Come Saturday, the 3rd of September, and the country will witness the biggest international friendly for the Indian National football team in more than a decade. Coincidentally, it will also be the first international match to be played in Mumbai in 61 years.
152nd ranked India take on their opponents from the Caribbean, 114th ranked Puerto Rico at the newly constructed Mumbai Football Arena with both countries boasting young teams all fired up to prove their mettle. Here we take a look at the top 5 things to watch out for in this eagerly awaited match-up.
5) Midfield magic from Eugeneson Lyngdoh
Bengaluru FC football fans (some of the most knowledgeable and also most passionate in the country) swear by the genius of Eugeneson Lyngdoh. So much so that he’s been given the enviable moniker of Midfield Magician!
His exploits in the I-League caught the eye of the big timers and he was picked up for a whopping sum of 1.05 crores by FC Pune City for the Indian Super League. Eugene lived up to the hype, turning in some fabulous performances for the David Platt coached side, the highlight being a peach of a header to score against FC Goa in the 5th match of the season.
Also Read: Interview with Eugeneson Lyngdoh: East Bengal goal was my most memorable moment this season
Atrociously two-footed, Lyngdoh’s repertoire includes a penchant for pinpoint crosses and devastating set piece abilities. From Ashley Westwood to Stephen Constantine, all of Lyngdoh’s gaffers so far have entrusted him with set piece duties for their respective teams, sometimes at the expense of more illustrious and experienced members present in the squad.
Handed his international debut in 2015, for the national team, Eugene has unfortunately so far flattered to deceive. Both the player and his fans will be hoping for him to come good soon and what better game to start than when India play their biggest friendly in more than a decade against a much higher ranked Puerto Rico team.
In order to beat the American Islanders, the Indian team will need to keep its wits together and they will definitely be hoping for their very own midfield magician to spin an un-ravellable web of deceit around their opponents.
4) Sandesh Jhingan vs Michael Ramos
Sandesh Jhingan has, without a doubt, been the find of the ISL. Rugged and uncompromising at the back, the big central defender is almost reminiscent of Barcelona and Spain legend Carles Puyol in his demeanour on the pitch.
On nights where the Indian defence has looked incredibly suspect, Jhingan has been the only saving face, almost single handed in his effort in keeping the scoreline somewhat respectable in games such as the world cup qualifier against Iran played at The Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore.
In the absence of star striker Hector Ramos, the responsibility to carry the Puerto Rican attack now falls on the shoulders of the inexperienced but highly talented Michael Ramos. Ramos plays professionally in the United States with Premier Development League side Kitsap Pumas and is one of the several bright talents to have been handed a Puerto Rican cap in recent times.
Ramos had a good outing in The Blue Hurricanes’ last international friendly against the Dominican Republic and after being unable to return any goals in his first two games for the national team, will be itching to finally find his scoring shoes when his 114th ranked side take on The Blue Tigers in Mumbai tomorrow.
Sandesh Jhingan at the heart of defence is sure to be entrusted with the responsibility of dealing with this biggest threat to the Indian goal. Mike Ramos taking on Jhingan is without a doubt one of the most intriguing match ups in this game. One for all to savour!
3) Gurpreet between the sticks for India
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has certainly come a long long way from his East Bengal days. After becoming the first Indian to play a competitive match for a top tier European club, the towering goalkeeper again created history by becoming the first Indian to play in the UEFA Europa League.
With Stabaek FC, Gurpreet has hit all the perfect notes and a particularly rich vein of form, something he has let spill on to his recent performances for the Indian national team. Nothing can be a bigger testament to Gurpreet’s goalkeeping prowess than the fact that he is currently keeping personal idol and undoubtedly one of the greatest Indian goalkeepers of all times, Subrata Pal, out of the playing eleven.
No effort will be too little if India are to beat their opponents from the Caribbean and they would surely be counting on another commanding display from their young custodian.
2) Mumbai Football Arena-First look!
Located slap bang in the middle of the bustling metropolis, the Mumbai Football Arena housed in the Andheri Sports Complex has recently been renovated (more of a new construction than a renovation) according to FIFA guidelines (read U-17 World Cup in 2017) and is now all set to host the home matches for Mumbai-based ISL side Mumbai City FC.
Before the ISL kicks off, though, the Mumbai Football Arena has been handed a major boost and come Saturday, is all set to host the city’s first international FIFA friendly in 61 years.
National team head coach Stephen Constantine recently visited the facility and was all smiles at the efforts put in by the Shiv Sena Youth Wing Chief Aaditya Thackeray-led team.
Being the biggest international friendly game for the Indian national team in more than a decade, the country’s entire football loving populace is sure to tune in for the action. On this night, though, the house is sure to be as much an attraction as the game itself!
As they say in popular pop culture lingo, “House takes the cut!”
1) Sunil Chhetri leading the line: both literally and figuratively
Sunil Chhetri is arguably the greatest Indian footballer of all time. Enough said! The little dynamite, that is the skipper of the national team has a ludicrous 90 international caps to his name and has amassed an even more astonishing 50 goals in the process. That’s a ratio of a goal every 1.8 games!
It would not be an understatement to say that Sunil Chhetri has perhaps been the lone bright sport in the utter darkness that has been the Indian football team of late. If any care detract me, I have one word for you all: Guam! Even when all the chips have been down, the Delhi boy has always had his chin up which has ultimately translated into the awesome figures you read before.
It will be interesting to see what Stephen Constantine has in mind for Sunil Chhetri in this game. Of particular interest will be how he links up with the likes of Jeje, Passi and Narzary; Udanta is out injured.
Sunil Chhetri has always been one of the biggest draws at any Indian international football fixture and there’s no reason why this next game should be any exception!
