Top three performers from India's 1-1 draw against Vietnam

The Blue Tigers were unable to break the winless spell in Vietnam friendly.

Manolo Márquez-led Indian football team had to settle for a draw with hosts Vietnam in a friendly match in Nam Dinh on Saturday, 12th October. This year, the Blue Tigers have played ten international games, and they are yet to find a single win. This is their fourth game this year, which ended in a draw.

Vietnam started the game with an attacking mindset, with center forward Nguyen Van Toan taking several shots, but failing to find the net.

Referee Choi Hyunjai awarded Vietnam a penalty in the 11th minute after Rahul Bheke fouled Vùi Vĩ Hào. However, Que Ngoc Hai failed to convert the penalty into a goal.

Bui Vi Hao broke the deadlock of the match in the 38th minute, pushing the ball into the net, which deflected off Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s leg. India found the equalizer after comeback hero Farukh Choudhury scored in the 53rd minute for the Blue Tigers.

Both teams attempted to score in the final minutes, with Anwar Ali making a crucial goal-line save to deny Vietnam the second goal in the 82nd minute of the game.

Liston Colaco had a scoring opportunity for India in extra time, but Vietnam’s Van Quyet blocked his shots. Aakash Sangwan, the 28-year-old defender from FC Goa, made his debut for the Indian team in this friendly match.

In this article, we look at the top three performers of the game:

3. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

The Indian custodian gave the first lifeline by saving a penalty in the 11th minute of the game. Gurpreet conceded a goal due to a wicked deflection off Anwar Ali. He tried to block it with his outstretched leg, but it ended up in the net.

A quick, reflexive one-handed save from the skipper in the 78th minute kept India in the game. He was also active in launching counter-attacks, distributing the ball quickly without wasting time.

2. Farukh Chaudhary

The midfielder made his comeback after almost three years. In the first half, Farukh took two shots on target, which Vietnam’s goalkeeper, Nguyen Filip saved. He continued pressing from the start of the second half and eventually found the net for India. Farukh collected a long pass from Suresh Singh, from the midfield and chipped it over the goalkeeper to score.

This was India’s third goal of the year, and the second from open play. In the 63rd minute, if his outstretched foot had connected with the ball, India might have had a chance to win the match.

1. Anwar Ali

Anwar had a solid performance, with the highlight being his goal-line clearance in the 82nd minute, denying Vietnam a potential winner. He stood as a keystone in India’s defence.

It was unlucky for him that a shot from Bui Vin Hao took a deflection off his foot, leading to the goal. Despite that, he performed well, clearing many balls in the defensive half.

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