Courtesy : MBSG/IFT/AFC Media |
A game of football can give birth to many emotions. From tears of joy to those of sorrow, from excitement and the adrenaline rush to the boredom of a goal less draw, football has everything. And on Saturday evening, the Indian football fans went through a galaxy of such emotions. From the adrenaline rush from Sunil Chhetri's missed header. to the despair and pain of conceding after fighting like warriors on the pitch, the game had it all.
Let's get into the match. Australia and India kicked off Group B which also has Syria and Uzbekistan. The general consensus before the game was that India would look to avoid a heavy defeat. And why not? Considering the gulf in class and ranking, the difference in the preparations, anything other than a thrashing would have been a win for team India. Why? Because when Australia were busy playing friendlies against England, we were busy with the Indian Super League, or we were "experimenting" against weaker teams. A few wins here and there meant coach Igor Stimac got the all important contract extension. And he had a big job, a job to somehow prepare the team to carve out a result against the mighty Aussies.
Our Starting XI for today's AFC Asian Cup match against Australia.
— Mohun Bagan FT (@MBFT89) January 13, 2024
Let's Go Blue Tigers 🇮🇳💙#IndianFootball #AFCAsianCup #INDAUS #BlueTigersInAsia #MBFT pic.twitter.com/t74yU2nZVi
Stimac picked Gurpreet in goal. The four man defense consisted of Subhasis Bose, Sandesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke and Nikhil Poojary. In the middle of the park were Suresh Singh, Apuia and the debutant from Mohun Bagan, Deepak Tangri. Upfront were Sunil Chhetri along with Chhangte and Manvir Singh on the flanks.
Let's do this, India! 🇮🇳
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) January 13, 2024
WATCH 💻 @Sports18 & @JioCinema#AUSvIND ⚔️ #AsianCup2023 #BlueTigers 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/r2VoXKiQP3
The match was historic even before the ball was kicked off, thanks to the fact that Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita became the first woman to take charge of a men's game at the AFC Asian Cup. The Indian team was well supported, with almost all the fans in the stands cheering for the blue tigers. The match began in predictable fashion. Australia looked to keep the ball and be patient. They were good in their distribution and passed the ball around nicely. India got a good chance as early as in the 3rd minute when an early cross from Chhangte missed both Chhetri and Manvir inside the box. Australia never looked in a hurry, rather they focused on the build up. The moved the ball swiftly, at times too swiftly for the Indian players to react. India had more players behind the ball, rather than infront of it, meaning they were confined to their own half for much of the first half.
Courtesy : IFT / AFC Media |
Off the ball India maintained it's shape in a 4-5-1 set up. Sunil was the only player upfront, with everyone focused on defending. And the plan worked well, at least in parts. India counter pressed well, winning back the ball in their own half. But, they didn't know what to do with the ball. At times, there would be no one upfront so the players would just clear the ball. At other times, the players would be in too minds, whether to do a back pass or not. This slight moment of delay was enough for the Aussies to win the ball back. India lost the ball, then pressed and won the ball back, only to loose it again.
The first half was a mixture of poor finishing from Australia and brilliant defending from the Indian team. The Indians defended like lions, blocking the crosses and clearing any danger that came their way. Sandesh Jhingan was the pick of the lot. A warrior on the pitch, Sandesh got a knock and had to play with a bandage on his head for majority of the game. But that didn't bother him as he put in a brilliant shift and played his role brilliantly.
The first 45 mins ends in a stalemate courtesy brilliant collective effort of our boys.
— Mohun Bagan FT (@MBFT89) January 13, 2024
Let's Go Blue Tigers 💙🇮🇳#IndianFootball #INDAUS #AsianCup2023 #AFCAsianCup #BlueTigersInAsia #MBFT pic.twitter.com/PBlxuKNhB4
As brilliant was the defense of the Indian team, the midfield was equally impressive. Stimac started three defensive midfielders, favoring a solid cover for his defense rather than the creative razzmatazz of Brandon or Mahesh. And the one guy who stole the show was our very own Deepak Tangri. Tangri was brilliant. He was everywhere, like a bull dog in the middle of the pitch. His youthful energy mixed with his solid defending helped team India keep the score line at nil all at half time. Can India really pull this off? A match where we were supposed to be smacked by one of the best teams in Asia, can we actually take a point out of this game? The belief was starting to grow. The Indian fans were hopeful. And then, the second half unfolded.
Australia looked to up the ante from the beginning of the second half. There was a difference in their game, they looked more fluid, more dangerous. And one man was looking even more dangerous. Jackson Irvine. Constantly making runs behind the Indian defenders, creating space, making the runs, he was every where. And no wonder it was him who broke the deadlock. A horror punch from Gurpreet off a cross meant the ball felt right at the feet of the Australian who didn't miss from close range. A horrible way to concede. A feeling of numbness ensued. All the defending, all the blood and sweat, all the hard work, everything undone by a moment of madness. That's Indian football team for you.
Courtesy : IFT / AFC Media |
Once we went down, we never really looked like making a comeback. Australia literally toyed with the Indian defenders, with their pace and passing creating enough spaces to trouble our defense. India never pushed for an equalizer, neither did we show any urgency. We were busy keeping the loss down to a solitary goal only. And even there we failed.
72nd minute. Riley McGree cut inside from the left and layed off a cross for Jordan Bos who made no mistake and rolled the ball in from close range. Not only a goal, but a dagger through the Indian hearts. So much effort, so much hardwork. The points table won't display it. All down the drain. India did make a few attacking changes in the closing stages, bringing on the likes of Liston and Mahesh. But it was too little too late. We defended, and defended, and defended the undefendable till the last minute. At full time, the scoreboard read Australia 2 India 0. In an already tough group, this was not the desired way to begin the campaign. India didn't just loose, we were dominated and the gulf in class showed from the very beginning.
We did our very best, but it wasn't enough to get past the socceroos in our AFC Asian Cup Opener.
— Mohun Bagan FT (@MBFT89) January 13, 2024
Next Up, Uzbekistan on 18th Jan’24. #IndianFootball #BlueTigersInAsia #AFCAsianCup #AsianCup2023 #INDAUS #MBFT pic.twitter.com/TpPblLGMHy
Let's take a look at the five factors which influenced India's loss today.
1. THE SUBSTITUTIONS
2. THE MENTALITY
3. THE ATTACKING
Always fighting until the end 🐯
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) January 13, 2024
📺 @Sports18 & @JioCinema
💻 https://t.co/zlqPY9kjki#AUSvIND ⚔️ #AsianCup2023 #BlueTigers 💙 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/PDJvcoa1wM
4. CONCEDING SET PIECES
Courtesy : Goal India / AFC Media |
5. THE TACTICS
"Sky is the limit for this batch" 🗣️@SandeshJhingan lauds the team spirit of the #BlueTigers after #AUSvIND! 🎙️#AsianCup2023 #BackTheBlue #AsianDream #IndianFootball #SandeshJhingan | @IndianFootball @JioCinema @Sports18 pic.twitter.com/FP0fdfACUw
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) January 13, 2024