In their second game of the 2016 AFC U-16 Championship in Goa, India drew 3-3 with Saudi Arabia in a dramatic game that saw three goals scored in the final minutes. After taking a 2-0 lead in 22 minutes, Saudi Arabia had managed to peg one back before half-time and it could have been 2-2 if not for a penalty save in stoppage time.
But two goals in two minutes in the second half saw Saudi Arabia take the lead and they looked set to clinch all three points. However, a late penalty saw India equalise in dramatic fashion and come away with a point. Here are the major talking points from the game.
Images courtesy of AIFF Media
1) Early lead gives India the advantage
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The first game against UAE was played in the pouring rain and it did not allow either team to play at full throttle. However, the match against Saudi Arabia was played in ideal conditions and it allowed India to stretch their legs on the Fatorda turf.
And, sure enough, it was India that took the lead early on in only the sixth minute of the match. Komal Thatal did well to escape his marker on the left before putting in the pass to an unmarked Aniket Jadhav near the edge of the box. The Indian no.11 took one touch to set himself up before taking the shot that beat three defenders frantically trying to close him down and also the goalkeeper to find the back of the net.
It did not take long for the boys in blue to double the lead with Boris making a run down the flank and sending in a cross. This time, Aman Chetri bundled it home to make it 2-0. With only 22 minutes on the clock, India were already cruising.
2) Saudi Arabia fight back in the first half
After the initial shock, the west Asian side started to assert their authority on the game. While the Indian defence stood firm against the few attacks in the first 30 minutes, it was the Saudi side that soon took control. The Saudi players were able to physically dominate the game and won many one-on-one battles with the Indian players. And the goal came soon enough.
It was yet another attack down the left flank that proved to be India’s undoing. Dhari Alanazi was released down the left and he managed to beat his man to get into the box before looping in a cross to the far post where Aldhuwayhi got himself in a position to fire home a powerful header. Indian goalkeeper Dheeraj Moirangtem put in a spectacular reflex dive to make a save but couldn’t get a hand to it.
Saudi Arabia then started to dominate possession and even saw nearly 65% of the ball in the first half as India sat back to defend their lead before the half-time whistle. And in stoppage time, the visitors almost equalised...
3) Dheeraj to the rescue, but he fails to command his box under pressure
India may have gone into the break in low spirits had Saudi Arabia capitalised in first half stoppage time. As they pressed for an equaliser, Saudi Arabia were gifted a penalty when Sanjeev Stalin fouled his man inside the box.
The Saudi players were already celebrating as the Indians wore a dejected look. But Dheeraj stood tall, guessed correctly and dived to his left when Mali took the penalty. The ball rebounded off the post and fell safely into Dheeraj’s hands as he held on to ensure India finished the half with a slender lead.
It was the young goalkeeper’s second penalty save of the tournament. He had previously made a crucial penalty save against UAE in the first game. While his aerial prowess has been rightly criticised due to some questionable decision-making leading to errors, there is no question that he is a worthy opponent from 12 yards out.
But the second half saw him fail to command the box and India looked very vulnerable on set pieces. And then Saudi Arabia capitalised...
4) Late drama in final stages, but it could have been avoided
As the second half wore on, it was evident that Saudi Arabia were not giving up. On the other hand, India simply started to panic and dropped deep to defend. While the effective centre-back pairing of Jitendra and Mohammed Sarif Khan kept the opponents at bay for most of the half, one could sense that the Saudis were close to an equaliser.
And it happened in the 82nd minute when a quick dribble saw Dhari Alanazi beat his marker and whip in a cross to the near post. Feras Tariq got a touch before it went in off an Indian defender and the lead was suddenly erased with eight minutes to go.
To rub more salt into their wounds, Saudi Arabia scored only a minute later to take the lead for the first time in the game. This time, there was no doubt that it was Feras Tariq who scored as he turned in a cross. For the second time in as many games, India had lost a well-deserved lead in the dying stages of the game.
When it looked like India were headed for a second straight loss, a 96th-minute penalty saw them find an equaliser with captain Suresh Singh Wangjam coolly putting it away, much to the elation of the 4,000 odd fans at the stadium.
It was India’s first point in the tournament but it could have easily been all three. Their inability to remain calm, pass the ball around and keep possession under pressure is something they need to work on.
5) India need to improve their physicality and second half performances
Make no mistake, this was a game India could have won. As a collective unit, the boys in blue were easily more technically adept than their Saudi counterparts. However, a high-tempo first half had again seen many Indian players exhausted by the end of the game which led to a drop in focus and, inevitably, conceding two goals.
India’s midfield also failed to make an impact in the second half. Most of their play were down the flanks with Boris trying his best to get past Saudi players before he was outnumbered. Any clearance India made did not see midfield players taking the initiative to carry the ball forward into the Saudi half.
Suresh was the lone warrior in midfield but Saudi Arabia easily won the ball back as India failed to string more than three passes together. With the final game against Iran, who had beaten Saudi Arabia 3-2, they will have their task cut out.
Coach Nicolai Adam will stress on their fitness and their ability to focus for 90 minutes. With a year to go before the FIFA U-17 World Cup, beefing up a few of the boys will also go a long way in winning the physical battles on the pitch.
