Football: Indian National Team news ...

[jayakris]

Chhettri probably would've (or could've) made the Kansas city roster if he really had his mind in it. He felt like a fish out of water in the MLS set-up and basically just left after a while. He was already a celebrity with good club offers in India, and he was a bit too old at age 26 to get his first foreign club exposure and to do the tough grind needed. But saying that he could've made it there for a couple of years if he tried hard enough, is like saying that he could be a top-5000 or top-6000 player at best. But that is it.

Arjun, your conclusion of our not having a top-8000 player, is probably correct. No top-5000, for sure!

[prasen9]

It seems we are having trouble finding somebody to play friendlies against, in the FIFA window coming up (Aug 30 - Sep 7). AIFF release a statement on it on Friday.

It looks like Nepal, which has no travel restrictions with India, is the only country available. They may be it.

Anyway, the national team camp is starting this weekend in Kolkata... First time in 15 years that the camp is being done there.

It is what it is. We should play the first team in the game and get a good win and practice. If we can do that easily, then we should go to playing our junior team or a mix of juniors and seniors for a second match.

[usaindia]

Sandesh Jhingan agrees terms with Croatian top-tier club HNK ..

Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... paign=cpps

[rajitghosh]

List of players who have played in leagues abroad.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_I ... gn_leagues

[jayakris]

India has gone to Nepal and will play friendlies this Thursday (Sep 2nd, 4:45pm) and and Sunday (Sep 5th).

[prasen9]

Would Nepal beat our second team? Or is this just about getting points?

[jayakris]

^^ I think it is not really for points. In the new ranking system, playing lower ranked teams doesn't seem to give too much of ranking advantage, which used to happen in the old system if you were playing only fewer matches in a year. But there isn't much ranking disadvantage in playing a lower ranked team now, unlike in the old system.

We are playing Nepal mainly because nobody else was available for us to play. Covid travel issues and all that. Nepal is not terrible and are capable of beating us. I think coach Stimac just needed some reason to do a few days of team training and stay sharp, so we are playing Nepal.

Looks like we will be playing Nepal three times this year. Twice this week and then once a month later at the SAFF Cup in Maldives... That will be Bangladesh (Oct 4), Sri Lanka (Oct 7), Nepal (Oct 10) and Maldives Oct (14).

[prasen9]

Makes sense.

We should do a tour to places that like football and play an A-team vs. B-team match or two.

[jayakris]

India and Nepal played to a draw, 1-1 today. Nepal was ahead in the 36th minute but Anirudh Thapa equalized in the 60th minute.

[jayakris]

India beat Nepal 2-1 today in today's friendly. Not bad. It was tied till 62 minutes when midfielder Farukh Chaudhary scored for us, and then Chhettri (who else?) added a second goal in minute 80... Nepal got one back in the 87th minute.

Stimac was very upset that the team had no practice field for 3 days and were basically sitting at the hotel. Rains made the practice field unplayable, and it was not even a full length field to start with, and players reportedly had to get rid of pebbles on the field and all that to start with. Even the Dasaratha stadium where they played was not in good shape.

Anyway, all in all, it is good that the team got a chance to get together and train some in Kolkkata for 2 weeks before this. Up next is SAFF cup against Sri Lanka in early October in Maldives.

[prasen9]

Which is why we should get a U23 team or a B-team to play serious games. Tell the juniors or next-graders that if they play well, they will get a promotion and the A-teamers that they will ge a demotion. Then, they will take it seriously. Move it to some area where there is a chance to get people interested in football.

[jayakris]

India slid down by 2 spots to 107 in the September FIFA ranking.

[jayakris]

India plays Bangladesh tomorrow in the SAFF cup. I believe it is at 4:30 pm IST Monday. Forst of our 4 matches in Maldives.

[Rajiv]

32 minutes into the game, India lead by a 26th minute Sunil Chhetri (who else) goal.

[jayakris]

And, after Bangladesh was reduced to 10 men, India still allowed an equalizer in the 74th minute and gave them a 1-1 draw. That is pathetic.