India’s debut in a football World Cup turned out to be a forgettable one as the USA inflicted a heavy 3-0 defeat on the hosts in Group A of the FIFA U-17 World Cup game held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on Friday.
After India managed to thwart the wave of attacks at the start of play, the USA captain Josh Sargent netted a spot-kick at the half-hour mark before Chris Durkin doubled his team’s lead in the second-half from a corner. Andrew Carleton then caught the Indian defence on counter-part in the 84th minute during a counter to make it 3-0 to the USA.
But despite the scoreline, there is no denying that the Indian colts put up an encouraging display. So here we are taking a look at how the players fared:
Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem – 7.5:
If not for Dheeraj, India would have well ended up conceding close to half a dozen goals. The Manipuri lad made close to 6-7 good saves, but the scoreline does not do justice to his display. However, he could have done little to save two of the three goals. The first one was a penalty while the second one came off a deflected shot. Dheeraj was also decisive in releasing the dead balls.
Jitendra Singh – 4
Jitendra managed to do well early on when the USA were attacking at full flow, but he undid all his good work with a clumsy challenge on Sargent which resulted in a spot kick and ultimately the opener. He did not look confident after the break.
Anwar Ali – 6:
Anwar had a reasonably good game in the first half, but just like Jitendra, he too looked a bit nervous in the second half. Could have scored a goal for India during a set-piece when he smashed a shot onto the crossbar.
Rahul Kannoly Praveen – 7:
Arguably, the best Indian on the field on the night, Rahul did his job remarkably well as a full-back. His timely interceptions broke several attacks, and he was also instrumental in providing the ball to the front line.
Sanjeev Stalin – 6:
Just like the other full-back, Stalin also had a good game as he made his presence felt both in defence as well as in attack.
Abhijit Sarkar – 4.5:
With the USA enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, Abhijit could no do much in the midfield.
Suresh Singh Wangjam – 6:
Unlike Abhijit, Suresh tried to make the most of the limited opportunities, making some fine runs through the flanks to provide ball in the final third but eventually, he too failed to leave a big mark.
Amarjit Singh Kiyam – 5.5:
The India captain should be lauded for his tireless running in midfield. With USA midfielders dictating terms, he relentlessly chased and tackled the ball in addition to helping the defenders to start any move from the back.
Kumanthem Nonthoinganba Meetei – 5.5:
Meetei also did not hesitate in doing the hard work as he ran relentlessly to win back the ball. However, he looked a bit lost against the superior physicality of the opposition players.
Aniket Anil Jhadav – 6:
Aniket managed to create some problems for the USA defence bit did not get enough support from the midfield to create too many openings.
Komal Thatal – 6.5:
Komal Thatal was a livewire on the left wing, giving the spectators something to cheer. However, his final deliveries were slightly disappointing. Missed one on one with the goalkeeper when he lobbed the ball well over the bar.
Rahim Ali – 5.5:
Brought in as a substitute, Rahim provided some delightful balls to Komal in the final third.