This story is from February 10, 2019

When Goan football learned its A-B-C-D

When Goan football learned its A-B-C-D
Vasco Sports Club's striking quartet of A-B-C-D was the most fearsome in Goan football. They played together for Vasco from 1968 to 1973 and won a bagful of trophies for the club.
On September 29, 1968 when the majestic Police Cup was displayed for the first time at the Police ground in Panaji, everyone looked in amazement. Nobody had witnessed such a trophy before; it was tall and shiny, and overshadowed many of the players when they stood beside the trophy in admiration.
On the field, as the referee blew his whistle to kick-off the tournament, Vasco Sports Club were attracting attention too.
There were plenty of Vasco fans among the crowd as they took on the might of Shantilal SC in the opener and even they couldn’t believe that their team was so good.
Within the first half an hour, there were three goals. They looked irresistible and their forward line gave their rivals a harrowing time. Bernard Pereira opened the scoring, George Rosemond made it 2-0 and soon enough Catao Fernandes added his name to the scoresheet. It looked like Vasco had a new force in town.
Since inception in 1951, Vasco were always a good team, among the best probably in West and South India. Now, they were looking deadlier. What changed?
That day, for the first time, Vasco’s striking quartet had a terrific look to it. Those days when the 4-2-4 playing formation was in vogue, it were the forwards who made all the difference and now Vasco seemed to have the best of the lot. The four starters: Andrew D’Souza, Bernard Pereira, Catao Fernandes and Dominic Soares, struck such a wonderful partnership that till this day Vasco don’t fail to remind everyone that it were they who taught Goa the A-B-C-D of football.

“Believe me, we were good. I don’t think any other combination was as dangerous,” said Bernard, the only surviving member of that famous quartet.
To be fair, there were Goan strikers who hunted for goals like wolves in a pack around the same time. Sesa Goa, for example, had Mauricio Pinto, Visitacao Lobo, Ernesto Braganza and Albino Fernandes. They were probably as good as anybody else, but nobody captured Goa’s imagination like A-B-C-D.
“All of us had different attributes and when we came together, it seemed perfect. Andrew was the most gifted of us all; he could do anything with the ball. Catao was selfless when it came to creating goals. He had such a great vision. Nobody could stop Dominic when he started dribbling and I was blessed with speed and power,” said Bernard, now settled in Mumbai.
Andrew, a rare one-club man, was the first to arrive at Vasco in 1962 while Catao joined him in 1964 after a stint with Caltex in Mumbai. A young Bernard, then just 17, was looking for an opening which Vasco provided him in 1966, though he trialled and played for a while as a defender, until everyone noticed his prowess in front of goal. Dominic was the last to join the team in 1968.
The A-B-C-D quartet remained together till 1973 when Bernard chose to accept an offer from Orkay Mills in Mumbai. The next year, Catao retired and soon enough Andrew hung up his boots too.
Contrary to what many believe, the A-B-C-D quartet was not always automatic starters. By 1971 when Catao – previously the captain – started showing signs of aging, his place was taken up by a young Vallabh Mhambrey and then PJ Raphael became the new rage.
But whenever the foursome played together, they scored goals, won trophies and made Vasco the darling of the crowd. No wonder, they are now part of Goan football folklore.
KNOW YOU’RE A-B-C-D
ANDREW D’SOUZA
Hailing from: Chicalim
Vasco stint: 1962-1975 (Died in 2011)
The GFA’s official publication called him Goa’s Pele; there were fans who fell at his feet in admiration. Among the greatest strikers Goa has seen.
BERNARD PEREIRA
Hailing from: Aldona
Vasco stint: 1966-72 (Now based in Mumbai)
They called him Ghoda. If he started to run with the ball, you could never catch him. Had such a powerful right-footer that goalkeepers shuddered.
CATAO FERNANDES
Hailing from: Chinchinim
Vasco stint: 1964-74
(Died in 2015)
Ask any of his teammates and they will testify how Catao was an exception when it came to selflessly creating goals.
DOMINIC SOARES
Hailing from: Saligao
Vasco stint: 1968-1980 (Died in 2013)
Born in Tanzania, Dominic dazzled Goans with his electrifying dribbling skills. Lazy looking, he could run for a good 40 yards with the ball without allowing anyone a touch.
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