According to the
newspaper report today, Zico said “Goa lacked potent striker” and because of
this Goa lost in the three encounters”, making an especial mention to the loss against
Pune. With due respect to Zico’s foot-balling
prowess, I disagree with this statement. It was Zico’s duty to create one in the
front line if there is none in which case it was also his duty to search for a suitable
one and induct him in the team.
Normally, front liners are bound to be good strikers and unless you
strike hard you cannot fit in the front line.
What was missing in the Goan team was the killer instinct among the
forwards and strong will to hit powerfully from inside and outside the
box. Our players went on passing the
ball to each other even in front of the goal instead of taking long shots. Only Santos tried this with his left foot. As a coach it was Zico’s duty to instruct his
forwards to aim at the goal instead of dribbling and exchanging passes from
inside and outside the box.
Zico followed the same
method of his Coach Tele Santana in 1982 World Cup when Brazil squandered so many chances of scoring
sure goals because they went on passing the ball among themselves instead of
shooting the ball into the goal. “Jogo
bonito” is good to entertain the spectators and make the game interesting but
finally what it counts is score.
During his peak form in
1966 World Cup, when questioned, the great soccer wizard of Portugal, Eusebio answered thus: “Inside the box when I
get the ball I don’t think of passing the ball to my colleague but to hit hard
towards the net”.
Zico during his hey
days was a great footballer but great footballers do not necessarily make great
Coaches. As a coach Maradona failed and likewise
many more. The success of the coach
depends on the quality of the players he is having. Zico when he was entrusted with the task of
coaching the Goan team he should have analysed the weak area and accordingly
acted to infuse proper blood into the team or request the team management to
give him suitable replacement to fortify the weak area. It is useless now to shift blame on here and
on there.
Having said that, I
must admit that Zico has brought great changes in the Goan team for its
betterment even though Goa lost important encounters which we have to accept
sportingly. In the long run the game of
soccer benefited with its vast improvement.
Candolim, Goa.
Tel:7507394349.
