Goa moved up to third place in the Hero ISL standings after a victory over Kerala Blasters at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa. The 3-0 win gave them a boost in the goal difference column, as well. Goa seem to have hit a purple patch defensively, and part of that defence has been Portuguese Bruno Pinheiro.Pinheiro is a defensive midfielder by trade, and played in front of Youness Bengelloun and Grégory Arnolin in the Goan midfield in early games. But an injury to Bengelloun has seen the midfielder occupy his place at the heart of Goa’s defence, and he has performed admirably. This is not a position that is alien to Pinheiro though, and going by his performances, Zico could have a selection headache when Bengelloun returns to full fitness.Indiansuperleague.com caught up with Pinheiro after the game against Kerala, and the Portuguese expressed his delight at the team’s ability to finish off moves, something that was missing in the first leg of the tournament.“It’s been terrific, because in the first half of the championship, we didn’t have the luck we deserved. We played much better than the other teams and we created more chances,” quipped Pinheiro. “Fortunately, in the second leg of the tournament things are going better; we’re still playing better and the morale is increasing.” He added, saying “Our goal is to win all the games until the end.”Although featuring in defence for Goa in the last two games, Pinheiro has found opportunities to venture forward, as Goa’s attack has not allowed their opponents to venture out of their half. “Yes, all the other teams wait for us in their half so for me it’s easier to move the ball forward. I have the time and I can see the whole game, so it’s easy to distribute. So for me, it’s not new. I’m used to it, and the team is doing well.”Goan fans have finally been able to witness their team play in full flow, and they are certainly contributing to the raucous atmosphere at the stadium, egging their team to do better. “It’s been amazing,” said Pinheiro of the atmosphere. “I heard from all the foreigners that this is the hardest field to play in. When things weren’t going well for us, they were still cheering us, from the first minute till the end. I want to give these three points to all the fans.”Fans can be expected to throng the stadium for the final home game again, as FC Goa take on NorthEast United FC, and Pinheiro and his teammates will want to leave on a high.
