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India registered their first win under Igor Stimac as the Blue Tigers defeated hosts Thailand with a solitary goal in the King's Cup third position match. A goal from Anirudh Thapa in the 16th minute gave the visitors the crucial lead that they maintained for the rest of the game.
Igor Stimac surprised everyone with his lineup, making 8 changes to the first XI. The big names like Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu were missing on the paper. The coach opted to test the whole squad and offered starts to Amrinder Singh, Adil Khan, Amarjit Singh, Vinit Rai, Anirudh Thapa, Raynier Fernandes, Balwant Singh and Farukh Choudhary. By introducing Jackichand Singh and Manvir Singh in the second half, Stimac ensured game time to all his players except custodian Kamaljit Singh.
The game started off cold with Thailand having the better of in possession. Despite the early goal, India continued to be pressurised. However, the defense rose to the occasion at most times not letting down Amrinder Singh. The midfield too had faults but impressed even without a fully experienced presence at the front.
Stimac would be delighted with the result of the fixture which he tried experimenting. The game was moreover an opportunity for him to explore about the side. The team will now leave Thailand with a win under their belt.
Now, we look at 3 crucial reasons why the Blue Tigers will leave Thailand with a win under their belt.
#3 India's early goal played a vital role
India's only goal, from Anirudh Thapa, came in the 16th minute much against the flow of the game. It was Thailand who had the upper hand on the field until that moment. A free-kick from Raynier Fernandes couldn't be converted by Balwant Singh inside the box. The weak clearance by the Thailand defense offered Adil Khan a chance to extend it to Anirudh Thapa. The midfielder made no mistake in tapping the ball into the net.
India would have easily conceded if the breakthrough hadn't come at that point of time. A sudden reverse in the morale of the players was seen for at least some time after this. Thailand's lack of confidence in defense from the previous game got exposed.
India relied on the back-foot for the most part of the game. It was not so easy for the side to go out for a complete attack with Balwant Singh and Farukh Choudhary struggling at the other end. Hence, Sandesh Jhingan & Co chose to stay back and defend well with Thapa's cleverness in the 16th minute.
#2 Thailand's poor finishing haunted them
Thailand played the better football throughout the game. They were constantly on the attack and saw more of the ball. The hosts were also successful in keeping the ball in the opposition attacking third. However, they lacked at the basic point of making the finishing touch.
Thailand came close to goal on various occasions. Even after keeping the defense busy, they failed to make use of India's lapses that came often. The closest they came to scoring was in the 22nd minute when Teerasil Dangda managed to find the back of the net only to be flagged for an unplanned offside.
The crosses and aerial balls that reached India's box was never really touched by a Thailand attacker. The visitors were cheap in granting corners and set-pieces. But, none of them brought the real trouble of a goal. Even in the final minutes, Thailand kept moving forward and came close through a free-kick that missed three unmarked Thai players.
#1 The new centre-back combination worked well
India found a good combination before the custodian, in the form of Sandesh Jhingan and Adil Khan. The well built Indian defenders, who were playing together for the first time, communicated well and played a huge role in keeping the Thailand score nil.
From the very first whistle, Thailand was attacking but failed to get past these two. Jhingan, who was also wearing the captain's armband fulfilled the responsibility entrusted on him. Adil Khan returned to the Indian colors after a gap of 7 years and was without doubt one of India's finest performers of the day.
Jhingan and Adil communicated well in intercepting and tackling inside the box. The defenders on the flanks were often at fault, letting the crosses in. However, the center-backs guarded their regions well not letting any Thai players free.
Maybe, India has finally found an apt replacement for Anas Edathodika in Adil Khan, as Jhingan's partner in the back line.
