The experience of playing on British soil after 24 years was not pleasant for the Indian football team. Last night, Jamaica defeated India 2-0 in the second semifinal of the Unity Cup Football. In the FIFA rankings, India is placed at the 136th position, whereas Jamaica is at 71st. Judging by strength and capability, it is easy to see that the fight was uneven. On top of that, the Indian team, popularly known as the Blue Tigers, suffered the consequences of adopting a defensive policy right from the start.
Setting up a starting XI with 5 defenders, India fell behind just 8 minutes into the game. Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh was beaten by a brilliant volley from Courtney Clarke. In the first half, India’s attacking department could not create any clear opportunities.
After the break, India increased their attacking tempo with the aim of finding an equalizer. Although Lallianzuala found success in the 53rd minute, the goal was disallowed for offside. Five minutes later, Ryan Williams had to leave the field due to an injury, which reduced the sharpness of India’s attacks. India got a great chance to equalize in the 63rd minute, but Chhangte’s free-kick from just outside the box narrowly missed the target. In the 78th minute, Kaheem Dixon doubled the lead for Jamaica through a counter-attack. India will now play against Zimbabwe for the third-place spot.
