India vs Bayern Munich: A learning experience for team India

An emotional farewell for a legend at the Jawaharlal Stadium in Delhi saw the most exciting of matches that seemed to upgrade the quality of Indian football. As Baichung Bhutia, the longest serving captain of India, played his last official international match against Bayern Munich, the Indian team performed well-enough to lose only by a margin of 4 goals. Though the score line may suggest otherwise, the Indian team could take a number of positives with them after the friendly tie.

Pitted against one of the best clubs in Europe and a household name in football (even Indians know more names in the Bayern Munich squad than their home team), even the craziest of Indian fans never expected Savio Medeira’s boys to pull off an upset. That fact that India didn’t concede a single goal in the second half may come as a surprise to many.

The first few minutes were enough for the fans to expect a 0-5 or heavier drubbing as the first goal came in only 14 minutes from the start. A fine display of skill, pace and accuracy ensured that they were up 4-0 by half-time. Even Cristiano Ronaldo would have been pleased to see Bastian Schweinsteiger long range winner. Bayern enjoyed making a fool of the Indian defense and entertaining the few Bayern fans present in the stadium. They were both technically and physically superior to the Indians.

Adding to the Indian defence woes, every now and then, Robben, Lahm, or Mueller appeared in the penalty-box like a predator harassing its prey. Panic and confusion gripped the Indian defense as the players executed clearances that are common in high school football. Occasionally when Baichung received a pass, the spectators stood up in excitement only to sit down the very next moment, as the Bayern defenders won the ball without breaking a sweat.

India looked a lot healthier and organized in the second half when the likes of Jeje Lalpekhlua, Jewel Raja and Subhasish Roy Chowdhury took to the field. The goalkeeper change worked for Medeira as Roychowdhury pulled off some stunning saves that would have made Subrata Pal proud. The atmosphere was electrifying with the crowd letting out a roar every time the Indian midfielders started a run with the ball. Though the Indians couldn’t put enough pressure on Bayern, it would be no exaggeration to say that they did well to force the Bavarians to tighten their defense at times. They also closed the gaps in their defense so much so that they managed to restrict Bayern to 4-0.

All in all, it was a learning experience for the youngsters. That they didn’t concede a second-half goal which came off as a great encouragement for them. They also earned praise from some Bayern players. One only hopes that exposure to ‘top-class world football’ like this, will do a world of good to the nation that once produced legends like Shabbir Ali. As Baichung Bhutia steps down, it remains to be seen who carries his legacy forward.