PANJIM: The King’s School, Sao Jose de Areal, which represented Goa in the prestigious Subroto Cup with great pizzazz are back in Goa. The young team came second in their group after winning two games and losing one after a great fight against an international team from Bangladesh was commendable.
They fought and lost that game but did not lose spirit. In their final game, they thrashed the Dhirubhai Ambani International School 15-0 showing the world their skill and spirit. The team left New Delhi with a mixture of the work done and sadness for leaving the tournament.
The Sports Director, Christian Roldan, who was also the coach of the team, was quite eloquent when asked about the learning from the three games. He said, “The three matches allowed us to experience playing and living situations that we would not have been able to experience in Goa. That is why we feel fortunate to have had this experience. In the three matches, the team has had to adapt to different styles of play, look for new strategies, discover new talents as opponents... all this in the midst of a co-existence, a routine of match preparation, recovery, tactical analysis... All this is an invaluable learning experience. And within an excellent organisation, the tournament is 5 stars! And the support the school has given to the team is in the top 1 of what I have experienced throughout my international career.”
When asked how he felt playing against a team from Bangladesh, he was honest in his assessment. He said, “The opportunity for the team to play against an international team was an extraordinary reward and experience.”
“The individual and group level of the Bangladesh team was spectacular. Girls who work together throughout the year, focused on their maximum performance. They are definitely a good mirror for my players to take inspiration from,” he added.
On the improvements needed in the team to be competitive in the future, the coach said that the team was still young and gaining experience that should allow them to improve in all aspects of the game and to perform at their best. Indeed, 15 of the 16 players by age could be back in this competition next year. So there is still a lot of room for improvement.
Speaking about the future plans for the team, he said that the plans for improvement and performance are endless, with the support and commitment that The King’s School is demonstrating in its commitment to grassroots football.
He said that as long as the players and families understand that the commitment must remain loyal to the team, whether or not there is a championship in progress, loyally and consistently working with the same teammates and coaches in order to build the necessary synergies that a team sport requires. He however said that unfortunately in Goa it was important to improve that aspect of commitment to continuous training and to a single team, which is so ingrained in all other countries.
For the players the tournament was an eye opener. Analee D’Costa, who scored two goals, said, “The entire experience was inspiring and increased her confidence level and made her determined to never give up the game. The excellent facilities and the motivation of the coach and Sir Melvin and Madam Liga motivated the team to play better.”
Speaking about playing against an international audience, she said that she was happy the opponents were not overage and she admired their confidence and skill on the field.
Analee said she was thrilled to play her first international match against Bangladesh and even though they did not win the match she believes the team gave it their all.
For Vanya Rodrigues, who scored a goal, it was a matter of great pride being in Delhi representing the school and Goa in such a prestigious tournament.
Having participated against tough teams she said it made think of ways to improve her game. Overall she is a great learning opportunity. The tournament, she said was very well organised and she enjoyed playing against tough opponents who made smart and quality decisions.
Asked about how it felt playing against an international team, she said the high quality was expected and the manner in which they build up their game, the correct passes, finding the spaces and their quality finishes set them apart.
The experience is something they will carry all their lives and the 15-0 thrashing given to the Dhirubhai Ambani International School of Mumbai will remain with them for a long time.