India put on a truly dominant display against Saudi Arabia in the first half to go into the half-time break with a two-goal lead. However, they noticeably faded away before too long, tiring out in the second half. Saudi Arabia showed great character to come from behind and take the lead in the 85th minute, but a last-second penalty scored by captain Suresh Singh Wangjam pulled the game level and saved India a point.
Let’s take a look at how each player fared in the game.
Dheeraj Moirangtem - 8/10
India’s stopper had a decent game. He did concede three goals, but there wasn’t much that Dheeraj could have done about them. The keeper showed quick reflexes to make a few great saves. The Indian no. 1 also managed to keep a Saudi Arabian penalty out of the back of his net which proved vital later on. His distribution was a little off at times, but he had a good game overall.
Boris Singh Thanjam - 7.5/10
The winger had a good 90 minutes. He showed great energy and work ethic throughout the game, running himself into the ground for the team. He was industrious, creative, and productive, and did very well to get an assist to his name. Maybe the wide man let his opposition number get past him too easily to set up Saudi Arabia’s second goal, but he was great otherwise.
Jitendra - 6/10
The centre-back didn’t have the easiest of games today. He had a few nervy moments, including an error in communication with his goalkeeper, which led to the unnecessary concession of a corner kick. Nothing particularly remarkable otherwise.
Mohd Sarif Khan - 7/10
Khan had a decent game. He was solid in both halves and didn’t make any serious errors. A strong, mature, and reliable display from the centre-back.
Sanjeev Stalin - 6/10
The left-back made some important contributions in both, attack as well as defence. He surged forward well with the ball on multiple occasions, providing an extra dimension to our threat. However, he picked up a booking, and also gave away a penalty with a silly, unnecessary, and clear foul.
Suresh Singh Wangjam - 8/10
Our captain did well today and had a much better game than in his previous outing against the UAE. He made some important well-timed challenges to break up a few opposition attacks when we were under pressure in the second half. He also got on the scoresheet by scoring the last-minute penalty to even the scores and rescue a point, keeping our hopes of qualifying to the next round alive.
Amarjit Singh Kiyam - 5/10
Amarjit was pretty much a passenger in this game. He didn’t make any significant contributions - nothing that particularly stands out and merits mention.
Aman Chetri - 7.5/10
Aman Chetri was energetic throughout the first half. He ran tirelessly, displaying good movement and intelligence both on and off the ball. The forward was a great outlet for India’s attack throughout his duration on the pitch. He doubled India’s lead at the time by scoring the second goal but was taken off at half-time.
Komal Thatal - 7/10
Komal had a great opening half. He linked up well with his teammates and caused trouble to the Saudi defence. He also played a great ball through to create the first goal for Aniket. In the second half he was quite ineffective, but that’s down to the tactics employed by the team rather than his shortcomings. While the rest of the team sat back and refused to hold the ball, he was the only one in the opposition half. There wasn’t much he could do without the ball.
Aniket Anil Jadhav - 7/10
Aniket was brilliant today, and probably India’s most creative player. He put the Blue Tigers on the front foot with a well-taken goal in the sixth minute. He did make a few poorly timed challenges though, picking up a booking for his efforts. Despite already being on a yellow, he still went in for a couple of overly rough challenges, so his being taken off at half-time was understandable.
Mohd Rakip - 7/10
Rakip did well today. Saudi Arabia were constantly trying to exploit the left flank, but Rakip was able to deal with most of what was thrown his way. He showed good pace and determination in chasing his man. The defender also displayed his intelligence and speed of thought, making good decisions throughout the game. He cleared when he had to clear, played the pass when it was the better option and was calm and collected.
Substitutes
Lalengmawia - 7/10
Lalengmawia was introduced into the game at the start of the second half. He didn’t get much of the ball, as Saudi Arabia dominated possession and mounted wave after wave of attack. However, he delivered when it mattered most. The midfielder made a run into the opposition box and managed to draw a foul from the keeper to win India the last-minute penalty that saved the game.
Khumanthem Meetei - 6/10
Khumantem also entered the fray at the second half kick-off, but he did nothing particularly worthy of note. India barely had the ball for large parts of the half, and when we did manage to break up an opposition attack, we immediately cleared the ball aimlessly.
