Football: Indian National Team news ...

[jayakris]

0-0 in the 40th minute. And it is 0-0 at the half time. The rain has let up a little but it is still drizzling. This is the 100th match that Chhetri is playing for India. He got a memento for that, given by IM Vijayan and Bhaichung Bhutia there. What an honor!!

[jayakris]

Married a Bengali if I am not mistaken.

His wife is ex Mohun Bagan and India stopper, coach and Arjuna-awardee, Subrata Bhattacharya's daughter. So, if they have a son/daughter, that person will have good genes from both sides.

Oh yeah, Subrata's daughter. Let's look for the next Messi to come from India in some 20 years.

[jayakris]

Couple of runs into our goal by Kenya but Gurpreet held his ground and they tapped them wide right. Jeje had a chance for a long goal that he hit over the post. A fantastic run up the left flank by Narzary but Chhetri couldn't connect properly. India playing very well now. Quite a bit of action around the Kenyan goalmouth. The rain has gone but the ground is very wet. An amazing long ranger shot by Halder (like the one he scored on in the last match), but their goalie dove and saved it.

[jayakris]

Chhettri brought down! PK coming. And there it is!!!! No doubt on that screamer, though the goal got his hands on it. 1-0 INDIA!!!!

#11 gets his goal in his 100th match. He isn't known to dive, but he picked a good spot to at least make sure that the ref wouldn't miss the infraction on him.

[jayakris]

And the bash brothers strike again!! Jeje makes it 2-0. Great finish there by Jeje, on a cross that ricocheted off a Kenyan defender in front of the goal. 71st minute.

Ooh, Sandesh gets stepped on and is injured. Yikes. He is the one guy we cannot miss (after Sunil). He walks off but is limping. Plays a bit more, and looks okay, though... and then Narayan Das comes in for him. Phew... 2-0, 75th minute.

We continue to play well, showing a lot of ball skills and instincts like I have not seen in the past. A couple of nice tip-saves by Gurpreet. 2-0, 85th minute

[jayakris]

Fantastic counter, great pass after mid-field, then a breakaway by Chhetri and a lob finish over the goal keeper. AMAZING!!! 3-0!!! (90+2 min)

And the final whistle. A terrific game played by India in the second half. Lots of energy, as compared to the Kenyans who were huffing and puffing by the end. 3-0!!!

Two matches, 8 goals, 5 by Chhettri and 2 by Jeje. Can't get any better.

The team is doing some after-game stretching out there, and most of the crowd is all still there 15 minutes after the game. The Mumbaikars are thoroughly enjoying themselves, still chanting India, India, Chhetri, Chhetri. Nice to see this. I thought I would never live to see football in Mumbai. Almost brings tears to my eyes. Indian football is alive and kicking.

Sandesh Jhingan wins the "hero of the match" award and $2500. Well deserved, I would say. He was something unbelievable out there today in defense. Man, what a player we have. He and Anas at the back are a fortress.

[jaydeep]

This is really good win and happy for Chhetri as he achieves something rare - to score a goal in his 100th match.

[jayakris]

Sunil Chhetri is now at 61 goals in 100 matches. I think there are only Cristiano Ronaldo (81 in 149 matches) and Lionel Messi (64 in 124 matches) who have more international goals than Chhetri, among active players. Chhettri just went past David Villa (59 in 97 matches). It doesn't mean that he is anywhere near as good as any of them. But Chhettri is better than a whole ton of players from around the world who have not been able to do anything anywhere near what he has done. Most countries have never had anybody score more than 50 or 55. Chhettri is also top-3 in goals/game average among active players.

To put it in perspective, IM Vijayan only scored 40 in 79 matches, and Bhutia scored 42 in 107 matches. I think only these three Indians have scored more than 30 for India. Chhettri is a goal scoring machine, whose scoring average keeps rising, as he grows older!!

[sameerph]

Sunil Chhetri made a plea to the fans to come to the fans to come and watch yesterday's match at the stadium and thankfully the stadium was filled yesterday. This is the report about that -

Sunil Chhetri: India football fans fill stadium after captain's plea

[jaydeep]

Sunil also posted beautiful post on Twitter after the match for the supporters.

Sunil Chhetri
@chetrisunil11

We promise you that if that kind of support we get every time we play for the country, we will give our lives on the pitch. India, this night was special because we were in this together. Those in the stands shouting, and the ones at home cheering - thank you!

[jayakris]

Sunil also posted beautiful post on Twitter after the match for the supporters.

Yeah, this was smething special from Chhetri, and it reall went viral in a hurry, with one guy in Mumbai simply buying some 1000 seats himself! It has really got the national press' attention too.

Here is a reply from somebody - I watched Sunil Chhetri play for the first time. It was a night to remember. Dear Captain, next time, you won’t have to make a video and post it on Twitter. I’ll be there to #backtheblue.

The coach's view of it - India have done enough to merit good turnout, should not beg, says coach Stephen Constantine (Indian Express)

[jaydeep]

An amazing gesture by supporter but deserving.

[prasen9]

I understand what Constantine is saying and absolutely agree with what "should" happen, but if the begging moves people from their butts and creates new football fans, all power to Chhetri. Keep doing what you are doing on and off the field.

[jayakris]

But the press response has been incredible. Just go to google, type in "Indian football", select "news" and "sorted by date" blow the box. You will see some 10-15 pages listing articles from every newspaper out there... and BBC, Asian Age and all that. I have never seen any new sports news item getting this many articles as did what happened the last 2 days in Mumbai. An amazing thing that Chhetri pulled off, and he himself sounds quite shocked at the response. Boy. This can only help Indian football.

As for Constantine's comment, that is typical Constantine. He stays aloof from all the patriotic rah-rah. He never tries to act like he has become Indian. He is just a paid British coach who goes about doing his job. That doesn't make him too many friends but I like him for how he is. He generally calls it like he sees it and says what he thinks about such things.

By the way, Constantine just asked India to consider sending our u23 to the Asiad. There are 11 u23 players in the current national squad (I assume in the 30 he had for training), he said. I totally agree. It is time we started sending our u23 to the Asiad.

[prasen9]

It has to be U23 anyway except for three players. He is saying that the three seniors should not be chosen? On the other hand, having three stalwarts play with the U23 would possibly not be bad for them from a learning POV.