After a gritty performance against formidable Australia, India face Uzbekistan in their second Group B match of the AFC Asian Cup at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan on Thursday, aiming to assert themselves better than what they managed in the opening game.
India lost to title contenders Australia 2-0 in the opening match on January 13 after denying the Socceroos any success for 50 minutes. The Australians were at their attacking best but Sunil Chhetri’s men managed to avoid a bigger margin of defeat.
The defensive compactness, especially in the first half, would be something that the Indians would like to continue against the Uzbeks, who are a bit disappointed after playing out a goalless draw against Syria in their opening match.
Chhetri made the point that the Central Asian side, ranked 68th in the world as against 102nd of India, would not be as menacing as the Australians, and his thoughts could be a pointer to his side’s game plan.
“Uzbekistan are not Australia, but they’re a good side nonetheless. So, it will be a big challenge in this game too,” Chhetri had said the other day.
“It is a huge match for us. The first game was an experience for the boys, and now we face another difficult match. Uzbekistan are a very competitive side, and since they did not gain a victory in their last game, we expect them to put a lot of pressure on us,” head coach Igor Stimac said at the pre-match news conference on Wednesday.
“But our boys are ready for the challenge. We are happy for this opportunity that lies ahead of us, and our mentality will be to win the game and get three points,” he added.
For sure, India will not sit back too deep against Uzbekistan. Instead, they would look to play their own game and press for counter-attacks with quick transitions. The likes of Chhetri and Manvir Singh could be looking for chances that were almost non-existent against the Australians.
“Uzbekistan dominated Syria with 65 per cent possession in their last game and had many shots on goal, but Syria are also a physical side and played a 4-4-2 formation with strong counterattacks. But this game will be different,” Stimac felt.
The Croat outlined the importance of playing with an attacking mindset. “What we are looking for are more attack-minded players. We also saw against Australia that instead of just clearing the ball, we could find the flanks.”
Senior pro Sandesh Jhingan will, as usual, be the key man in defence. A true warrior on the pitch, Jhingan led a fine Indian defensive effort in the opener. He soldiered on with a bandaged forehead and stitched-up cuts above each eyebrow.
Uzbekistan are a side who have beaten the likes of China, Oman and Bolivia while drawing with Iran and Mexico in the past year. They are currently at ninth spot among the Asian countries in the Fifa rankings.
India and Uzbekistan have played eight times against each other with the Blue Tigers having won just one. Uzbekistan won five times while two matches had ended in draws. The last match between the two sides had also gone in favour of the Uzbeks, who won 2-1 in the 2001 Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
