ISL: Back on top, FC Goa attuned to Marquez's possession-based play

After a timid 7th and 9th place finish in the previous two editions of the Indian Super League (ISL), FC Goa returned amongst the title contenders with a strong 2023-24 season in the ISL.

Finishing in 3rd with 45 points, just three shy of League Shield winners Mohun Bagan, FC Goa enjoyed a pretty good season under their newly appointed head coach Manolo Marquez.

Marquez took over as the head coach of the Gaurs at the end of last season after a successful stint with Hyderabad FC. He then proceeded to implement his style of play into the team and the players responded well.

The possession-based style football has so far worked well for the team as they have lost just three games the entire season and also managed to create more chances than any other team in the ISL.

They also have kept the joint most clean sheets in the league, nine to be precise, and also have the second-best defensive record, conceding just 21 goals across 22 games.

On top of that, they have also won the most points from losing situations (18), something Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen fans would find relatable.

Although they would be happy with how the league season went, they would not share the same with what happened in the playoffs.

Going in as favourites to win the ISL Cup, they crashed out in the semifinals. losing to eventual cup winners Mumbai City FC on aggregate score of 2-5, losing both the legs.

They have hitherto never managed to win the ISL Cup, although they came very close on two occasions ending up as the losing finalists. But in fairness, this season was all about buying and drilling a new brand of football and Marquez should be satisfied with that.

Best moment of the season

FC Goa have had a lot of memorable moments in this year's ISL. The one moment that will certainly live long would be their 4-1 smashing of Mohun Bagan at the Salt Lake Stadium back in December.

From the start, FC Goa showed their class, displaying the style Manolo Marquez instilled in the team. Their passing was crisp, they created a lot of chances and also did not let Mohun Bagan impose themselves at all.

Goal of the season

FC Goa managed to score a plethora of goals this year with 39 strikes. But no other goal can come close to the absolute beauty that Jay Gupta scored against Odisha FC in the dying minutes of the match.

In the 96th minute, Jay produced what could only be called a strike from the heavens, or in Odisha's case, an arrow to the heart.

Player of the season

This should not be a difficult pick for anyone following FC Goa earnestly. The undoubted player of the season would be Noah Sadaoui.

The 30-year-old Moroccan-American was in excellent form throughout the season. With a total of 16 goal contributions coming in the form of 11 goals and five assists, he has been the key attacking outlet of FC Goa.

On top of this, the stalwart also created a whopping 35 chances and completed 37 successful dribbles. Without the slightest doubt, Noah is Marquez's main man in attack.

Emerging player of the year

While there were quite a few young players coming out of this year's ISL, few shone brighter than the 22-year-old Jay Gupta. He announced himself with a 96th-minute winner against Odisha FC and since then, he has been consistently doing well.

A left-back by nature, he has shown good solidity in defence and was key in FC Goa keeping nine clean sheets.

His defensive numbers are astonishing for a player of his age. He has registered 41 successful tackles, 19 interceptions, eight blocks, and 33 clearances, while also winning 131 duels.

He also managed to score two goals and turned provider for a further three goals. He is a star in the making and will definitely be one to look out for in the coming seasons.

Rating FC Goa's season

On balance, this has largely been a positive season for FC Goa. They have settled well into the possession-based style of football preached by their head coach Marquez and this season is the perfect platform to base their rise in the coming seasons.

With smart acquisitions in the transfer window, this team could only grow higher from here. For the season they had, we at The Bridge rate it 7/10. It could have been higher but for their disappointing exit in the ISL Cup. Barring that, their league campaign was outstanding.