Overview:
The Kalinga Warriors started off as the Delhi Dynamos and only a year ago, shifted their base to the Eastern parts of India. This team has had a mixed outing so far in the top tier of Indian football, achieving mid-table finish in four outings while qualifying for the knockouts twice in 2015 and 2016 where they grabbed the fourth and third positions respectively. The team has had a tradition of signing big names and starting off the season as one of the dark horses on paper.
Coaches/Formation:
Last year, under Josep Gombau, Odisha FC finished 6th on the points table. They have subsequently parted ways with the head coach. This year, they start afresh under Scottish Stuart Baxter. He comes with a vast experience of top level football coaching. He has managed notable clubs like the South African Kaizer Chiefs, Vissel Kobe in the Japanese J1 League as well as the national football teams of South Africa, Finland and England Under-19.
During the previous season, Gombau initially preferred a traditional 4-2-3-1 formation for the Warriors, which changed to a 3-4-3, during the later stages of the tournament. Baxter, on the other hand, deployed a 4-3-3 formation during his last stint as the manager of South African National team. There he took them the quarterfinals of AFCON 2019. It will be interesting to see the strategy he uses for the Odisha FC. However it can be claimed without doubt that his technical mastermind should impart an extra spice to the team.
The Team:
Strikers:Our Rating 9.5/10
As no surprise, the Odisha FC has again managed to forge a very strong team on paper. Their attacking line alone is enough to give goosebumps to the opponents. Even though they shall not regain the services of their last-season stars Aridane Santana and Xisco Hernandez. They have replaced them with none other than Marcelo Leite Pereira AKA Marcelinho. With 31 goals and 18 assists under his belt in 63 ISL games, the 33-year old Brazilian magician needs absolutely no introduction. He is a destructive menace to anyone and everyone he faces.
Odisha FC have also secured the signing of 32-year old Spanish bulldozer Manuel Onwu Villafranca. Onwu began his ISL career in 2019 for the Bengaluru FC. He had a bleak beginning without scoring any goal in the 6 outings, although he made two assists for them. He was subsequently loaned to Odisha, a move that galvanized a complete U-turn in his performance as he started wreaking havoc among the opponent ranks, scoring 7 goals in mere 4 games. This season, he will be raring to continue where he left.
As if the duo were not enough, Odisha have also roped in Brazilian Diego Mauricio. Mauricio is a known face in football circuits of South Korea as a prolific scorer in K-league. At just 29-years of age, he has enough potential to be one of the stars of this ISL season. The side has also retained the services of young Indian prodigy Daniel Lalhimpuia.
Midfielders:Our Rating 6.5/10
A criticism that can be made of this team is it is top-heavy. Cole Alexander, the star midfielder of Bidvest FC, who recently helped them gain the 4th spot in the PSL joins the side. However, apart from Vinit Rai and Jerry, no other commendable name seems to be present among the midfielders of this team. Experienced campaigners like Nandhakumar will have to step up their game to provide stability in the midfield. They will be accompanied by a number of promising young kids.
Defenders:Our Rating 6.5/10
Their backline will be led by their captain, 34-year old Englishman Steven Taylor. He joins the side on the back of a successful season with the Wellington Phoenix. Taylor helped Wellington Phoenix to achieve third place in the A-league this year. He will be accompanied by the Aussie Jacob Tratt, also coming off an A-league stint. Subham Sarangi, Gaurav Bora and Kamalpreet will look to man the flanks along with their young prospects.
There will be a tough competition between two young guns, Kamaljit and Arshdeep, to become the first choice goalie of the team. Both of them had enough ISL exposure last year to do the job efficiently this time around. All-in-all, this team looks well-suited to field a 4-3-3 formation Baxter likes, but the lack of depth in the reserves will be quite evident and they will have to pray that their team remains injury- and –suspension free throughout the season.
Odisha FC Score Card:
Total: 22.5/30
Foreigners: Marcelinho, Onwu, Diego Mauricio (Fwd), Cole Alexander (MF), Steven Taylor and Jacob Tratt (DF).
Notable Indian names: Daniel (FW), Vineet Rai, Jerry (winger), Gaurav Bora, Shubham Sarangi (DF), Ravi Kumar (GK).
Probable Emerging Indian players: Arshdeep (GK), Kamaljit (GK), George D’Souza (DF), B Bodo (MF).
Source: Odisha FC ISL Profile Page
