4️⃣ TALKING POINTS FROM INDIA VS HONG KONG

 

INDIA VS HONG KONG

TALKING POINTS AS DOMINANT BLUE TIGERS ROMP TO 4-0 VICTORY IN KOLKATA

-Mitansh Kagalwala



Photo Via: InsideSport


On a rainy night in Kolkata, India took on Hong Kong in a clash to secure top space in their AFC Asian Cup Qualification group. Both sides had already qualified for the tournament, but a win would ensure a better pot and group drawing. The Blue Tigers started with a bang, Anwar Ali smashing home in the 2nd minute. Sunil Chhetri doubled the lead just before half-time, netting his 84th international goal in an Indian jersey, coming level with one Ferenc Puskas. Manvir Singh and Ishan Pandita sealed the victory late into the game with two well taken goals. Here’s what we made of it:

1.      INDIA’S ATTACK: In recent years, much has been made of the difference in quality between India’s defence and offence: the former organized and successful, the latter boring and overly reliant on Sunil Chhetri. With the rise of young attacking talent, the question turned to whether Igor Stimac would be able to make full use of it. Sahal Abdul Samad, Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan and Ishan Pandita look extremely promising, and are all under the age of 25. This, combined with the talent of Sunil Chhetri, Brandon Fernandes, Manvir Singh, and Udanta Singh, has transformed the Indian attack into a force to be reckoned with, if Igor Stimac can figure out how to get the most out of it.

2.      FIFA, AIFF AND STIMAC’S FUTURE: Although India have qualified for the AFC Asian Cup, doubts still reign over whether or not the Blue Tigers will actually feature at Asia’s premiere footballing event. The threat of a ban from FIFA due to third-party interference (Supreme Court interference in AIFF administration) still dangles over Indian football’s head. If such a ban is imposed, then all international footballing activities will grind to a stop, including losing hosting the FIFA U-17 World Cup, and missing out on the AFC Asian Cup. If India do make it to the tournament, questions regarding the management of the team will still need to be settled. Current head coach Igor Stimac’s contract will be up before the showpiece event, and with doubts circulating over his defensive approach and inconsistent performances, especially against lower ranked sides such as Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, a contract renewal is far from certain.

3.      SUNIL CHHETRI AND ANWAR ALI: For some time now, India’s attack has been carried on the shoulders of Sunil Chhetri, and the Indian captain has never failed to disappoint. Every time India needs a goal, the diminutive forward pops up to net for the Blue Tigers. He did that once again, scoring a late freekick in the win against Afghanistan, and doubling India’s lead against Hong Kong to calm nerves just before half-time. In doing so, he came level with Ferenc Puskas for international goals scored, ensuring his place in International Football’s Hall Of Fame. At the other end of India’s lineup was young defender Anwar Ali. Ali was part of the U-17 squad that took part in the U-17 World Cup hosted in India, and scored the winner in a legendary 2-1 victory for India U-20 against Argentina U-20 in the 2018 COTIF tournament. After being diagnosed with a rare heart condition, however, Ali’s football career seemed to be over. However, the defender fought back, eventually achieving a loan spell to FC Goa and impressing in the Indian Super League, earning a call-up to the Indian National team. Ali opened the scoring in Kolkata with a shot that screamed into the back of the net after the ball ricocheted to him inside the box, scoring his first goal for the Indian National team, and completing his arc of resurgence in Indian football. His excellent defensive performance for the rest of the game further cemented Ali’s place as one of India’s top defenders. 

4.      THE GREAT BLUE WALL: In the lead up to the Qualifiers, most of the chatter was regarding the fan attendance for India’s games. “…we don't expect the crowd to go beyond the 5,000 mark," according to one official. Tickets were also made complimentary to keep with the expected lukewarm response. The Kolkata crowd, however, has always been one to exceed expectations. Even for the final game against Hong Kong, India having already qualified, and with rain pouring down, the VYBK stadium hosted over 40,000 fans who put on an electric background to India’s excellent performance. A true display of the 12th man.

      

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