U-23 Tri-Nation International Friendly: Three things we learned from India's campaign

India U-23 lost to Tajikistan U-23 in the finals of the tournament.

The Indian U-23 men’s national team had a fantastic opportunity to win a trophy in front of their home supporters in Arunachal Pradesh when they faced Tajikistan in the final of the U-23 Tri-Nation International Friendly. However, they squandered the opportunity, losing 1-0 and missing out on an occasion for celebration in front of their home supporters.

The opposition took an early lead when Khaitov Azizbek’s long-range drive rebounded off Pramveer and into the net, giving Mohanraj little chance in goal. Despite their early advantage, the young Blue Tigers pushed for an equaliser. Still, they were unable to score, missing many opportunities due to poor finishing or poor decisions in the final third.

While the hosts pushed forward, Tajikistan had several counterattacking opportunities but lacked finishing precision, resulting in just a 1-0 victory for the latter. Despite winning the first game 5-0, Naushad Moosa’s team had to watch Tajikistan lift the championship after losing this game.

While the campaign finished disappointingly, there were many positives and, of course, difficult lessons for the Indian U-23 team from the March international window. Let’s take a look at three key takeaways from Naushad Moosa’s side’s performances in Arunachal Pradesh.

New faces seize their chance in Moosa’s setup

When Naushad Moosa announced the squad for the tournament, there were a couple of key players, including Vibin Mohanan, Aimen, Parthib Gogoi, Muhammad Suhail (injured), Bikash Yuman (injured), and Korou Singh (unavailable), who were left out of the squad for various reasons. The new squad had five players who were called up for the very first time, while a few players had played just a few minutes here and there in the past.

However, in the absence of players who had previously performed well for Naushad Moosa’s side, these newcomers stood up. Ajsal came up with a goal against Bhutan, & Tomba Singh established himself as one of the team’s most capable midfielders with performances against Bhutan and Tajikistan. Lalthankima and Adison Singh, the Mohammedan duo, seemed a dangerous tandem on the wings because of their directness and trickery.

Ronney, who made his debut in the previous window against Thailand, delivered a fantastic performance against Tajikistan in the final, while Ebindas showed promising signs in the first game. Overall, it appears that an increasing number of young people are eager to show themselves at the national level despite the limited opportunities available, which is a fantastic sight to see for every Indian football fan.

Struggle against physically superior teams continue

While the first game against Bhutan was a cakewalk for Naushad Moosa’s team, despite a dismal first half in which they failed to put on their scoring boots, the second game against Tajikistan was a wake-up call for both the coach and the players in a number of ways.

Coming up against a physically tough Tajikistan team, several Indian players struggled to match the opposition’s physicality and frequently lost 50/50 scenarios that they would typically win. The defenders, notably Pramveer and Ronny, struggled at first but improved as the game went on.

Not only were the players physically challenged, but they also struggled to adjust to Tajikistan’s rhythm and speed. Many late challenges resulted in fouls, and the players, particularly the wingers, struggled to get past their defenders, as they did against Bhutan. The midfielders, too, struggled to sustain possession of the ball while gradually building attacks from the centre of the pitch.

How can India improve against such teams? The most apparent remedy would be to play more games against better, higher-ranked clubs. However, in order to get to the NT camp in the optimal physical state in terms of fitness, these players must first play consistently for their clubs. But these players are now exclusively playing for the national team and seldom have opportunities at the club level.

Mohanraj makes a strong case for No 1 position

For over a year, Naushad Moosa has been unable to put down a marker on someone and declare him the first-choice goalkeeper of the Indian U-23 team. Sahil Poonia had already been given opportunities, Priyansh Dubey has featured every time he arrived at the camp, and Dipesh Chauhan has also been given the opportunity to express himself.

However, after Mohanraj’s performance against Tajikistan, Naushad Moosa will find it difficult to look past the 21-year-old goalkeeper for the starting spot. The Chennaiyin FC goalkeeper, who is presently on loan at SC Goa, displayed a fantastic performance, and the result would have been much worse without him.

He was summoned to extend his reflexes on several instances, and he performed magnificently in all of them. He even made a few excellent stops in one-on-one scenarios to keep the Indian team in the game. Mohan, who is on loan with an I-League 2 team, may have the benefit of playing more minutes than his teammates, who remain on the bench waiting for opportunities.

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