Football: Indian National Team news ...

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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by jayakris »

Looks like our next activity is an Intercontinental Cup at Mumbai starting on June 1st. #113 Kenya, #133 New Zealand and #121 Chinese Taipei are the teams along with us at #97. They are good teams and we could probably lose to all three or win against a couple of them. I don't think we will win against all three. Anyway, decent practice to get started on the preparation for the AFC Cup in UAE in early 2019. The matches will be official FIFA friendlies, but it has not hit the FIFA calandar yet.

Meawhile, Constantine picks 30 for National camp (PTI/ The Hindu)

No huge surprise, except maybe the 20 year old forward Ashique Kurunian being called in to the national team. This kid from Malappuram, Kerala, is supposed to be a serious talent (he was on loan from Pune FC to Villarreal for a year and a half, and had underwent training there). I don't think he is going to play or anything, but good to see Constantine continuing to give some youngsters some exposure and confidence with the national team.
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by jayakris »

The Intercontinental Cup starts tomorrow night in Mumbai, with India's match.

Jun 1, 8pm - India vs. Chinese Taipei
Jun 2, 8pm - Kenya vs. New Zealand
Jun 4, 8pm - India vs. Kenya
Jun 5, 8pm - Chinese Taipei vs. New Zealand
Jun 7, 8pm - India vs. New Zealand
Jun 8, 8pm - Chinese Taipei vs. Kenya

FINAL: Jun 10, 8pm
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by arjun2761 »

India is up 2-0 at the half against Chinese Taipei.
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by jayakris »

Two goals by Chhetri in the first half. Both were off assists from Jeje. These two are just terrific together.

Make it 3-0!!! Jeje scores this time, in the 53rd minute. (EDIT: Udanta?)

And it is a hat-trick for Chhetri!!!... The Taiwanese defense in utter shambles, as a vriation in a corner kick came in and Chhetri dribbled around and scored in the 63rd minute. The Mumbai crowd with tambourines, loud chants and everything goes bonkers. 4-0 India!

http://www.vipboxtv.se/stream-india-vs- ... pei-live-1 if you want a stream.
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by jayakris »

The young striker Ashique Karuniyan is getting to play. He had a very nice run just now.

Whoa, an amazing long goal from outside the box on the left corner, that curved in, by Pronay Halder!... 5-0 India in the 78th minute.

And that is a final. 5-0 India wins over #121 Taiwan. A few years ago, it would be incredible if we could beat a top-125 team by this score. Now it is not that shocking, I guess. Kenya and New Zealand won't be this easy, I assume. We completely dominated Taiwan.
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by arjun2761 »

Yes, that is a decisive win by India and we seemingly dominated the play as well.

In the football ELO ratings, India is at #171 and Taiwan is at #192, so we will not rise too much despite this win. Overall, over the last 4-5 years we have mostly played 150+ ranked teams in the ELO rankings, so our good win record hasn't improved our ranking much. We have played top 100 teams Iran and Oman twice each and lost decisively in all of those matches. New Zealand is currently #80 in the ELO rankings and Kenya is #118, so those will be good tests if they have sent something like their top teams (even if it is experimental).
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by Saniapower »

Well played Chhetri and team.
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by jayakris »

arjun2761 wrote: Fri Jun 01, 2018 5:32 pmIn the football ELO ratings, India is at #171 and Taiwan is at #192, so we will not rise too much despite this win. Overall, over the last 4-5 years we have mostly played 150+ ranked teams in the ELO rankings, so our good win record hasn't improved our ranking much. We have played top 100 teams Iran and Oman twice each and lost decisively in all of those matches. New Zealand is currently #80 in the ELO rankings and Kenya is #118, so those will be good tests if they have sent something like their top teams (even if it is experimental).
But ELO doesn't work well in football, as we discussed once before, because of the number of years it takes for any team to play enough matches outside of the regional bubbles they all play in. Teams change quality within 2 or 3 years, which can get demonstrated through consistency in wins within the bubble but if all the bubbles' teams stay low in ELO, they continue to stay low. Or so it seems. Anyway, FIFA is over-ranking many Asian teams now, including India, after they all played continental qualifiers at thrice the points. India is probably not #97 quality, and neither is Kyrgyzs Republic #75 (we beat them 1-0 in India and lost 1-2 in KGZ but with Chhettri ineligible to play). They are all getting ranking boosts from points which do not take into account opposition quality as importantly as ELO does. But we are certainly not #170 and Taiwan is definitely not as bad as 192. Today's was realistically a match between a #125 India against a #140 Taiwan, where India showed that we should probably move up a bit more.

