Cy Goddard, one of the nicest blokes in football, always greets you with a smile. The former Tottenham Hotspur player, who arrived at Hyderabad FC as a free agent earlier this season, has been instrumental in their attacking play so far.
One of his finest performances came in their goalless draw against Chennaiyin FC on Tuesday, October 1, in which he was constantly seen shifting his shape and moving back and forth from the central attacking midfielder to the striker’s position.
Goddard also rushed towards the wings whenever youngsters Abdul Rabeeh and Ramhlunchhunga tried to create attacking plays through the middle, and helped bring them into the game as much as possible.
Quite naturally then, when IFTWC sat down with the 27-year-old for an exclusive interview, the question about his positional versatility came up first. Goddard explained his reasons behind it, all the time with a smile on his face.
“I think it depends on the situation of the game. Sometimes, a lot of space gets created up front when they are either playing a high line or Allan (Paulista) comes deep to receive the ball. Those are the occasions on which I can stay higher in order to help the team. Similarly, when our wingers come inside to play the ball through the middle, you see me go out wide to create the space for our other attackers to get on the ball,” said Goddard.
Asked about how the game against the Marina Machans went, he was quick to shake his head and admit that it was a tough one. The heavy rain that accompanied the players throughout the match made the conditions extremely challenging to play upon, as did the physicality we saw on display from both sides.
“I think it was a very tough game in pretty challenging conditions. It was a very physical game. However, the boys showed good team spirit and managed to get a point out of it. Most importantly, the team gelled well and provided quick solutions to whichever problem we were dealing with at the time. It is very important for us to know that we can trust, have faith in and support each other through thick and thin,” said Goddard.
“I was looking to get on the ball as much as possible and trying to make things happen. Trying to create as many chances as possible was my goal. As I said, it was a highly physical game and we are happy to get a point from it. I managed to get on the ball quite a bit and make things happen. I look to make contributions to the team as much as possible and in this game, I had to look for spaces and create those opportunities,” he added.
Cy Goddard – “Everyone has treated me well here in Hyderabad”
Born in London to an English father and a Japanese mother, Goddard has represented Japan at the international level in youth competitions. Having been with Mumbai City FC and Odisha FC in the past, the attacking midfielder knows how Indian football works and is experienced enough despite only being 27.
His creative skills while sitting behind the centre-forward attracted Hyderabad’s scouting team to him while they were transitioning from their previous ownership to the new one. Incidentally, he became their first international signing this season, with head coach Thangboi Singto appearing to have taken a personal interest in the matter.
“Everyone has treated me well here in Hyderabad. This is my third season in India, and I have begun to enjoy the experience. We have a good bunch of boys here where everyone celebrates with each other and supports them through thick and thin. This is what we showed in the game against Chennaiyin as well – our team spirit was right up there, I feel,” said Goddard.
Goddard’s willingness to take shots from far outside the goal has given Hyderabad a lot of opportunities this season. His quick passing skills, added to the composure he displays on the ball make him the ideal candidate to be at the helm of things when transitioning attacks from midfield to attack.
The midfield triangle he created along with Isaac Vanmalsawma and Lenny Rodrigues, for instance, toyed with the Chennaiyin defence on Tuesday and gave head coach Owen Coyle a severe headache on the sidelines.
Hyderabad went into the international break after this match, much like they had done after their miraculous 1-0 win at the Marina Arena in Chennai back in February. They now have three weeks off before traveling to Jamshedpur to take on the Red Miners on Monday, October 21.
“I think we will have a couple of days off but we have a lot of physical work to do both in the gym as well as the training pitch. Hopefully, this break will allow us to reset, analyse and come back as a better team in a few weeks’ time when we travel to take on Jamshedpur FC and then Mohammedan SC,” he signed off.
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