Set to play their opening match without any training session and proper rest after the last-minute announcement of the squad, India will be the clear underdogs against formidable China in their Asian Games group game in Hangzhou on Tuesday.
Set to play their opening match without any training session and proper rest after the last-minute advertisement of the team, India will be the clear killers against redoubtable China in their Asian Games group game in Hangzhou on Tuesday. India were suitable to sew a rag- label final team only on Friday and the platoon left for China on Sunday, leaving no time for the players to indeed have a training session together. also, two players– protectors Konsam Chinglensana Singh and Lalchungnunga– out of the 22 players picked will join latterly as their visas weren’t ready. The Indian contingent’s cook de charge Bhupinder Singh Bajwa has, still, said that the brace will get their’ express visas’ in a day or two and they will join the platoon.
In any case, the brace won’t be available for the Group A match against China on Tuesday and that will be a blow for India. Also head trainer Igor Stimac said on Sunday that elderly protector Sandesh Jhingan and talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri won’t play the opening match to save them for the after two matches.
Sunil Chhetri has started training just a couple of weeks ago as he demanded time with his family after getting a father lately.
Stimac’s move is accessible as India have further chance to win against Bangladesh (September 21) and Myanmar (September 24) than against China, and considering that the platoon will take on the hosts without proper rest and training. The head trainer was forced to have strategy sessions inside the aircraft and at the field.
It’ll have to be seen whether Stimac sticks to what he’d said or field Jhingan as protectors Chinglensana and Lalchungnunga won’t be available for Tuesday’s match. formerly, he’s facing the problem of full tails and central midfielders as he lamented on Sunday.
Indeed else, China are a much stronger side than India at the international stage, and they will also have the advantage of playing at a familiar surroundings at the Huanglong Sports Center Stadium. For India, on the other hand, their first out-of-door exertion could be the match.
The last time the two countries met in the Asian Games was in the 2002 edition in Busan, Korea, where India lost 0- 2. The also Indian platoon had the likes of Bhaichung Bhutia, Shanmugam Venkatesh, Jo Paul Ancheri, Renedy Singh and current assistant trainer Mahesh Gawli.
Stimac was candid enough to concede that it would be a tough task for his side against China, more so due to the unknown contestation girding the selecting of the platoon, that too after getting impunity of eligibility criteria to take part in the Games.
“They’ve been preparing this platoon for a long time. Since March this time, they have played four tough and quality games against strong opponents, losing three and winning one,” the Croatian said.
“So, it’ll be tough because they (China) have invested a lot in this platoon, especially because they’re hosting the Asian Games.” Talking about the players of the opposition platoon, Stimac said,” substantially they (China) prefer a 4-4-2 system, which might change to a 3-4-3 sometimes. They’ve three elderly players who are really important to them.
“One striker looks like a palace, scoring a lot of pretensions in the Chinese Super League. There’s also an attacking midfielder, a elderly player of great experience.” On the strategy that he may be employing, Stimac said,” We’ve to be veritably clever and see whether we need to invest all our energy (against China) or skip it to keep for the coming two matches and try to make it to the knock- eschewal rounds.
“No event is a formality for me, neither the players. There’s a possibility to qualify from the group, but to do that, some luck needs to be on our side also, and the thing is for the boys to give their stylish performances of their lives.” The top two brigades from the six groups will make it to the round of 16, with four best- ranked third- placed sides also qualifying.
Thirteen players out of the original 22 weren’t released by their separate Indian Super League clubs, including Jhingan and first- choice goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. A 17- member platoon with Chhetri as the only notable face was named originally.
On Friday, the AIFF blazoned a revised team of 22 after excited colloquies with Jhingan in it, besides two further elderly players in Chinglensana and Lalchungnunga. Know More Latest Asian Games News…
