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Sportskeeda lists the five talking points from India U-23’s 1-0 win against Pakistan U-23 at the Bangalore Football Stadium in Bangalore on Sunday afternoon.
Early exit expected
It was a closely-fought encounter between the two arch-rivals but on the evidence of this match both South Asian nations are unlikely to cause any upset in the Asian Games and look set for an early exit from the tournament. India had a few decent moves in the game and the pairing of Sunil Chhetri and Robin Singh combined well at times but the amount of chances they conceded to Pakistan, who are considered to be one of the weakest teams in the continent, suggests that Wim Koevermans’ target of getting gold in Incheon next month is nothing more than sheer optimism. Similarly Pakistan coach Mohammad Shamlan will be disappointed not to get anything from the game and his team struggled to impose themselves even when they had the numerical advantage.
Robin mixed bag
The Bengaluru FC forward had a very eventful outing as he initially got credited for a goal he never scored and also got needlessly sent off, which could have cost his team. Robin’s physical presence and height always gives India an extra dimension in attack and that was the case in this game also. He looked quite sharp in the first half and should have had an assist when he found Lalrindika Ralte unmarked in the box. Just before the break his header from a Ralte corner hit the woodwork before hitting Sunil Chhetri and going into the back of the net. Surprisingly Robin was given the goal but he was the villain in the second half as despite being on a booking he showed intent to foul Pakistan left back Ahsan Ullah off the ball and thus was shown a second yellow.
Francis performance a concern
The India U-23 squad lacks quality and experience in wide midfield positions but former Salgaocar skipper Francis Fernandes is an exception as the winger has been one of India’s best players in the last three years. But the Delhi Dynamos recruit produced one of his worst displays on Sunday as he struggled to get involved in the game despite playing for almost an hour and looked untidy in possession as he gave away the ball cheaply on several occasions. Perhaps a lack of pre-season is a factor behind Francis’ poor performance as he didn’t look completely fit and thus was replaced by the inexperienced Semilen Doungel. With Koevermans not having too many other options, Francis will be looking to improve his form and fitness quickly and take more responsibility being one of the three seniors.
Bengaluru take a bow
Bengaluru FC’s passionate home support was one of the features of the 2013-14 I-League and the city’s craze for the beautiful game was evident in this clash also as a full house witnessed India’s win. The official attendance was 8346, which is higher than the average attendance of the majority of I-League venues. The turnout would have been higher if the stadium had more stands available but credit must be given to JSW Sports for promoting the game very well all around the city. The atmosphere was also electrifying with numerous chants throughout the game with referee A Rowan also getting an earful for some of his decisions. It remains to be seen whether the second match also has a similar great response because it will be held on a weekday but for Sunday’s support at least, Bengaluru take a bow!
More than a friendly
Although termed as a ‘friendly’ series both teams talked about the fact that an India-Pakistan clash in any sport can never be just a friendly and Sunday’s encounter was another reminder. Both sets of players showed full commitment from the first to the last whistle with plenty of fouls and bookings. While Robin got sent off for two needless challenges, Pakistan skipper Kaleem Ullah was also guilty of losing his temper in the second half. But the Dordoi Bishkek player turned peacemaker during a scuffle between his Indian counterpart Chhetri and teammate Mansoor Khan. The game though wasn’t an ugly one with both sides showing good sportsman spirit at full time which did justice to the fact that FIFA Fair Play Day was celebrated before kickoff. More importantly a nine-year barrier of having an Indo-Pak bilateral series was finally broken and football fans of both countries can now look forward to Wednesday’s clash.
