Top three Indian players to watch against Uruguay
Ryan Williams will be leading the attack for India once again
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The Indian football team will be going up against the two-time World Cup winners – Uruguay at the VYBK Stadium in Kolkata on Tuesday. India were beaten 4-0 by Brazil on Saturday, whereas the visitors beat South Korea 4-1 in Seoul last Monday.
Khalid Jamil’s side has shown glimpses of brilliance against Panama and Brazil. The Blue Tigers are defending as a whole and are attacking through counter attacks to bombard the opposition with pace. Aside from this, the forward line has also been pressing opposition defenders with the aim to regain possession.
Going into the game against Uruguay, here are the three Indian players that can turn out to be game changers for Khalid Jamil:
Abhishek Singh Tekcham
The 21-year-old went up against Vinicius Junior in the game against Brazil and Abhishek was able to restrict the Real Madrid player from creating chances against the opposition. Yes, Vinicius did get the better of Abhishek in a couple of counter attacks, however, having caught the Brazilian offside on occasions and quiet for most of the game would help further elevate Abhishek’s confidence.
Keeping the Brazil game aside, Abhishek also had a strong showing against Panama in the 1-1 draw last month. The youngster is wise beyond his age and his performances on the field show that the Mohun Bagan player can be relied upon in big games.
Against Uruguay, Abhishek Singh will probably play against Sporting CP’s Maxi Araujo. The Uruguay player scored against Japan and had an assist across his name against South Korea. Hence, Abhishek’s role on Tuesday will matter a lot with respect to the overall score.
Sahal Abdul Samad
Khalid Jamil chose to start Sahal Abdul Samad against Brazil after using him as a substitute in the 1-1 draw against Panama. The Mohun Bagan player completed 2/3 dribbles and had an 87% pass success rate against Brazil.
Sahal’s inclusion helped India have attacking intent against Brazil and the player impressed with his dribbles and flair, showing his confidence and composure on the ball. While Sahal didn’t have any goals or assists to show for his efforts, expect him to start once again on Tuesday.
The former Kerala Blasters player will be an important cog in the Indian midfield given that Uruguay’s defence and midfield be compact when India has the ball. If Sahal combines well in counter attacks with Manvir and Ryan, it could help India get on the scoresheet against the South American giants.
Ryan Williams
Ryan Williams has taken over the attacking mantle of the Indian football team from his Bengaluru FC teammate and Indian football legend – Sunil Chhetri. The 32-year-old scored against Panama in the 1-1 draw last month.
Against Brazil, Ryan Williams had two shots on target and one of his efforts was eventually cleared on the goalline by the defender. Apart from taking shots, Ryan also made four recoveries and won three ground duels against the Brazilian defenders.
The forward seems to be creating a long-term attacking partnership with Manvir Singh and a goal against Uruguay would help the duo gain much needed confidence. India lacked swiftness in making the most of their chances in attack and this is something that Ryan Williams would have to work on.
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