The Final that will Change Indian Soccer forever!!

8:15 pm, 13.8.2008 – its drizzling at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi. A handful of spectators are on their way to catch the last Metro back home. 2 young boys are running around the stadium with the Indian Flag which flutters in the drizzle. But it’s the 13th, 2 days before Independence Day – what is the occasion? History was created today in Indian Sport and more importantly in Indian Football!!

After a long wait of 24 years, the Boys in Blue qualify for the Asia Cup to be held in 2011 – the Euro of Asia! This is one of the most defining moments in Indian Soccer and it is the Dawn – of things to come in the future; I confidently say that the Sleeping Giant of Asian Football is waking up,and I say- they did it in style!!

4-1; that’s a staggering score line by which India beat Tajikistan, the defending Champions of the AFC Challenge Cup and thus dethroning them to become the new champions. This was itself history as India had never won a Continental Championship in the Asian level for a long time after the Asian Games. The 1964 Runners-Up of the Continental showpiece have arrived in Asia.
Coming back to the Final – referring to my last blog, I mentioned that the team had sheer spirit which orchestrated their march to the AFC Challenge Cup Final. I will add something to it today – pure technical football!!! It was a display of sheer quality in all departments, the forwards, the midfield, the defense and more importantly the performance of the Goalkeeper!! I could easily say we were watching some top flight Asian Team playing!!!

India dominated the first 22 minutes scoring 3 goals and sweeping the match away from Tajikistan. It was a dream start which I don't think even Bob Houghton ever dreamed of. It was very evident from his confused smile. 2 of them were scored by Sunil Chhetri – the protégé of Bhutia and of course the man himself Baichung. All 3 were World Class goals among which Baichung‘s was the best! It was a goal out of this world – can surely say that he has a knack of producing the most unthinkable goals anytime. The whole Tajik defense looked merely like a school team with no answer to the dangerous strike partners of India!

However the Tajik’s were not a defending champion by default-they lived up to that pedigree. Fatkhullo Fatkhuloev pulled a goal back with a 25 yard pile driver to give the Tajik’s a ray of hope. The score was 3-1 in the lemon break. It was very well expected that the Tajik’s would come back strongly and indeed they did. There were waves after waves of Tajik attacks but the Indian Defense stood firm marshaled by Subrata Paul – the “Buffon” of India (Co-incidentally his idol is Gianluigi Buffon). 74 minutes, and India sealed their place in the Asia Cup through Chhetri who as an opportunistic predator scored the 4th Goal. The score line of the evening could easily have been 6-1 if it had not been Mehrajudin Wadoo's bullet and Gourmangi’s header that hit the woodwork.

The whole tournament has brought new Stars to Indian Sport. The Boys in Blue look a much balanced team and more importantly a fearless and formidable unit. Subrata Paul is one big star in the making. This guy has his basics intact and more importantly is one flexible goalkeeper I have seen in a long time. He reminds me of Oliver Kahn-his dives are reminiscent of the Great Custodian. Then the defensive quadruple of Surkumar, Samir, Gourmangi and Anwar-not the world class defense like the Italians or the Germans but indeed the most effective and they have always answered when called upon keeping the Tajik forwards at bay. The Indian team did not have their best players at the back in the absence of Mahesh Gawli and N.S. Manju but this makeshift defense has risen to the occasion in this tournament.

I have already talked about the Midfield in the previous article of mine but I must again talk about the midfield today which was the main reason for this huge score line. All the 4 goals were scored with assists and mind it, important crosses from the midfield. Steven, Climax, Rennedy and Pradeep all lived up to the expectations that they had built. But something more interesting to note was the role of Pradeep and Climax. Pradeep played as the 3rd Striker throughout the match and Climax the stopping midfielder. Steven’s and Rennedy’ s pin point crossing time and again inflicted maximum damage to the Tajik’s. Most of the balls split the defense completely. Something more interesting to note was the wing of the Indian team. It reminded me of the South American Style of Football. Both the left and the right backs-in our case Samir Naik and Surkumar Singh always made the outside runs to support the midfield. Samir’s cross was the fuel for Baichung‘s world Class goal. Watch out for the midfielders to make their mark in Asian and may be in World Football, sooner than later.

Lastly I can’t stop from talking about the lethal Strike partnership the Indian Team has right now – the one of Baichung and Sunil Chhetri. It reminded me of Dronacharya and Arjun; the master and his student. Sunil Chhetri is definitely the protégé of Baichung and he proved it by stealing the limelight in this tournament. He scored 3 out of the 4 goals of the final; this is something very unusual with Baichung playing the match. Sunil Chhetri has transformed as a player over the last 2 years under Bob. He is never down, and is a hungry and opportunistic striker which is the need of any modern Football playing nation. It was very evident when he missed several chances in the semi finals but kept on trying and got the lone and winning goal. Sushil Kumar Singh is a fast player but needs to develop his intelligence if he has to step in as a striker and compliment Sunil in the near future.

Overall, I see a very strong Indian Side in the coming years considering the junior teams we have. By 2011, we should be well prepared and should be like a well oiled machine operated by Bob. He has single handedly catapulted Indian Football to the Elite Club of Asia in the last 2 years. He is the “Guss Hiddink” for India and he needs to stay with us till 2011.
The drizzle has slowly washed away the Dark Age of Indian Soccer and a new dawn has come. India is all set to take Asia by storm and may be the whole World. The heart and only the heart says “Indiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa India!!”