ISL: Analysing FC Goa's foreign contingent ahead of Indian Super League 2021-22

The Indian Super League season is all set to begin on 19th November, 2021. FC Goa will be playing their opening encounter against last season's champions Mumbai City FC at the PJN Stadium, Fatorda, Goa, on the 22nd of the same month.

The Gaurs finished 4th in the points table last season with 31 points. They scored 31 goals and conceded 23. Unfortunately, they were eliminated by Mumbai City FC in the second leg of the semi-final on penalties. After the playoffs, the team made India proud at the AFC Champions League.

FC Goa will be targeting to win the league winners' shield or/and the trophy this season. There has been just two new inputs into their previous season's foreign contingent. Let's have a closer look at what their foreigners will be offering.

1) Edu Bedia

The 32-year-old central defensive midfielder from Spain was FC Goa's captain last season and is hoped to continue with the same this time around. In his long career, clubs like Real Zaragoza, Barcelona B, Racing and Hercules CF are a few to be named.

The left-footed Spaniard played 20 matches last season for the Gaurs and made 82 tackles, 35 interceptions, 36 clearances, and 16 blocks. He delivered total of 1496 passes with a passing accuracy of 79.27%. On average, he produced 74.8 passes per match. Bedia recently scored in FC Goa's AFC Champions League encounter against Persepolis FC, which the team lost by 2-1. He is the prescribed set-piece taker of FC Goa and will continue to deliver opportunities for his teammates this season as well.

2) Alberto Noguera

The Spanish attacking midfielder was brought in last season by the Gaurs. The 32-year-old played 20 matches for them and provided them with 8 assists and scored one goal. He has a reputation for playing in clubs like Blackpool and the B and C teams of Atletico Madrid.

Noguera delivered 1054 passes last season and made 23 shots and 21 crosses. As per records, he has made 98 tackles in the entire tournament. One thing to be taken care of is that he has committed 34 fouls last season. This season, Noguera has already participated in the Durand Cup for the Gaurs and has scored one goal in 5 matches. He is a brilliant feeder for the forwards, has quick feet, and can deliver through balls as well. Apart from playing as an attacking midfielder, he can also operate as a central midfielder. Noguera will be adding reliability in the FC Goa midfield this season, that is for sure.

3) Dylan Fox

The 27-year-old Australian central defender, Dylan Fox, is a new arrival this season to the Gaur family. He has played for clubs like Central Coast Mariners and Wellington Phoenix; in the latter, he shared the dressing room with current ATK Mohun Bagan forward Roy Krishna.

Fox was a member of NorthEast United FC last season and in the course, he played 21 matches for them. He made 16 tackles, 18 interceptions, 94 clearances, and 18 blocks last season. He has the ability to build-up play from the back and provide long balls forward to his teammates. He is an excellent header of the ball and will be a key component of Juan Ferrando's side this season.

4) Ivan Gonzalez

The 31-year-old Spaniard was a part of the FC Goa contingent last season. The central defender was rewarded "Hero of the Match" two times in the ISL, first against Odisha FC and then in the second leg of the semi-final against Mumbai City FC, which the Gaurs lost in the tiebreaker. In his career, he has plied his trade in clubs like Deportivo B, Cultural Leonesa, and the C and U-19 teams of Real Madrid (these are a few names).

Last season, Gonzalez played 19 matches for the Gaurs and made 56 tackles, 73 clearances, 19 interceptions, and 28 blocks. He delivered a total of 1049 passes with an accuracy of 82.93%. He committed 25 fouls and was even sent off once in the league. Ivan Gonzalez will be a hard nut to crack for opposition forwards as it is really difficult to go past him.

5) Jorge Ortiz

The Spanish right-winger, who can also operate from the left flank, was a part of FC Goa last season. He played 21 matches for the Gaurs and scored 6 goals and had one assist to his name. Before coming to India, he played for clubs like Atletico Madrid B, Atletico Baleares, and Cultural Leonesa, to name a few.

The 29-year-old winger was the "Hero of the Match" in the first leg of the semi-final against Mumbai City FC. He scored a brace against Kerala Blasters FC last season from a free-kick. He even scored against Al-Rayyan SC in the AFC Champions League encounter. According to his records, he has been used in various positions upfront and in midfield but has produced 4 goals when used as a center forward. He has made 71 shots and 51 crosses in the ISL and has also delivered 1012 passes.

Unfortunately, he got injured in a Durand Cup encounter and is expected to be out for quite some time.

6) Airam Cabrera

33-year-old Airam Cabrera would be filling in the boots of Igor Angulo who has signed for Mumbai City FC ahead of this season. The left-footed Spaniard has signed a contract with FC Goa till May 2022. He enjoys a reputation of being part of a few clubs like Cordoba CF, Villareal CF B and Wisla Prock.

In his career, he has played 344 matches and has netted in 123 goals and provided 11 assists. Last season, Cabrera played 6 matches for Wisla Prock and unfortunately, failed to score a goal and in the 2019/20 season, he scored 1 goal and had 2 assists to his name in 13 appearances. But that shouldn't be of much concern as Coro, too, lacked a decent track record before joining FC Goa a few years back. He has the ability to score goals and will be eager to prove himself on Indian soil as he will be the main man upfront upon whom the fans and the management would rely for scoring goals.

Who do you think will be the clutch foreigner for FC Goa?