I-League: Nongdamba Naorem’s goal isn’t the only highlight of Arrows’ win over Lajong

Life in the I-League has been anything but easy for the Indian Arrows. On Tuesday at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi, however, they were on easy street as they went past a dispirited Shillong Lajong team 3-0.

Out of three goals, Nongdamba Naorem’s solo strike has been shared multiple times on social media, eliciting superlatives and comparisons galore. But it would be wrong to merely talk of the goal alone. This was a collective effort by the All India Football Federation’s developmental side and paid dividends on a day when they did not lose shape and the opponent did.

Pinto’s tweaks work like a charm

Lajong’s thought process and game-plan appeared muddled in execution, and coach Bobby Nongbet, who had earlier declared that captain Samuel Lalmuanpuia had his injury aggravated by the loss against Neroca, started as Redeem Tlang was rested.

The Arrows also fielded six changes. Out went Boris Singh and Deepak Tangri from the backline, replaced by Asish Rai and Jitendra Singh. It was a completely altered front four for the AIFF developmental side, as Suresh Singh Wangjam, Ninthoinganba Meetei, Rahim Ali and Abhijit Sarkar replaced Abhishek Halder, Rahul Kannoly, Edmund Lalrindika and Aniket Jadhav.

More crucially, the transformation of the team from a 4-3-3 system in their previous matches to a 4-1-4-1 system paid dividends for the Arrows. Against Gokulam, there were vast spaces to be exploited between the centre-backs and the midfield.

Against Lajong, an extra man screening the back helped in remaining more defensively compact while allowing Suresh to join attacks. Wangjam, a more conservative choice than Halder, played in a more withdrawn role in the first half, parlaying early attacks from the away side.

The Arrows had lost their shape against Minerva and Gokulam. Against a Lajong team bereft of ideas in the final third, the spare man in attack and defence helped them close spaces better.

Nongbet called them revitalised and spoke about something that regular viewers of Arrows games had suspected. The Lajong head coach called them ‘revitalised’ and admitted that they had appeared different to the Arrows side of previous matches that they had scouted prior to the game.

Over-reliance on Aniket as an outlet in attack had made the Arrows predictable. Here, the rest to Edmund Lalrindika meant that the developmental side experimented with a system resembling a false nine. The five in the front were fluid in their press, and were willing to mix things up going forward, and Juho-Oh and Lawrence Doe badly exposed by a non-existent midfield and full-backs who were beaten once too often.

Nong’s goal borne out of resolve

The first goal came through a quickly worked free-kick. Sanjeev Stalin, having won a free-kick passed it to Amarjit Kiyam, who found Rahim Ali on the left edge of the box. Ali played it short to Jitendra Singh, up for the free-kick, who simply had to tap it past Lachenba Phurba.

Lajong’s best bet was to score through set-pieces but once captain Samuela was taken off and his replacement Lalrohlua dismissed for two quick yellows, they were undone and came apart once Arrows substitutes Nong and Rahul KP were brought on.

The Arrows assistant coach Floyd Pinto admitted that he had brought them on to shore up his defence. “My first instruction was to tell them to track back,” he said. “While going forward, I left it to them to execute the attack.” Jeakson Singh, in indifferent form, was rightly brought off.

Pinto had said that the pair had worked hard in training the previous week, and had scored three goals between themselves in a practice game leading up to the match against Lajong. Nong’s goal was a collector’s item, a rarity from an Indian player in either league as he dribbled past five Lajong defenders in an audacious attempt, before finishing it past a hapless Phurba in goal.

It was a moment of individual brilliance from the former Minerva and DSK youth product as he started the move having received the ball on the right, shimmied his way past two Lajong defenders, evading three more challenges before planting the ball in the top left corner.

“When my name was not there in the team list against Gokulam, I was angry,” Nong said after the match. “But I respect the decision of my coach. I then resolved that whenever I get a chance I will do something to deserve a place in the playing side.”

He also spoke about the fact that he had similar chances against USA and Colombia in the U-17 World Cup but failed to score them, adding that he had been watching a lot of videos of his idol Eden Hazard prior to the season.

On the fringes of the starting XI, Nong impressed in his cameo. As did Rahul KP, whose shot from the edge of the box should have really been saved by Phurba at his near post. The ball squeezed through, as Arrows bagged three goals and three points.

Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will not be easy

Later, Nong and Dheeraj would compare the level of play in the U-17 World Cup and the I-League. “We thought it will be very difficult to compete in the I-League. But after the U-17 World Cup experience I feel playing in the I-League is not that difficult,” said Nong.

Dheeraj echoed his teammate’s sentiments. “Of course all tournaments are important but the World Cup has the champions of every continent playing and it’s tough. It’s definitely an unique experience.”

For the Arrows, the next two tests against Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will be the truest benchmarks for how far the team has progressed since being assembled. The general tone of the team was expressive on Boxing Day and in Pinto’s own words, “If they can show half the organisation in every game that they showed today, then we can do better.”

This young Lajong team, assembled from the academy, remains destined for mid-table mediocrity this season as they continue to complete the transition from the core of the team auctioned off at the ISL 2017 draft.

As for the AIFF’s developmental side, it tells us that they can compete but as Mohun Bagan loom, the team will be buoyed for their biggest test yet.