AFC Challenge Cup 2012 - Defense a Weak Link in the Young Indian Team

The AFC Challenge cup is round the corner andAi??this is the start of TheHardTackle‘s exclusive coverage of the tournament.

With the announcement of the Indian Team for the AFC Challenge the fans now await the start of the much coveted tournament where a win for the national team could get them a ticket to Australia 2015. The AIFF has played its part by organizing the just concluded Dubai camp and also arranging a couple of friendliesAi??againstAi??superiorAi??opponentsAi??Oman andAi??Azerbaijan.Ai?? Savio’s team might have lost both the matches but the performances of the young team raises hope for the future.

Coach Savio Medeira gave a chance to all of his players included in the probable squad and as a result the best Indian eleven didn’t feature in any of the two matches. The national team rounded off the Dubai camp with a 3-1 visit over anAi??amateurAi??club from Iran. TheHardTackle places the squad under the microscope to analyze the performances of the players in the two friendlies, the strengths and the weakness, who made it to the final squad and who didn’t and also previews what to expect from the national team with a week left for the AFC Challenge.

GOALKEEPERS

Squad:Ai??Karanjit Singh (Salgaocar), Subhasish Roy Chowdhury (Dempo SC), Arindam Bhattacharya (Churchill Brothers)

Despite losing 5-1 to Oman and 3-0 toAi??Azerbaijan the goalkeepers in both the matchesAi??Karanjit Singh and Subhasish Roy Chowdhury respectively performed admirably to come up with point-blank saves.Ai??Ai??Subhasish Roy Chowdhury was particularly impressive againstAi??Azerbaijan when he made several saves. Both Karanjit andAi??Subhasish were however guilty of lapses in concentrations, Karanjit didn’t gather the ball cleanly against Oman which lead to their fifth goal, while a poor goal-kick fromAi??Subhasish lead toAi??Azerbaijan’s opening goal.

Youngster Gurpreet Singh Sandhu would feel unlucky to have been dropped in favour of Arindam Bhattacharya despite a string of good performances in the I-League. The Indians are tipped to have the best goal-keeping squad in Asia and the likes ofAi??Karanjit andAi??Subhasish would have to live up to their reputation to ensure India’s progress to the next round.

DEFENDERS

Squad: Nirmal Chettri, Raju Gaikwad (East Bengal), Sameer Naik (Dempo SC), Gouramangi Moirangthem (Churchill Brothers), Anwar Ali, Kingsukh Debnath, Syed Rahim Nabi (Mohun Bagan), Gurjinder Singh (Pune FC).

The Indian defense which looked impressive on papers was found wanting in both the matches. Anwar Ali looked shaky and slow in the match against Oman while comeback man Raju Gaikwad put in a lot more impressive performance in the second half againstAi??Azerbaijan. GurjinderAi??Singh played as a left-back in both the matches and was easily beaten by the pace of the opposition forwards. Sameer Naik wore the captain’s armband against Oman but was the worst player on the field. Savio has a lot of thinking to do before the tournament starts to ensure the Indians don’t leak any easy goals.

The injury to Arnab Mondal kept him out of the two friendlies and he has also failed to make the final squad because of the injury and this is the reason Anwar Ali finds his name on the list. Savio’s persistence with Pune FC youngster GurjinderAi??Singh is understandable as he wants to exploit Nabi’sAi??versatilityAi??by playing him in the midfield as he did in the match against Oman when he fielded Nabi on the right midfield. Nabi provided the assist in India’s goal but Nabi’s impressive performance as a right-full backAi??againstAi??AzerbaijanAi??coupled withAi??Gurjinderai??i??s lacklustreAi?? performances, means Savio will do well to play Nabi in the defense and not weaken it further.

Nirmal Chettri has finally recovered and played for 20 minutes against the club from Iran. His recovery will ease some of the worries for Savio and he is expected to start in the right fullback.Ai??Kingsukh didn’t feature in either of the two international friendly matches and yet has been included. Nabi, Raju, GouramangiAi??and Nirmal are expected to start but the absence of able substitutes is an issue if anyone gets injured.

