, that resolve has strengthened more with the inclusion of Manolo Marquez as the head coach. He gave our side the belief that was lacking in the last few seasons. We have an excellent squad, and it is beyond a doubt that we will cream Hyderabad tonight," he said.
Miranda D'Souza, a marketing professional from Panjim, echoed Mapsekar in saying that the Gaurs have a big advantage over the Nawabs in this game.
"What can we say about FC Goa? We started the season extremely well but despite a few setbacks here and there, we have not quite lost the momentum. Hopefully, we can pick up all three points from this game against Hyderabad and resurrect our chances of aiming for the Shield. There is nothing quite like winning the ISL Shield, that is for sure. We still remember the 2019-20 season extremely fondly," she said.
"Although Hyderabad have missed most of their seniors since the winter transfer window, they can frighten Goa with their young brigade" - FC Goa supporters
Most Goans are known to be of good cheer and radiate from within the glow that they feel about life in general. However, football is something that divides and unites them at the same time.
Victor Gomes, a septuagenarian, is one of the few of the old guard who still remember legacy club Salgaocar FC winning the First Division League in 1965-66. He is now a die-hard FC Goa supporter.
"FC Goa have a lot of top-quality players in their team. Although Hyderabad have missed most of their seniors since the winter transfer window, they can frighten Goa with their young brigade. It will not be easy for Goa to merely walk into Fatorda and walk out with three points. I heard that Hyderabad's coach said that Goa will be under more pressure, and I agree with him," he said.
The Gaurs will give everything they have in this game in order to pick up the three points on offer. The clarity that they have now of having to win every game they play and win the league is likely to set them free.
Marquez may have a soft corner for Hyderabad, whom he guided to the ISL Trophy in 2021-22 in just his second season at the club, but no one will want to beat them more than him on this fateful evening at the Fatorda.
Hyderabad have been unbeaten in the last four games that they have played at this venue, and this gives them a massive advantage over the hosts. However, records from the past can only help a team so much. As of now, they are struggling in the last position of the league table.
By the time the sun sets on the western coast of India, we should have a clear picture of whether Goa will still be in the running to win the Shield this season or if Marquez's former wards end up clipping their wings.
