The “underdog” tag fits well on India. That much was evident after their spirited performance against Oman. But on the basis of this performance against Guam, the “favourites” tag decidedly does not.
India arrived in the idyllic Pacific island of Guam with quiet confidence. They had every reason to be. Despite the loss against a much-higher ranked Oman, they had competed till the very end, winning hearts. Guam were ranked almost 30 places beneath them. It was a perfect springboard for the Blue Tigers after an impressive display against Oman.
What transpired, however, was rather different. In alien conditions and on artificial turf, India played a brand of football that has become all too familiar in recent years. The energy and spark that had characterised their performance against Oman was painfully absent. In their place, India were dreary and dull. Guam, in contrast, sparkled throughout the match, continuously troubling the Indian defence.
It ended 2-1, the same scoreline as India’s previous encounter against Oman. Unfortunately, this time, there were no positives to take from this defeat.
Guam sparkle
By defeating Turkmenistan a few days earlier, Guam had provided an early warning of their intentions. Their squad comprises many players who play in the United States and they bring a wealth of experience to the team. But their biggest asset is Gary White, a coach who has been at the helm since 2012, who understands their game intricately and has brought sweeping changes to Guam football.
India seemed completely switched off after it started. As Guam orchestrated attack after attack, India had no choice other than holding for dear life. Any effort at pushing the ball towards the Guam goal was swiftly nipped in the bud. Finally in the 32nd minute, Sehnaj Singh hit a shot, more out of frustration than anything else, which went over the bar. This would remain a trend throughout.
Guam had no such problems. It was evident that their sharp gameplay would pay dividends soon and that moment came in the 35th minute in a move almost out of the training ground. A long throw in from Ryan Guy made its way to Brandon McDonald who made no mistake in directing it to the far corner. It was as simple as that.
What was even more frustrating as an Indian fan was that it was a replica of the goal Guam had scored against Turkmenistan a few days ago. In an age where video technology is omnipresent, it was inexcusable for India not to have been aware of this move. They had been out-thought tactically.
Going for the kill
Stephen Constantine brought on some fresh faces at half-time to shake things up but it failed to reap any results. Not many would have grudged Guam if they had chosen to sit on their slim lead, but Guam had other ideas. In the first ten minutes in the second half, they made as many as three chances. The tempo of the game drastically increased – Guam wanted to put this to bed.
Just like in the first half, the constant pressure on the Indian defenders finally paid off in the 64th minute. Travis Nicklaw received a great pass from midfield, held his own against Arnab Mondal and calmly smashed it past Subrata Paul. As the entire 4,000-odd crowd started cheering, the Indian players’ ashen faces reflected the general sentiment of all those Indian fans who were watching.
It continued in pretty much the same vein. India frustrated by Guam’s defensive skill, started taking shots from way out and predictably put them way over the crossbar. Rino Anto swept in some nice crosses from the right flank but no one was able to convert. In fact, some poor defending almost led to another goal, before Paul finally put in a smart save.
Finally, the last kick of the game provided India something to take out of Hagatna. Another fine cross from Anto found Sunil Chhetri, who had been an anonymous figure till then. The way India had played the entire 90 minutes, you expected Chhetri to not even get his head around the ball. But Chhetri made no mistake, leaping high to head it into the goal.
There is plenty to chew over for Constantine and his troops on the long flight back home. In Bengaluru, India looked a different side. But away, they were a shadow of their earlier selves. The World Cup dream is almost certainly. But can the dream of qualifying for the Asian Cup still be saved?