MIDFIELDERS

Squad: Adil Khan (Sporting Clube de Goa), Anthony Pereira (Dempo), Reisangmi Vashum (East Bengal), Rocus Lamare, Francis Fernandes (Salgaocar), Jewel Raja (Mohun Bagan), Lenny Rodrigues, Lalrindika Ralte (Churchill Brothers).

The young Indian midfield impressed the critics in both the friendlies though the score-line may suggest the opposite. If the young Jewel Raja was the driving force against Oman calming the nerves after two early goals, it was Adil khan the much touted Sporting Indian midfielder whole stole the limelight againstAi??AzerbaijanAi??with delightful through balls and tireless running. Baldeep Singh who started against Oman along-side Jewel suffered an injury in that match and hence has failed to make the cut.

Indian Likely Lineup for AFC Challenge Cup 2012

AnthonyAi??Pereira wasAi??ineffectiveAi??against Oman but still makes the cut because of his experience. Vashum combined well with Nabi on the right flankAi??against Azerbaijan and troubled the opposition defenders.Ai??Francis Fernandes who came in as aAi??substituteAi??against Oman started againstAi??Azerbaijan and it was his cross that almost led to India’s goal from a Joaquim Abranches header. Savio will do well not to start with theAi??ageingAi??Anthony Pereira and stick withAi??Vashum orAi??Francis as both of them have performed admirably in whatever time they have got. The recovery ofAi??Lalrindika Ralte from an injury is a boost for the team and the U-23 winger is expected to start with Clifford Miranda out with an injury.

Rocus Lamare didn’t play in either of the matches but the good news is that the midfielder hasAi??recoveredAi??and he is expected to carry over his impressive SAFF Cup form. LennyAi??Rodrigues of Churchill Brothers has made it to the team after a good second half showing against Oman where he replaced Baldeep, but many would argue that ManishAi??Mathani deserved a chance more than Lenny with a reasonable showing againstAi??AzerbaijanAi??or even LesterAi??Fernandes of Pune FC could have been included.

FORWARDS

Squad: Sunil Chhetri (Mohun Bagan), Sushil Singh (Shillong Lajong FC ai??i?? on loan), CS Sabeeth (Pailan Arrows), Joaquim Abranches (Dempo SC).

The new poster boy of Indian FootballAi??Sunil Chhetri missed out on matches against Oman andAi??AzerbaijanAi??due toAi??injuriesAi??but played against the club from Iran and even scored in that match. The fans will look up to the Delhi lad to score goals which seem to dry up in his absence.Ai??Joaquim Abranches willAi??lookAi??to carry his richAi??veinAi??of form into AFC Challenge cup as well where he should start against Chhetri. The Dempo youngster was aAi??live-wireAi??in both the matchesAi??Ai??and scoredAi??againstAi??Oman and then nearly scored againstAi??AzerbaijanAi??as well. He even dropped to midfield to keep the moves going.

Joachim Abranches - Can he continue his good form??

Sushil Kumar wasAi??disappointingAi??in both the matches but scored in India’s 3-1 win over theAi??amateurAi??club form Iran and has managed to keep his place in the squad.Ai??CS Sabeeth, the U-23 striker, has been preferred over Manandeep Singh who will feel extremely unlucky as he was not given enoughAi??opportunitiesAi??to prove himself.

The intent is their and so is the will but will the young Indian team make it count is anybody’s guess at the moment. The national team is no doubt undergoing a transitional period and a good performance in this big tournament will boost the confidence of the youngsters. TheHardTackle believes that India can make it to the knockout round despite bieng placed in a tough group alongside Tajakistan, North Korea and Philippines and from there on it could be anybody’s game. TheHardTackle wishes luck to the Indian team and hopes the team comes out victorious.

AFC Challenge Cup 2012 – Defense a Weak Link in the Young Indian Team

Recommended

Edu Gaspar leaves behind a solid legacy which Arsenal should build upon

Real Madrid’s 2024/25 struggles: The fall of a European giant

Raphael Varane: Not a Fitting End to a Phenomenal Career

Are Arsenal the underdogs in the latest North London Derby?

Welcome Back!

Retrieve your password