Anirudh Thapa looked in scintillating touch for India. The midfielder was technically above the rest and got the much-deserved goal in the first half.
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When Adil Khan squared up and put the ball in a dangerous area, Thapa was present inside the six yard box to score from close range.
The 21-year-old was an attacking midfielder, but none of the front three were in the wavelength of Thapa. When Thailand were piling the pressure on India during a certain period, their corner was cleared in a dramatic way.
Thapa, who was standing in the near post, had to use his trailing leg to block and clear the ball from danger. His two immense contributions proved to be the difference in this game.
In the injury time of the first half, Thapa's headed clearance assisted the forwards to break in a one-on-one situation. But, Farukh's ball did not have the required pace to meet Balwant Singh. This helped the goalkeeper to clear the ball.
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About the author
Sudarshan
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.
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