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What's the story?
The Indian football team is progressing by leaps and bounds with the passage of time and so is the credibility of its players in world football. The Blue Tigers recently won a football tri-series against Mauritius and the St. Kitts & Nevis with Eugeneson Lyngdoh playing a key midfield role. The 30-year-old's dynamic performances at the heart of the midfield also saw him being upgraded by EA Sports in the mobile version of the FIFA series to make him only the second Indian player to have a sprint speed of above 75.
In case you didn't know...
Recently, Jackichand Singh became the first Indian footballer on the FIFA series to have a speed rating of above 75 with a pace rating of 83. This also made him the only Indian player to have any attribute above the 80 mark.
Also Read: FIFA Mobile: Jackichand Singh becomes first Indian to have 80+ pace rating
Heart of the matter
The latest player ratings released by EA for FIFA mobile, Eugeneson Lyngdoh's pace has been raised to 78, which is second only to Jackichand Singh who boasts a pace rating of 83. This rating of 78 is the second highest speed rating ever achieved by an Indian footballer, ahead of the likes of players such as Sunil Chhetri and Lalrindika Ralte in recent FIFA installments.
What next?
In spite of the pace upgrades, Indian players are found wanting in other attributes. Lyngdoh's attributes apart from speed are not so impressive. His shooting is rated at 52, passing at 64, hardly the best for a central midfielder, while dribbling is at 58. Also, playing at the heart of midfield, he can hardly afford to have a defence and physicality rating of 38 and 39 respectively.
Author's Take
The Indian national team's recent unbeaten run has seen them progress in the FIFA rankings to be rated in the 90s after more than a decade of languishing in triple digit rankings. This, not surprisingly, has coincided with the rising profile of Indian football players.
However, while progress is good, it should be taken with a pinch of salt as Indian football leaves a lot to be desired. While we are now rejoicing in the fact that a player has a sprint speed above the 75 mark, such a rating should not be a cause for celebration, but an expectation that should be met by each and every athlete who plays for the country.
