Hero Intercontinental Cup 2019 Full-Time: India 2-4 Tajikistan

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2-4

4', 41' Chhetri            56' Tursunov                                      58' Boboev                                        71' Rahimov                                75' Samiev

 

A game of two halves which ended with a stark reality check for Igor Stimac. In his first game in India, he sees his unfit side succumb to an embarrassing loss. One could debate what could've been had Sunil Chhetri scored the sitter, but the visitors were on another level in the second half. They posed all the questions from India's defence and their tenacity earned them a dominant win. Many doubts are raised on the viability of India's new-look defence and even Gurpreet Singh Sandhu's effectiveness in goal. As Usmon Toshev gains his first win as Tajikistan boss, India are left with a mountain to climb in the remaining matches. We'll be back with action when the Blue Tigers take on DPR Korea on Saturday. This is Uttiyo Sarkar signing off for Khel Now and Good Night, Ladies and Gentlemen! 

90+3 The Blue Tigers look for a final push by sending Jerry Lalrinzuala through the left, but a poor pass is barely kept off from going out by the youngster. The corresponding throw-in is the final one of the match, which ends with a delightful roar from the Tajikistan dug-out. 

90+2 The visitors make their final substitution, with Tursunov going off for Otabek Karimov. 

90+1 Three minutes of added time is announced. Tajikistan try for one more, before Samiev lose possession and in a battle with Vinit Rai manages to get the Delhi Dynamos youngster booked with a silly show of aggresion. 

90' The visitors are more than happy to keep the ball and play it amongst themselves right now. Justin is trying to close them out, but isn't really inspiring the same enthusiasm from his tired team-mates. 

88' CLOSE! Tajikistan almost have their number five, as Solehov sends Samiev through the left. He beats Narender and tucks it to Boboev, whose shot is cleared just yards off the line by Lalrinzuala to save humiliation. Meanwhile, Jobby Justin makes his national team debut, replacing Chhetri. 

86' The visitors do well to create another chance down the left, with Solehov driving through before Bheke does well to send the ball out for a corner, which is eventually wasted. 

83' Thapa is substituted with Farukh Choudhary coming in to add a more potent attacking bite. Do you think India can pull things back? Sound off in the comments below.

82' Adil Khan gets booked for a blatant handball which sums up his disappointing second-half performance as well. 

81' CLOSE! Jerry does well to blaze through the left and send in an inviting cross, which eventually finds its way to Chhetri, who lays it for Borges' shot to go straight to Rustam Yatimov. 

79' Sahal goes down after doing his hamstring and is substituted, with Rowllin Borges coming on for him. The visitors also make their final substitution, with Amiribiek Juraboev being replaced with Karomatullo Saidov. 

78' The Blue Tigers are quite clearly exhausted and unable to close down Tajikistan as they did. The visitors are having fun and even attempt a cheeky long-shot which is collected by Gurpreet. 

75' ANOTHER ONE FOR TAJIKISTAN! India's defence is caught in sixes and sevens yet again, as Ehsoni's dinking ball is slotted into the net by substitute Samiev. 2-4!

72' The goal-scorer Rahimov is taken off after his strike, with Sharafjon Solehov coming in for him instead. 

71' GOALL! TAJIKISTAN COMPLETE THE COMEBACK! Narender is unable to clear the ball in the middle, allowing Rahimov to burst past Adil and slot in a blazing shot through Gurpreet to get his side into the lead. 2-3!

68' CHANCE! Sahal plays a wonderful long-ball to Udanta, who plays a clever one-two with Thapa before sending in an inviting ball to the onrushing Samad, who's shot goes over the goal. 

66' The TransStadia has gone a bit quiet after the double trouble from the visitors in the recent few minutes. However, some are looking to raise their voices and give more energy to the players to get the decisive winner.

63' The Blue Tigers look a bit taken aback by that unexpected storm. Tajikistan create another glorious chance when Boboev is sent through on goal, as he goes past Adil and hits a strike which is barely saved by Gurpreet to the side-netting. Meanwhile, the visitors make a change as Barotov is replaced by Nozim Babadzhanov. 

60' Igor Stimac is forced to make a change, as Mandar is taken off and Jerry Lalrinzuala is brought it to change things up. 

58' GOAL! TAJIKISTAN LEVEL THE GAME! Tursunov does really well to get into space through the right, before sending in a brilliant ball which goes past Narender and Adil, before Boboev skies past in the back-post to tuck it in! 2-2!

57' WHAT A CHANCE! The Blue Tigers attempt for an instant response as Udanta darts through the right before sending in a glorious low-ball to Chhetri, who puts his shot well over from short-range. Wasted opportunity for a hattrick!

