By Shoubhik Mukhopadhyay
I-League Media team

NEW DELHI: U-18 I-League 2015-16 Goa leg is slated to be started tomorrow while Salgaocar FC take on debutant Sports Authority of India at Cuncolim ground, Goa. It won’t be a daydream for gaffer Anthony Pereira to have an eye for the silverware, especially after the boys’ stupendous performance in U-19 I-League last season.

Salgaocar FC finished second, just behind AIFF Elite Academy, in the zonal round last season and they fared pretty well in the final round to finish third. Their performance in the final round testified their supreme authority in the zonal round and it wasn’t just a flash in the pan. The agony to return empty handed, the sliver pang to fall short on big occasion still hunt them and now they are well equipped with their aces up their sleeves to thwart the opponents with merciless brutality.

The gaffer is very much vocal about attacking gameplan and his chaps adapt meticulously as and when situation demands. The chaps are training too hard since July, the technical team have a close eye on each player and they are confident about the outcome. “We have trained hard on both, the technical and tactical aspects and the boys have responded very well. We are hoping to translate that into performances on the pitch”, club official seems quite confident but complacent while commenting over the boys’ fate in the upcoming tourney, as the boys sweat it out during their last practice session ahead of tomorrow’s encounter.

Saurabh, Sanson, Mark and Karan are going to be the chaperons in their own box. The boys have proved their worth time and again and it is the utmost important job for the youngsters to keep their fort unscathed. Skipper Denil Rebello has already shown his leading calibre and his undaunted character lifts the team morale by million times.

Pereira, a no-nonsense person with astute football brain, prefers to calculate one step at a time and eyeing towards tomorrow’s match now, albeit he doesn’t feel shy to mention the bull’s eye which is nothing short of the secured berth in the national round, “We are a well-balanced side and have trained hard over the last couple of months. We will look to take it a game at a time and our first objective for now is to qualify for the final leg.” Now the onus is on the lads to execute the plan while they hit the pitch.