All eyes on ISL star Marcelinho as I-League kicks off
Kolkata: All eyes would be on Brazilian star Marcelinho Leite Pereira when a spirited Rajasthan United FC make their I-League debut against RoundGlass Punjab FC in the opening day's fixture at the Kalyani Stadium here on Sunday.
The 34-year-old, who had taken the Indian Super League by storm winning the Golden Boot in his maiden season in 2016, is one of the biggest attractions this I-League season.
Having started off with the Delhi Dynamos, the attacking midfielder enjoyed spells at FC Pune City, Hyderabad FC, Odisha FC and ATK Mohun Bagan, making 79 appearances and scoring 33 goals.
The forward scored 10 goals en route to winning the Golden Boot in his maiden season and with 18 assists, he is also at third place currently in the all-time ISL charts.
Now he will look to raise the bar for RUFC who is the first team from Rajasthan to qualify for the I-League.
"It's a new team, and I want to set an example for the young players. At the same time, I want to enjoy my football with the team, and let all enjoy it too," the Brazilian said.
About his target, he said: "To be at the top."
"The target is always to be champions. Nothing else matters."
They also have the likes of I-League winner Komron Turunov, Diego Bielkiewicz, Akeem Abioye and Fabiano Alves in their foreigners' lineup.
The Ashley Westwood-coached Punjab FC, on the other hand, have the likes of English defender Josef Yarney, Spanish midfielder Joseba Beitia, English striker Kurtis Guthrie and Australian forward Travis Major.
Local players Gurtej Singh, Rinto Anto and Bikash Yumnam will form the core of their defence, while the midfield will be helmed by the likes of CK Vineeth, Kean Lewis and Ashish Pradhan.
In attack, the club will bank on Sumeet Passi and Robin Singh to score goals. Hailing RUFC's success, Westwood acknowledged that they're geared up for a tough fight.
"They have trained well and maybe better prepared considering the fact that they have played competitive matches longer. They will have the advantage," Westwood said in a virtual interaction on the eve of their match.
"We are expecting a tough game. We need to perform well otherwise we will coming back with no points," he added.
Former JCT defender Gurtej Singh is looking forward to his return to his homeland.
"I've played for JCT before. After a long time, I'm getting a chance to play for Punjab again. It's really a proud moment for me," Gurtej said.
