FC Goa host Delhi Dynamos FC during Matchday 2 of the second season of the Hero Indian Super League [ISL] at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Sunday. The hosts will be looking to get off to a better start than they did last year when only a stellar run by the Gaurs during the second phase of the league saw them make the semis. They will be hoping to go one better and make it to the finals after being knocked out by eventual champions Atlético de Kolkata on penalties at the semi-final stage last season.It will be a fresh start for Delhi Dynamos FC who have revamped their squad heading into Season 2 in a bid to improve on the disappointment of narrowly missing out on the semi-finals last year when they finished fifth after the completion of the group stage. With a complete overhaul of the squad and Roberto Carlos at the helm calling the shots, a much-improved performance is being expected from the Lions this season as they prepare to kick-start their campaign on a positive note and announce their arrival to the rest of the teams as definite contenders.Reinaldo vs John Arne RiiseOne of the most important pieces of business carried out by Goa in the off-season would have to be the acquisition of Reinaldo. The veteran Brazilian is expected to have a big say in FC Goa’s fortunes during Season 2. Having played in South America, Europe and Asia – the ultimate journeyman will be hoping to make his presence felt in India with his amazing goal-scoring prowess. The 36-year-old striker will be key to Zico’s plan for FC Goa and has already announced his arrival by scoring in every pre-season match in the build-up to their season opener.John Arne Riise is likely to come up in a direct face-off with Reinaldo given the Brazilian’s ability to drift into spaces in the wide areas. Riise will be aiming to nullify the Brazilian’s threat and offer defensive solidity to the left side of the Delhi defence. However, more than capable moving forward, it would not be much of a surprise if the former UEFA Champions League winner makes the difference in attack with a hammer of a left foot. The former Norwegian left back will also add an extra dimension to Delhi’s dead-ball situations as he is capable of easily finding the back of the net from anywhere.Romeo Fernandes vs Gustavo dos SantosBoth teams will be looking to exploit the wide areas going forward. FC Goa will be pinning their hopes on local boy Romeo Fernandes who was one of the finds of Season 1. After finishing the campaign with three goals and an assist under his belt, Romeo had a loan spell in the top tier of South American football with Brazilian side Atlético Paranaense, gaining valuable experience before returning to the FC Goa fold hoping to replicate his heroics of last season, if not better it.Interestingly, another former Atlético Paranaense winger will be carrying the baton for Delhi in the wide areas. Gustavo dos Santos, whose mazy dribbles and penetrating runs captivated the imaginations of audiences and pundits alike, is expected to have a similar impact on Delhi’s fortunes this time round. Attacking from wide areas much like Romeo, the 21-year-old finished last season with five goals and two assists to his name. Expect the battle between the two young former Atlético Paranaense wingers to have a big bearing on the eventual outcome of the match.Grégory Arnolin vs Robin SinghGrégory Arnolin took to captaincy like a fish to water when handed the responsibility by Zico last season. The robust centre back brings a commanding presence to the Goan defence as well as an attacking threat from set-pieces. He scored two goals from set-pieces last year while captaining his side sensationally to the semi-finals after a poor start to the season threatened to derail their campaign. Arnolin’s aerial duels with the Delhi frontline is set to have a major say in the final result.Robin Singh will be the target man for Delhi as he hopes to bully the Goa defence into panic in his quest for goals. The powerful Indian international is set to light up Season 2 after missing out on last year’s edition. He is a significant figure up front on his own and acts as an attacking focal point for wingers. Equally comfortable in the air and with the ball at his feet, the Indian target man will be a nightmare for opposition defenders to deal with and comes up in a direct confrontation with FC Goa captain Grégory Arnolin.A few others who could have a say in the outcome of the match are Adil Nabi and Florent Malouda from the Delhi camp. Malouda will be hoping to use the entire width of the pitch in his bid to gallop forward from wide areas in an attempt to put in crosses from the byline. With a sledgehammer of a left foot, the French winger possesses a powerful drive making him another potent goal threat for Delhi along with forward Adil Nabi who’s on loan from Premier League outfit West Bromwich Albion to sharpen his skills and further his development. Nabi’s pace and composure in the final third could play a major role in Delhi’s bid for the Hero ISL trophy.The man to watch out for in the Goan ranks is Jofre. After winning the inaugural season of the Hero ISL with Atlético de Kolkata, the crafty Spaniard will be hoping for an encore with the Gaurs this time round. His mazy dribbles and pinpoint crosses always offered his former employers an attacking threat from the flanks, which is something Zico will be hoping to make full use of this season. He ended Season 2 with a goal and two assists for ATK, highlighting the creative flair that he offers. He coupled with Romeo on the Goan flanks can be expected to cause the most damage to opposition defences going forward. After two wins out of two against Delhi last season with an aggregate score line of 6-2 over the two matches, the Gaurs will be hoping for very much the same.Quotes:People all over India have huge expectations from FC Goa, which is unfair, they can’t put so much pressure on one team. Of course we would love to win and play good football: FC Goa coach ZicoGoa is a tough opponent, but our pre-season was good, so I expect it to be a tough game. Not worried about the Brazilian contingent in Goa, since we have a good mix of Indian and foreign players that’ll help our cause: Delhi Dynamos FC marquee player-cum-coach Roberto CarlosSquads:FC Goa: Elinton Sanchotene Andrade, Luis Barreto, Laxmikant Kattimani, Lucimar Da Silva Ferreira [Lucio] [marquee], Gregory Arnolin, Luciano Sobrosa, Keenan Almeida, Nicolau Colaco, Raju Gaekwad, Debabrata Roy, Narayan Das, Jofre Mateu Gonzalez, Leonardo da Silva Moura [Leo Moura], Jonatan Lucca, Denson Devdas, Pronay Halder, Bikramjit Singh, Mandar Rao Dessai, Romeo Fernandes, Reinaldo Da Cruz Oliveira, Victor Simoes de Oliveira, Darryl Duffy, Thongkoisep Haokip, Victorino Fernandes, Joaquim Abranches, C.S Sabeeth.Delhi Dynamos FC: Antonio Doblas Santana, Sanjiban Ghosh, Ishan Debnath, Thokchom Naoba Singh, Prabir Das, Roberto Carlos [marquee], John Arne Riise, Robert Lalthlamuana, Anas Edathodika, Anwar Ali, Anderson Sebastiao Cardoso [Chicao], Shylo Malsawmtluanga [Mama]. Sehnaj Singh, Souvik Chakrabarti, Hans Mulder, Serginho Greene, Zodingliana Tochhawng, Gunasekhar Vignesh, Florent Malouda, Gustavo dos Santos Marmentini, Seminlen Doungel, Robin Singh, Richard Gadze, Adil Nabi, Vinicius Ferreira de Souza(The match starts 1900 IST and will be telecast on Start Sports 1/HD1/2/HD2/3/HD3)
