Brave new world for Blue Tigers: India emerges from Panama, Brazil friendlies with positives aplenty

Ryan Williams has looked a class apart on the pitch for India in the friendlies against Panama and Brazil. | Photo Credit: K MURALI KUMAR

When the international friendly between India and Brazil was announced, many dismissed it as a farce until the official confirmation landed. The prospect of a side ranked outside the top-135 locking horns with the five-time world champion, currently perched at World No. 6, sounded like a grotesque mismatch — a lamb to the slaughter, in the eyes of the sceptics.

But after two matches against World Cup-playing nations, Panama and Brazil, the Blue Tigers will not consider the exercise entirely futile. They came within a whisker of beating Panama, a team ranked 94 places above them, before conceding a late equaliser, and then put up a valiant show at the Salt Lake Stadium, eventually succumbing 0-4 to Brazil.

At full-time against Panama, the fans gave a thunderous round of applause to the team’s exertions, unanimously agreeing that it was their finest performance in recent memory. And at the end of the second match, the conversation withing Indian football circles had shifted from ‘How many goals would India lose by?’ to ‘India could have conceded two fewer goals against Brazil.’

This is the shift India needs: the conviction that the Blue Tigers can actually roar despite having no regular league football for months.

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“We have to play more (such) matches for experience. But from my side, I think the players did not leave any stone unturned in terms of their efforts. I got them to play defensively; they contributed to the build-up and attack,” India’s coach Khalid Jamil said.

Winds of change under Jamil

Several factors contributed to the team turning the tide. Jamil, for the first time, got his full set of players at his disposal in the national camp.

At training sessions too, Jamil has looked different — very active, unusually vocal and ruthless with select training for certain players. | Photo Credit: K MURALI KUMAR

In India’s previous matches at the Unity Cup and the CAFA Nations Cup, several players from Mohun Bagan Super Giant were not released by the club for the fixtures because they were outside the official FIFA window.

Logistics did not help India’s cause either — its key striker Ryan Williams could not get his No Objection Certificate to play against Bangladesh, while senior defender Sandesh Jhingan suffered an injury during the CAFA Nations Cup that ruled him out of the rest of the tournament.

This time around, Jamil also made some bold calls: a younger squad with 11 changes from the team that played in the Unity Cup, dropping several first-team regulars like Jhingan, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Brandon Fernandes and Jeakson Singh.

“I have selected players according to their merits and performance. It’s not like we have selected 26 players. We don’t have to take all of them. If someone isn’t performing well, he will go back within two days. It’s not like I didn’t give anyone a chance. I saw everyone. Whoever deserves to be there, I gave him a 100% chance,” Jamil told PTI in an interview.

The message was unambiguous: he needed a hungry lot, one that could attack and defend with equal intensity.

And the effect was immediate. After what felt like ages, India exuded confidence right from the get-go against Panama.

Missed opportunities were not followed by slouched shoulders, but rather used as motivation to do better, and the renewed optimism was rewarded at the end of the first half as Williams put the Blue Tigers in front after latching onto a lovely floated ball from Akash Mishra.

A heavily reshuffled Panama looked out of sorts for most of the game, only to rely on long-range attempts, like that from Omar Valencia — a beauty nonetheless — that earned them a draw. A few years ago, such a strike would have diminished spirits in the Indian camp, but Jamil’s men kept at it and almost retook the lead if not for some profligate finishing in front of goal.

At training sessions too, Jamil has looked different — very active, unusually vocal and ruthless with select training for certain players.

His reputation for ‘parking the bus’ also seemed a thing of the distant past. India no longer sat back; it marched forward and kept attacking until Williams found the net. India tried two more shots, which were blocked. Williams also came close to scoring against Brazil, with Mauro Junior making a goal-line clearance.

Despite an impressive showing against Brazil, Jamil sought more from the substitutes and did not hold back after the game, issuing a veiled threat to players who would slack. “If a player comes on, they have to be prepared. Today, there were 11 changes, so we have tried everybody. They have to capitalise on the chance; otherwise, they will not get another chance,” Jamil said.

Getting back to basics

Jamil has tried several shapes, including a three-man backline, a false nine, and a conventional 4-3-3, but might have found the solution in 4-4-2 — a formation in which India lined up under Stephen Constantine, with Bhaichung Bhutia and Jeje Lalpekhlua leading the attack.

This is the formation that saw India break into the top 100 of the FIFA rankings under the English coach, and in which it shone through, qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup after 27 years. With quick wingers and Williams offering an outlet up front, India has looked more threatening in transition under Jamil.

The biggest highlight, however, for the team is having Williams in an Indian jersey. The forward looked a class apart on the pitch, making runs behind the defenders, clearing corner kicks and then testing the goalkeeper from the box — Williams did everything that was expected of him and more.

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And his performance could spark a discussion on allowing more Indian-origin players in the national team. India’s performances against Panama and Brazil did not lack effort; it missed team chemistry in finishing. Jamil will look to chisel that, with the team travelling to New Zealand, another World Cup-playing nation, in the next international window.

Playing against high-ranked opponents also looks like a positive step, for the rankings do affect the morale of any team. As long as the All India Football Federation is not hurt financially, these matches provide an invaluable opportunity to earn high ranking points. For example, a draw against Tajikistan (ranked 101st) earned India 1.33 points, while the same outcome against Panama (ranked 44th) gave it 3.19 points.

India has a long way to go before it realistically thinks of rubbing shoulders with teams like Panama, Brazil and Uruguay in the World Cup. But playing against them with consistent aggression and fluid attacking football is a refreshing change — one that gives an indication of better things to come if allowed to continue.