Rahul KP’s remarkable strike on the stroke of half-time and Gurmeet Singh’s heroic saves were overshadowed by China’s dominant performance as the hosts secured a convincing 5-1 victory over India in the group stage of the Asian Games football competition. India, who could name only six substitutes, played the match just 18 hours after their arrival in Hangzhou.
For many of the young players, making their national team debut was a dream come true. While it would have been a monumental achievement if they had managed to cling on to the half-time scoreline (1-1), the second half brought with it a brutal reality check. An Indian side without its full complement of 22 players and without a single training session were taken apart.
China wasted no time settling into the game, nearly scoring in the sixth minute when Gurmeet, the Indian shot stopper, denied Tan Long, the Chinese forward, with an impressive save from a header inside the six-yard box. However, China didn’t have to wait long to open the scoring, as Gao Tianyi, their midfielder, headed in their first goal from a well-placed corner. China won three consecutive corners in just two minutes, and India struggled to withstand the pressure. This time, Sandesh Jhingan failed to clear the floating corner at the far post, and Tan Long pounced on the rebound to find the back of the net. China could have doubled their lead in the first half when Gurmeet mistimed a challenge on Tan inside the box to concede a penalty. But Gurmeet came to the rescue, diving to his right to fist away Zhu Chenjie’s spot-kick.
India responded by relying on counterattacks, successfully exploiting the flanks a few times. Their efforts paid off when Rahul KP received a chipped pass from Abdul Anjukandan, the right-back, on the right flank. After a solo run, he stunned the Chinese goalkeeper with a shot from an acute angle that found the back of the net.
A disappointing start for the #BlueTigers to their #AsianGames2023 Journey.
Hope they come back stronger in the upcoming fixtures. #IndianFootball #SunilChhetri #AsianGames #INDvschina pic.twitter.com/xO6dFJlKo1
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) September 19, 2023
China began the second half much like they did the first, and they quickly restored their lead in the 51st minute. India’s defenders allowed Dai Weijun too much space to attempt a long-range shot, which went beyond Gurmeet’s reach to put China back in front.
China maintained their dominance in possession and continued to penetrate the Indian half. In the 72nd minute, India’s defence was exposed once again, but Ayush Dev Chhetri managed to clear the ball, only to have it fall to a Chinese midfielder whose long-range shot was kept out. Tao Qianglong was well-positioned to put away the rebound. There was a suspicion of offside, but with no VAR in operation, China had a two-goal buffer.
Tao needed only three more minutes to secure his second and China’s fourth. Jhingan, in an attempt to clear the ball, inadvertently gave it away, and Fang Hao, who received the ball, ran towards the goal from the right flank before delivering a precise square pass to Tao, lurking inside the six-yard box.
By then, India’s lack of practice and fitness was evident. Instead of mounting a comeback, they were largely on the defensive, and the lack of organisation, energy and tracking back allowed China to score a fifth goal. Fang Hao beat Gurmeet from a tight angle, after being sent clear.
India now face Bangladesh in the afternoon on September 21, knowing that they will likely need to win to progress out of the group. They have a one-day break, which leaves Igor Stimac, the coach, with the dilemma of deciding whether to focus on recovery sessions or try to get some training in to get his players in better shape. After the preparation or lack of, the odds are loaded against them.
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