India suffered a 0-3 defeat at the hands of hosts Vietnam in their second and final match of the Hung Thinh Friendly Football Tournament at the Thing Nhat Stadium in Ho chi Minh City, on Tuesday.
India were punished were defensive sloppiness for the first two goals, one in each half. The third goal ended any hopes of India mounting a late comeback.
The opening exchanges saw India get off on the front foot, winning the first corner of the game, one that Sunil Chhetri swung in for Anirudh Thapa, who was lurking inside the six-yard-box, but the ball evaded the latter.
At the other end, Nguyen Cong Phuong of Vietnam was played into the Indian box on the left, and was looking to put in a dangerous cut-back, but Blue Tigers centre-back Sandesh Jhingan was on hand to avert the danger.
The first goal was ironic as Gurpreet Singh Sandhu made a fine save from a long range strike but was left wanting from the resulting corner. The hosts did not take too long to jump into the lead when a clearance from a Vietnam corner fell kindly for Phan Van Duc, who did well to volley it home with his back turned towards the goal, giving his side the lead on the 10th minute.
Despite the lead, Vietnam did not sit back, looking to score their second of the night, but that also created gaps at the back. Akash Mishra and Ashique Kuruniyan combined on the left to create a wonderful opportunity for India in the 26th minute. Mishra moved up the left and fed it through to Ashique in the box. The latter took a touch and sent in a left-footed volley which went wide.
Coach Igor Stimac was forced into an early substitution when Sahal Abdul Samad hobbled off with an injury, and was replaced by Rahul KP.
India had their best chance of the first half with just about a minute of regulation time left on the clock, when an Akash Mishra cross from the left found an unmarked Sunil Chhetri inside the six-yard box. The India captain attempted to flick his header in off the far post, but missed by a mere whisker, as the referee soon blew his whistle signalling the lemon break.
But despite some attacking threat in the first half, India were outplayed in the second.
Second half substitute Nguyen Van Toan doubled their lead four minutes into the second half. Giving chase after an aerial ball, Van Toan barged past Indian centre-back Anwar Ali who slipped while attempting to deal with the loopy ball. The Vietnamese entered the box 1v1, and slipped it into the bottom corner.
Stimac soon introduced some fresh legs into the fray, looking to change India’s fortunes, as Brandon Fernandes, Liston Colaco, and Roshan Singh were brought on for Chhetri, Udanta and Chinglensana, with around 25 minutes of regulation time to go.
Vietnam exploited open spaces for their third goal of the night. Bui Hoang Viet Ahn’s cross from the right was headed clear by Jhingan, but Nguyen Van Quyet got on the stray ball and smashed it home.
Gurpreet produced a couple of reflex saves to keep the score at 0-3, before India produced their best chance of the second half. Liston Colaco darted up the pitch on a counter attack, entered the box, and squared it towards an onrushing Rahul KP, who only had to turn it into an empty net, but could not reach the ball in time.
With this result, India finish the Hung Thinh Friendly Football Tournament with one point, on the second spot, ahead of Singapore on goal difference. India and Singapore had played out a 1-1 draw.
India XI: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Chinglensana Singh Konsham (Roshan Singh 65’); Akash Mishra, Anirudh Thapa, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Sahal Abdul Samad (Rahul KP 38’, Lallianzuala Chhangte 86’), Ashique Kuruniyan (Ishan Pandita 86’); Sunil Chhetri (Brandon Fernandes 65’), Udanta Singh Kumam (Liston Colaco 65’).
(With AIFF media inputs)