Goa win Santosh Trophy Title, boots out critics

PANAJI: The heart and soul of Indian football
is now overwhelmingly Goan. For more than a century, Bengal may have staked claim of having
"discovered" football for the rest of the country to follow, but anyone with a spirit of the beautiful game in their veins will agree that it is the Goans who can now, rightfully, claim they own both the heart and soul of Indian football.
Churchill Brothers Sports Club's triumph in the I-League, last month, gave Goa bragging rights in club football and Goa's triumph in the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy in Chennai on Sunday put to rest any debate on who is the boss of Indian football.
The triumph came in the Goa Football Association's golden jubilee year, making it even sweeter. And that it happened against Bengal — ironically in Chennai, the same venue where Goa was humiliated 0-5 in the 1999 final — seemed nothing short of poetic justice.

Seven times in the past, and six times in a row between 1995 and 2001, Bengal got the better of Goa in the Santosh Trophy final until a tight 4-2 tiebreaker win on a sultry Sunday evening, finally, got the monkey off its back.
"The ghost of 1999 has finally been exorcised. I have been living with that trauma for far too long," screamed Bruno Coutinho, Arjuna awardee and former India captain, but most importantly, captain of the 1999 squad which seemed like strangers in a city of skyscrapers against Bengal in that infamous final, a decade ago.
Bruno was voted the best player of that tournament, but even he agrees how humiliating it was to see Bengal have the last laugh in successive finals.

"At least now there should be no arguments," laughed Coutinho, one of Goa's most successful players.

Goa's triumph in the Santosh Trophy, suffice to say, is fairytale stuff.
Coach Mariano Dias was appointed more out of compulsion than choice: three coaches, Savio Medeira, Derrick Pereira and Peter Valles, had refused the assignment. His striking trumpcard — Marcus Mascarenhas — had never represented Goa; more than half the team were making their Santosh Trophy debut, players were vulnerable to injuries and the entire team had a full training session only after two games in the qualifying phase at Tiruchirappally.

"I think the boys have provided the perfect riposte to critics. I always believed in this team and they have proved me right," said Mariano, who, along with manager Lawrence Gomes, won the Santosh Trophy honour for the first time after missing out during their hugely successful playing days.


Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/