Sporting take on Calangute Association in Police Cup opener

Sporting Clube de Goa will take on Calangute Association tomorrow in the opening clash of Goa Police Cup 2016 as the local football season starts.
The Goan heavyweight have won both their pre-season friendlies - against Calangute Association 2-0 and Guardian Angel SC 3-2 - and are all set to start their first match of the season on a high.
The 13-day-long football tournament, mostly involving local outfits, will also kick-start the soccer season in Goa.
Sporting head coach Mateus Costa said "We have had a good pre-season; the boys have worked hard and are eager to get on the field.

"We will look to get our combination right here; the pre-season friendlies have given us a chance to work out some permutations and combinations."
A win against Calangute will be a perfect start for Sporting, who put up a good performance last season - they pocketed the Goa Pro League, finished 4thin the I-League and reached the semi-finals of Fed Cup.

Costa said "I am very pleased with the performance of our boys during the friendlies. We showed good discipline and everything went as per our plan.
"I'm very happy with the positive attitude shown by our team and the staff. We have had a good momentum throughout the pre season; we are on the right track."

Speaking about the Police Cup, Costa said "This is a good opportunity for some of our players to prove themselves. We have a pack schedule coming up, Goa Pro League and Durand Cup are just a few days away. This tournament will be a good start and we can build up a good team from there on."
He said "the quality of teams participating in the tournament is very good and hence we expect a good fight from all teams. Since only one team will qualify from the group it will be very important for us to win the first match."

Calangute Association coach Valentine Ezeugo said "We have a good set of players and had some good pre-season training. However, we played just two practice matches which means our team needs a lot more of match fitness.
"We will use this opportunity to build a good side going forward to the Goa Pro League. Our boys are committed to put up a good show and I am really happy with them."
Speaking about rival Sporting, Valentine said "They are a good side and have been together for a while now; this means they will have a good understanding. Both Calangute and Sporting have a healthy fan base in Mapusa which means we can expect a good vocal crowd for the season opener tomorrow.

A dozen teams, including Indian Navy - a first time entrant - are taking part in the Police Cup. They have been divided into four groups of three teams each.