India finally defeats Nepal thanks to their confidence in their depth.
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A little jumbled football was to be expected with Mahesh Gawli, India's acting coach as Igor Stimac watched from the stands, making eight changes to the starting XI that defeated Pakistan 4-0 a few days prior. It ended up being considerably worse.
For 45 minutes, India came out as uninspired, uninteresting, and frequently inferior to a Nepalese team that gave it their all. Gawli acknowledged as much following the game, stating, "I believe Nepal did not give us an opportunity to compete in the first half. They were incredibly resilient.
The Nepalese opposition pursued India's Blue Tigers at every step, turning them into crying kittens and causing panicky clearances. In the first half, Sahal Abdul Samad's decision to hang onto the ball just a little bit too long to prevent a 3-on-1 counterattack crystallised their lack of trust in one another.
The coaching staff, though, was as patient as always; Gawli's halftime team talk just included a request for his players to "remain calm and cool" and "not make mistakes." The treatment Stimac gave his team in the Intercontinental Cup triumph a week prior—using a hairdryer—was a sharp contrast. Interestingly, this had a similar impact. India shifted dramatically in the second half, with their teamwork and confidence progressively increasing up to the first goal in the 61st minute.
Football players' level of confidence in one another was the subject of the study. Anyone who saw Sahal's first-half play would find the concept ludicrous, yet Mahesh quickly exchanged a 1-2 with Sahal down the left flank. But instead of keeping possession of the ball, India's #10 quickly passed the ball to Mahesh, recalling the finest wearers of the fabled jersey. When the ball left his boot, Mahesh trusted Sahal to handle the return and sprinted to the left, receiving the ball with plenty of room to consider his choices
On the e, Sunil Chhetri is hovering.
Sunil Chhetri then engaged in perfect center-forward play while lingering on the edge of the area as Mahesh got the ball. Chhetri placed a large wager on Mahesh putting in an inch-perfect cross just on the penalty spot after making a decoy movement towards the near post and running onto the blind side of the up until this point superb Rohit Chand. When it did, Chhetri's right boot's instep freed up, allowing goal no. 91 to be guided into the lower right corner.
Jeakson's sentiments on his inspired captain after the game were, "Every time he scores, it relaxes us," and it appeared that the fans agreed
The Kanteerava burst into its favourite chant, surpassing Disturbed's rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence" up to that point. The crowd's confidence in the team was restored after three touches of the ball by three separate players. The 12,642 present today are as loud as the whole crowd from Wednesday's victory against Pakistan.
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