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Kings recruit Vasco stars in quest for ISL glory

Marvin Belboda: Will be relying on his Vasco team-mates to make an impact when they turn out for the Kings in the upcoming ISL.

Kings coach Marvin Belboda will introduce a Portuguese flavour to his side when the Island Soccer League (ISL) kicks off this weekend, with eight players from Corona League champions Vasco on his roster.Belboda, who is also a member of the ‘invincible’ side that went undefeated in the league last season, has recruited a host of his team-mates to join him in his quest to capture the Kings’ first ever ISL title.Along with Cud-Joe Matthews and Rui Furtado, the likes of Quincy Aberdeen, Troy Hall, Rui Sebastiao, Milton Ferreira, and Ricardo Madeiros have linked up with the outfit to launch a serious assault on the ISL championship.Pleased with the team he has assembled, Belboda is eager to get a win early on to set the stage for what could potentially be a season to remember.“Being it is the first game of the season, I’m just looking for us to go out and get a win under our belt,” said Belboda. “Usually the first game has a bit of nerves to it so we want to get that out of the way as soon as possible.“I have told my guys already that going into the game it is a draw but if we go in there too defensive then it will be tough for us.“The pitch is small and if we can stick to our game plan then I think we will be alright.“I’m sure everyone is out to get a good result in their first game and we want to get off on the right foot.”The Kings will be looking to go one better this time around after winning their division last year before being sent packing with a 9-2 loss to Arsenal in the post season.Having players that are accustomed to playing with each other should be a distinct advantage, something that was on the former Bermuda international’s mind when forming his side.All teams competing in the ISL have been stripped of the players who are in the Bermuda Hogges squad, a decision made by Hogges management.Acknowledging that losing Korvon Tucker and Antwan Russell to the Hogges was a blow, Belboda noted that all teams had to cope with the same issue, some more than others.“All the teams look well balanced and each one has suffered by losing their star players to the Bermuda Hogges so everyone is on the same level, we lost Antwan and Korvon so we will see how it goes,” he said. “It’s an advantage to have a bunch of guys that play together week in, week out and are comfortable with each other both on and off the pitch, so it is easier to find a style to play and have each player on the same page.“I don’t speak Portuguese and they do understand a bit of English but the talk of football is done on the pitch so I’m sure we will be ok especially being together all season.“We lost in the KO in a season that we went undefeated so I feel we will have a better understanding than most teams in the league. I have a lot of firepower in the ranks so I feel confident of our chances.“We won the division last year. We have to go better this year and win the whole thing, which is our aim.”