India goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu said that the current Indian side are better balanced than the one in 2011 edition to compete in the Asian Cup.
The Blue Tigers are competing in the continental showpiece for the first time in eight years and have a tough task getting out of their group, which also features hosts United Arab Emirates.
“The 2011 side was filled with a number of legends, all of whom were incredibly talented, and played under an incredible coach as well,” said Gurpreet, who was a part of the Indian squad in 2011 too. “However, in teams of team development and playing under the same system for a long time, I feel the batch of 2019 has the upper hand. The desire and the fire to learn defines our squad.”
“I was the youngest player in the 2011 team at 18, and this time we have so many U-23 players in the squad. It highlights the development of the sport at the grassroots level in the last 7-8 years.
India’s defence has come for a lot of praise, especially after frustrating higher-ranked sides like China recently. Gurpreet has also been in good form, pulling off a number of impressive saves. The 26-year-old said that the synergy between him and his defenders was something that was built over time.
“Once you play with each other and gain confidence, it gets better. The more you play together, the trust level increases,” he said. “Communication between the defenders and goalkeeper is a hallmark of a strong team and in my opinion, we have done well in that respect.”
Gupreet also lavished praises on his predecessor Subrata Paul, who stood between the sticks in 2011 as the Bengaluru FC keeper watched from the bench. “I had that desire to play for the country and it was an eye-opener for me the manner he played. He was absolutely stunning and made a number of brilliant saves.”
Gupreet signed off by revealing the mental make-up of the side before going into a game. “I feel that as a team, we will work hard to avoid getting into situations where the goalkeeper has to make saves all the time. I would like us to put in strong team performance, and be a difficult team to play against.”s
