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India succumbed to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of Lebanon in the third-place playoff match of the King's Cup at the 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chang Mai, Thailand. The Blue Tigers seemed to be dominating the game for most of it, but in the 77th minute, Lebanon found a break.
Pushing forth from a well-positioned corner, India failed to mark their opponents' centre-back Kassem El Zein as he pulled off an acrobatic bicycle kick off a rebound from goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. That was the moment that changed the game completely.
Igor Stimac's side seemed to be breaking through on quite a few occasions in the game, but somehow, the final, finished product seemed to be missing. Lebanon defended well, marking their lines with precision, and rarely allowed the Indian attackers to burst forth and challenge their goal.
Although such opportunities did arise for India in the second half, the absence of a through-and-through striker hurt them. Lebanon ended this tournament in third place. The final is set to be played between Thailand and Iraq later in the day.
In this listicle, we bring to you the player ratings for India from their encounter against Lebanon for the third place in King's Cup.
Player ratings for India
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (8/10)
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who was India's preferred goalkeeper despite a few errors leading up to this game, was firm and in complete control of things. There was very little that he did wrong today.
Sandhu was on his toes to ensure that a horrendous back pass by Sahal Abdul Samad in the second half was taken care of.
Akash Mishra (8.5/10)
Former Hyderabad FC left-back Akash Mishra was responsible for putting his foot through the ball whenever things went south in the wings. He also tidied things up when the others in the Indian back four made slight errors. His crossing was top-notch as well.
Anwar Ali (9/10)
Anwar Ali, as has often been the case in recent times, was the backbone of the Indian defence today. He stood tall amongst the others and the positioning and man-marking skills he brought to the fore were appreciated.
Sandesh Jhingan (7/10)
Senior pro Sandesh Jhingan, who moved to FC Goa from Bengaluru FC this season, made a few silly mistakes today and was prone to complacency. But he did not do too badly in the overall scheme of things. Jhingan's leadership skills often came to the fore, although he did appear exasperated at times.
Asish Rai (7/10)
Right-back Asish Rai was fast and zippy, and that is exactly what manager Igor Stimac demanded of him. His ability to bypass the opposition wingers with the ball at his feet came in handy, although his defensive skills appeared a tad rusty.
Anirudh Thapa (7.5/10)
Anirudh Thapa got into a very good position to drill home a goal late on in the first half, but his pass found no takers. He was good at making unusual runs as well as controlling the game by dictating its tempo.
Jeakson Singh (7/10)
Jeakson Singh ran India's midfield engine, so to speak. His passing and precision were noteworthy, as was his ability to get stuck in whenever a Lebanese attacker had the ball at his feet. Jeakson's positioning is what separates him from his peers.
Sahal Abdul Samad (6/10)
Sahal Abdul Samad had a good game overall, but seemed rusty in patches. His passes did not find the desired recipient on most occasions, and this left him frustrated.
A horrible back pass almost led to a goal in the second half, but goalkeeper Sandhu spared his blushes. However, there is no denying the promise the Mohun Bagan man showed.
Naorem Mahesh Singh (7.5/10)
At times, it appeared as if East Bengal's Naorem Mahesh Singh was everywhere on the pitch. His work rate, as always, was very impressive, as was his ability to cross and lob the ball towards other attackers.
Manvir Singh (7/10)
Manvir Singh, to be fair, did not get the best of service today. At times, it appeared as if he was not in the right place when the ball was being played into the box. Playing as a number 9 does not quite suit Manvir's style of play.
Lallianzuala Chhangte (8/10)
Lallianzuala Chhangte, back after missing India's previous game against Iraq, awed the spectators with this pace. He twisted this way and then turned the other and left the opposition defenders in the lurch with his dribbling skills as well.
SUBSTITUTES:
Nikhil Poojary (7.5/10)
Nikhil Poojary, who came on for Asish Rai at the beginning of the second half, was instrumental in India holding their shape defensively. The Hyderabad FC star made a lot of crucial tackles which ensured that the Blue Tigers did not concede more than one goal.
Brandon Fernandes (8/10)
Brandon Fernandes, who was brought on for Anirudh Thapa, seemed to be the man through whom most of India's attacking pursuits were going through in the second half. He even played as the striker for a brief while before Rahul KP was brought on.
Rohit Kumar (7/10)
Rohit Kumar did not see too much of the ball, but when he did, he appeared to be calm and composed. He added good heft to the Indian midfield by controlling the passes.
Suresh Singh Wangjam (8/10)
The diminutive midfielder took the Lebanese midfield and defence by storm with his no-nonsense style of playing football. He was often responsible for getting stuck in when the going got tough. He played a big part in ensuring that not a lot went past him or the Indian defence.
Rahul KP (7/10)
Rahul KP was set up on one occasion by Brandon Fernandes, but could not quite go through. To be fair, Lebanon's defenders, especially their centre-halves, were on top of their game throughout, and it was quite challenging for Rahul to make an impact directly off the bench.