In fact, if we beat Kenya and New Zealand also, we will not move up the FIFA rankings, but I would say that our ranking is legit at #97. If we beat them, we will move up in ELO though. FIFA generally takes into account the possibility of teams being not in full strength for friendlies with their 1/3rd point allocation for it, which is why this whole tournament can only drop our rankings and not really raise it much. But these are good teams, and it is probably the best tournament we have had in India in a long time.
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by jaydeep »

Good win ... But this was depleted Chinese Taipei side, who fielded six U-23 players and two U-19 players.

India bt Chinese Taipei 5-0 (2-0)
Goal Scored - Sunil Chhetri (IND) 14', 34' and 61', Udanta Singh (IND) 48', Pranoy Halder (IND) 78'
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by jayakris »

Kenya beat New Zealand in a comeback, 2-1, today. Sarpreet Singh (42’) scored first for NZL, and then Miheso Cliffton (45+1’) and Ovella Ochieng (68’) scored for Kenya.

India plays Kenya next, on June 4th, Monday.
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by arjun2761 »

NZ has sent a young team - almost everyone is under 24. Sarpreet Singh who scored their goal is 19. Only 2 of the players in the team were among the 14 players who had playing minutes against Peru in their final attempt to qualify for the WC.
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by rajitghosh »

I think the influx of North Eastern players has made a big difference to Indian football. Bhaichung was the trailblazer and Sunil is a worthy successor. If you look at the period of doldrums between 1964 and 2010, Indian football was dominated by the politicians of the Calcutta and Goa clubs who were more involved in filling their own pockets rather than seeing any good coming to Indian football. The North Eastern clubs that have emerged in recent times play with more passion and their players play possess more athleticism and stamina that was missing in the earlier generations. Having grown up watching Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal matches I can see a stark difference. In the 80's during the Nehru Cup and Super Soccer days Indian teams would struggle to put together 3-4 consecutive good passes. It used to be mis-passes all along. Now that has changed. This team would still struggle against physically strong teams but at least they would fight rather than conceding 6-8 goals that used to happen in Super Soccer.
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by jayakris »

rajitghosh wrote: Sun Jun 03, 2018 2:20 amI think the influx of North Eastern players has made a big difference to Indian football. Bhaichung was the trailblazer and Sunil is a worthy successor.
Yes, it has made a difference, though it is also overstated a bit. Jeje is really the only player who is making a significant difference in the national team. The other Northeast players are replaceable with players as good as them from elsewhere. The quality of football has improved all over the country in the last decade or so. Also, the players have all improved a lot during the last few years, thanks to exposure to good foreign payers and coaches in the I-league and now ISL. Chhetri himself is a much better player at 33 than he was when he was 25, thanks to all that. You are also correct about the good effects of Indian football getting out of the hands of the Goa and Kolkata politicians (which we Kerala people used to complain a lot about, for decades).

By the way, Chhetri can't be counted as a Northeast player. He was born in Secunderabad in AP in the south, and he considers Delhi his home. Married a Bengali if I am not mistaken. So he is all-Indian. His parents are from Nepal though, and his mother played for the Nepalese national soccer team if I a remember correctly.
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by jayakris »

India-Kenya is on. Here is a stream - https://www.laola1.tv/en-int/livestream/india-kenya-len

Unfortunately, there is serious rain and now there are a lot of puddles. Tough to pass the ball. 0-0 in the 15th minute.

Ooh, Chhettri almost had a super-goal, as he lobbed one over the goalie. Missed by an inch. Great instinct.

It's pouring. Reminds me of Monsoon football back in Kerala. 0-0 in the 30th min.
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Re: Football: Indian National Team news ...

Post by prasen9 »

jayakris wrote: Sun Jun 03, 2018 3:19 am 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.
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