Hero Intercontinental Cup 2019: 3 areas Stimac needs to fix before the World Cup qualifiers

Modified Jul 06, 2019 13:44 GMT

#3 Left Wing

Udanta Singh, who is India's best wide attacking player, occupies the right flank for the Blues. It has been a major problem for India to find a proper left winger over the last few years. None of them have stamped their authority in the team and it has prompted Stimac to hand out debuts to Brandon Fernandes and Lallianzuala Chhangte.

During the game against Curacao, Brandon Fernandes played behind Sunil Chhetri through the middle, while Lallianzuala Chhangte was used as a left wing. The young forward along with the substitute Michael Soosairaj's cameo did not come to India's assist as they fail to convince their manager.

Soosairaj has failed to restore his name in the squad, but Stimac has retained his trust on Fernandes and Chhangte. Brandon Fernandes was arguably the best Indian performer in the ISL, whereas Chhangte showed his raw pace to stretch the opponents.

Brandon Fernandes will be the favourite to start in that position, but Chhangte can compete with him. This is another position which needs sorting before the World Cup Qualifiers.

About the author

Sudarshan has been covering European and Indian football for Sportskeeda for
around 9 years. An Information Technology graduate and a post-graduate in International Business Operations, he has previously worked with Chennai Super Kings, Chennai City FC and the SunRisers Hyderabad handling their social media for OPN Advertising and Ting Labs. He has also travelled with the SunRisers for around 2 years, shooting content and interviewing stars such as David Warner, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Jonny Bairstow.

An ardent Liverpool supporter since 2008, Sudarshan's favorite footballer is Steven Gerrard, who impressed with his unmatched leadership during the Reds' challenging periods. His favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp as the German's connection with fans and preference for high-intensity football resonates with him. Sudarshan aims to better analyze football matches by relying on websites like FotMob and DataMB and excels in swiftly covering breaking news events.

Mario Gotze's winner in the 2014 final is Sudarshan’s favorite FIFA World Cup moment, and believes that Jamal Musiala and Jude Bellingham could emerge as the successors to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he enjoys binge-watching movies, learning new skills to enhance his professional development, and participating in marathons.

Know More

Edited by Kingshuk Kusari