Ratings: Sandhiya silver lining as India lose to Vietnam

India suffered yet another loss in the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifiers.

The Indian women's team went head-to-head with Vietnam in the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers match, in what was a thrilling showdown that ended in a 3-1 victory for the Vietnamese.

Throughout the match, the Indian players poured their hearts into the game, but lapses in their defense denied them the taste of victory. Although a late Indian goal sparked a glimmer of hope, it wasn't enough to bridge the gap as the Blue Tigresses fell just short of a comeback.

Here are the player ratings from the game.

India (By Atawaris Warsi)

Elangbam Panthoi - 5

Panthoi did a magnificent job in goal. Yet for the first goal, she could have positioned herself better, but there was nothing she could have done for the second goal. She committed too early for the third.

Sweety Devi - 5.5

The defender had a struggling first half, conceding two goals, both of which were carbon copies of each other, originating from opposite flanks. She could have positioned herself better for both the goals. Received a yellow card too.

Ashalata Devi - 5

The Indian captain had a challenging first half, appearing somewhat disoriented. Ashalata Devi was substituted shortly after half-time. Received a yellow card as well.

Shilky Devi - 5

Shilky Devi appeared perplexed in both halves. She performed well but couldn't significantly assist the team.

Anju Tamang - 6

Anju had some promising moments but couldn't capitalise on them, resulting in a rather lacklustre performance. Substituted in the 72nd minute.

Indumathi Kathiresan - 5

Not a good match for the midfielder. She couldn’t do much both with and without the ball.

Manisha Kalyan - 6

Her dribbling ability was a delight to see at times. But apart from that, the Indian star player couldn't contribute much.

Soumya Guguloth - 6

Soumya had opportunities during the match but couldn't convert them, though her overall performance was strong.

Sanju - 5

She didn't have much luck in the attacking third. At times, her defending seemed a bit disoriented as she was dribbled past a couple of times.

Bala Devi - 6

The forward had a few opportunities but couldn't capitalize on them. More is expected from the stalwart forward!

Ritu Rani - 6

She provided an assist for the lone Indian goal and had a few other moments. Overall, it was a good match for her just like the previous game.

Substitutes

Sangita Basfore - 5.5

The midfielder controlled the tempo of the game to some extent. She created spaces and defended pretty well.

Astam Oraon - 5

Partnered well in midfield, but couldn’t help the team clinch the victory.

Dangmei Grace - 5

Replaced Soumya Guguloth in the 59th minute and tried her best to secure the victory. 

Renu Rani - 5

Brought on in the 72nd minute, she delivered a commendable performance for the Blue Tigresses.

Sandhiya Ranganathan - 7

She scored the only goal for the Indian team.

Vietnam (by Uttiyo Sarkar)

Tran Thi Kim Thanh – 5.0

Sharp and focused in her goalline for the most part, but left embarrassed by Sandhiya for her goal.

Le Thi Diem My – 5.0

Had some trouble against Manisha’s movement and was involved in some miscommunication leading to India’s goal.

Tran Thi Hai Linh – 7.5

Linh was pretty solid against the Indian attackers, using her game-reading ability to stop a lot of attacks. Doubled her side’s lead with a great header!

Luong Thi Thu Thuong – 7.0

A commanding figure in the backline, Luong maintained a really sturdy defensive shape and often came up with clutch clearances.

Nguyen Thi My Anh – 6.5

Anh was an energetic figure on the left, as she was able to neutralize Anju Tamang’s threat and also make supporting forward runs.

Duong Thi Van – 6.0

Duong was pretty composed and reliable in the centre, moving the ball around nicely and also protecting her backline.

Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy – 8.0

The winger was a game-changer for Vietnam and created chaos on the right-hand side. She used her expert crossing ability to set up multiple goals, producing two excellent assists from the wide area.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha – 6.5

A hard-working figure in the middle, Nha put in an admirable shift to help her side stay on top of India for the majority of the game.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung – 7.5

The tricky winger was a menace with her movement and delivered a perfect assist for the opening goal.

Ngan Thi Van Su – 6.5

Van Su helped link up nice attacking moves and kept a nice little tempo when it came to building up attacking moves.

Huynh Nhu – 9.0

The Vietnam captain (literally) led from the front to power her side to an early two-goal lead. Showcased impressive aerial prowess in scoring a powerful header for the opener and left the Indian keeper scurrying with another header hitting the post.  

Substitutes

Tran Thi Duyen – 6.0

Added a bit more defensive steel in the second half.

Pham Hai Yen – 7.5

The striker bullied the Indian defenders with her instinctive nature. Scored a solid header by capitalising on an error and again came close to scoring soon after that.

Nguyen Thi Tuyet Ngan – 6.0

Allowed Vietnam to see through the win. 

Tran Thi Thu - N/R

Came on for the dying moments of the game.