Football

Maclaren is looking for double

Published

7 months ago

March 5, 2025

Ray Sportz Web Desk: 11 goals and two assists in 22 matches in the current ISL. Such statistics are enviable for any footballer. Jamie McLaren is already the owner of 11 goals in the Mohun Bagan jersey after stepping foot in India. The Bagan crowd keeps an eye on this Aussie star in important matches. In an interview given to Ray Sportz before stepping foot in the knockouts, Jamie McLaren talked about his goals.

Q: What about the pressure of expectations? How do you deal with the pressure?

Jemmie: Nothing new from when I was a young kid. You wanted to play in big clubs, big crowds, big leagues and I never felt any sort of pressure. Like I said in previous interviews, the minute I landed, the support I had straight away, I knew that they were going to support me. So when you have the love and the support and the care of good people, you just want to give everything. And I think it was a little sad that I got injured straight away, but I did everything possible, flew to Mumbai, flew to Australia to get myself right, my neck a few procedures and found myself fit. And once I was fit, I was ready to go and just had to earn the trust of the coach. Okay, in this season.

Q: You have scored 11 goals for Mohunbagan, & last year the number was the same. But which one is the best for you?

Jemmie: This season, because obviously more goals, more trophies. So yeah, without a shadow of a doubt, it’s definitely this season. So I want to build on this. I think last year I played 28 games, played with a few injuries, and a couple of broken toes. So this season, other than missing pre-season, I’ve been pretty good with the body and really happy. And we’ve got four games to go in this season in terms of winning another trophy. So the full confidence is there, we’re going to have a little break. And I’m used to these one-off games, I’m used to the semifinals. We have that in Australia with two legs and then you play in a playoff grand final. So I’m really keen to get underway, but there’s obviously a big game in front of our crowd lifting the shield. Okay, you are playing with so many young players here in this team.

Q: What do you think of the young footballers in India? Perhaps, you can play the role of a mentor?

Jemmie: Yeah, really good. When I first signed in the first couple of weeks when I was training, there were a lot more younger faces and yeah, they have to earn the trust of the coach. They have to earn the respect of the players, the older players. But they’re holding their own. And I think the ones that have got their opportunity this year have really taken it. And we’re learning from them, they’re learning off us. Like I said, it’s really a together unit. You don’t win trophies with 11 players, you win with 24, 25 and we’re lucky to have that. I’ve had a few injuries this year and the ones that have stepped in have really held their own. And that just shows that they’re hungry for success as well. But one thing is, every game you can’t take for granted. Every minute you get, don’t take those for granted because the coach has shown that he wants to trust everybody and this season is no different.

Q: You have come to India with lots of expectations in your mind. Do you think it has been fulfilled?

Jemmie: Not yet because I obviously had the mind of winning the Shield and winning the playoff trophy. So to do the double is definitely the highest goal that I set. And unfortunately, circumstances were taken out of our hands with the Asian Champions League. I played in that tournament before, and scored goals in Asian tournaments. But to be taken away this year, we never got a chance to play. So we’ve done that, we’ve qualified for next season. We look forward to showing how powerful we can be in Asia because when I looked at the group and I looked at the games, I really think we could have had an imprint in this year’s Asian Champions League. But it wasn’t my fault for anyone at the club. It was taken out of our hands and we just had to focus on getting the Shield and getting qualified again for Asia. So in my mind, we’re halfway there to what I wanted to do and we’ve still got another trophy at hand. Thank you.

Football

FC Goa Gears Up for Group-Stage Battle Against Al-ZawraaAl-Zawraa

Published

5 days ago

September 16, 2025

Ray Sportz

Ray Sportz Web Desk: FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez expressed confidence as his side prepares to face Iraq’s Al-Zawraa FC in their AFC Champions League Two group-stage opener on Wednesday.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Marquez said qualifying for the group stage was an important milestone for the club. “It was a very important win for the club, the players and the fans. Now we can enjoy six very good games and we will try our best in every match,” he said.
The coach admitted that the absence of star defender Sandesh Jhingan is a blow but assured that the team has capable replacements. “We will play with 11 players. We have a strong centre-back ready to step in, and we are very confident,” he said.
Midfielder Sahil Tabora said the squad is eager to get off to a strong start. “We have prepared physically and mentally over the past month. Playing at home is an advantage and we want to make the fans proud,” he said.
Marquez described Al-Zawraa as a strong side with quality foreign players but insisted FC Goa will have their chances. “Football is about defence, attack, transitions and set-pieces — no more secrets. If we manage these situations well, we can win,” he said.
The Gaurs will look to begin their campaign with a positive result and build momentum for the remaining five group games.

Football

India Announce Probable 30-Member Camp Squad Ahead of Singapore Clashes

Published

1 week ago

September 14, 2025

Ray Sportz

Ray Sportz Web Desk: Indian men’s football head coach Khalid Jamil has announced a 30-member probables squad for the October FIFA International Window, in preparation for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers against Singapore.
The preparatory camp begins in Bengaluru on September 20, with players from Mohun Bagan SG and FC Goa joining later after their AFC Champions League Two commitments. Five players have also been kept on standby, with their names to be revealed later.
India will face Singapore twice — away on October 9 at the National Stadium, Singapore, and at home on October 14 at the PJN Stadium, Margao. The final squad for these fixtures will be selected from the probables.
Veterans like Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, and Rahul Bheke feature in the list, alongside promising youngsters such as Irfan Yadwad, Parthib Gogoi, and Muhammed Suhail.

Football

Here’s a polished newspaper report in interview format with a catchy headline:

Published

1 week ago

September 14, 2025

Ray Sportz

“We Are Here to Get Three Points” – Turkmenistan Coach Ahead of Mohun Bagan Clash

Ray Sportz Web Desk: The city is buzzing with football fever as Turkmenistan’s national team prepares to take on Mohun Bagan in what promises to be a thrilling encounter. Speaking to reporters just hours after landing in Kolkata, the visiting team’s coach exuded confidence and praised India’s warm hospitality.
Q: Coach, first of all, welcome to India. How do you feel about this country on your first visit?
Coach: Thank you for the warm welcome. This is our first time in India and we really like this country. Turkmenistan considers India a brotherly nation. The weather is hot and a little humid, but that’s okay. We are in training mode, so the adaptation is fine for us.
Q: Have you seen any matches of Mohun Bagan before coming here?
Coach: Yes, we have. We watched some of their recent matches, analyzed their strengths and weaknesses. We know the good and bad sides of Mohun Bagan. Our players are ready, and we have come here to get three points.
Q: Your national teams have played here before. Did you speak to them about conditions in India?
Coach: We didn’t discuss Mohun Bagan with them, because they faced different opponents. We just asked about general things like hotels, food, weather, and pitch conditions.
Q: You will be playing in front of 40,000 Mohun Bagan fans. How do you see that affecting your players?
Coach: We are not worried. It’s not the first time we are playing against strong teams with big crowds. We trust our players. They are like 11 warriors on the field. The fans will be there, but we are ready.
Q: Mohun Bagan will have three players who have represented Australia in the FIFA World Cup. How do you plan to stop them?
Coach: We have seen their games. We will stop them — if we don’t, there will be no players left! (laughs) We respect them, but we trust in our own team’s strength. And let Mohun Bagan try to stop our forwards too.
Q: Any plans apart from football — sightseeing, food, or exploring Kolkata?
Coach: Our first plan is football — winning this match. If we have time after the game, we would love to visit historical places and explore this beautiful city.
The Turkmenistan coach’s words made it clear — his team is here with one mission: to beat Mohun Bagan and take home three points. Kolkata awaits a high-voltage clash.