56' GOAL! Tajikistan pull one back. Ehsoni does really well to send Komron Tursunov through on goal. After having his first shot saved, his second attempt sails into the goal. 2-1! 

54' Tajikistan are struggling to break open India's defence and Nazarov is forced to take a long-shot which Adil again sends away for a corner 

51' Beautiful movement again. The Blue Tigers conjure up another terrorizing counter-attack, with Chhetri sending Sahal through with a delicate back-heel. However, the midfielder is a bit harried with his movement and plays a poor pass trying to find Udanta on the right. 

49' Scuffed chance! A beautiful through-ball from Sahal sends Thapa through the middle. However, despite some good skill, his decision to pass the ball allows Tajikistan to intercept it and clear it out of danger. 

46' The second-half kicks off! Tajikistan are moving from the left to right now. But it's India who recover possession and Chhangte blazes past defenders through the left, but his final delivery is a poor one 

09:03 PM: A change has been made as Vinit Rai comes in for Amarjit Singh. 

09:02 PM: Our Correspondent Waseem Zaidi's half-time Indian player ratings.

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu - 5.0 Rahul Bheke - 6.0 Adil Khan - 6.5 Narender Gahlot - 4.5 Mandar Dessai - 6.0 Sahal Abdul - 6.5 Anirudh Thapa - 6.5 Amarjit Singh - 6.0 Lallianzuala Chhangte - 6.0 Udanta Singh - 5.5 Sunil Chhetri - 7.5.

HALF-TIME ANALYSIS: Igor Stimac must be a happy man going into the break with a comfortable lead. The Blue Tigers were ruthless in the counter-attack, using Udanta and Chhangte's pace to unnerve a young Tajikistan side. While the visitors have pressed and caused problems for India's inexperienced defence with their movement, it's Sunil Chhetri's brace which has been decisive so far. The captain fantastic has moved onto 70 International Goals and is looking for another hattrick. Stimac must want his side to dominate possession more compellingly, while the visitors will come all guns blazing to get something out of this game. Second-half action in just a bit. Stay tuned, Ladies and Gentlemen! 

45+1' An ambitious attempt is taken from a long range by Tajikistan which flies over Gurpreet's goal to end the half. 

45' 1 minute of added time is announced as Tajikistan scurry to get one back before the break. 

44' Tajkistan look a bit rattled with that surprising goal. They win back possession again inside the opposition half, but run out of options going forward and Ehsoni's frail shot only goes wide. 

41' GOALL!!! CHHETRI DOUBLES THE LEAD! The move was intially started when Udanta is sent free on the right, but his delivery was poor. However, Chhangte was clever in finding the overlapping Mandar, who found his captain inside the box and Chhetri flicked in the ball with a clever toe-poke. 2-0!

40' Looking back at it, Adil might've been lucky not concede a penalt with that challenge. Thankfully there's no VAR to ascertain the decision, but the on-fire defender needs to calm his nerves with his work in around the penalty area. 

37' The birthday boy Adil is all over in the defence to steer off any danger for India. He does brilliantly to clear Barotov's corner with an acrobatic effort, and saves Gurpreet's blushes by bringing down Rahimov with a thumping challenge to clearn things out of danger. 

35' Tense moments again. Another long-ball is flung into India's box, but Adil does well to keep Boboev at bay. However, Gurpreet almost embarrass himself by scuffing an easy collection, but safes his reputation by eventually holding onto it. 

34' Adil Khan again displays his dominance in defence, flooring Boboev with a thumping header to prove his aerial prowess. The Tajikistan striker eventually gets back to his feet, albeit a bit trifled. 

31' Bit uncomfortable moment for India there. Ehsoni sends in another inviting ball through a free-kick which is headed away by Adil initially. However, the second clearance ricochets off Narender, but goes over Gurpreet's goal for a corner. 

29' Panshanbe Ehsoni takes the free-kick and his impressive attempt goes straight to Gurpreet, who holds onto it in the second attempt. The counter-attack is scuffed in the last moment by a weak pass from Chhetri. 

27' Boboev does well to intercept the ball inside India's half and goes forward before being brought down by Thapa. Lucky to avoid a yellow there!

25' The Blue Tigers again show intent in winning back the ball outside Tajikistan's box. A flurry of sweet passes eventually finds itself to Rahul Bheke on the right, as the right-back flings across to team-mate Chhetri, whose header goes straight to the goalkeeper. Impressive link-up play!

23' Mandar suffers a slight knock and goes down as a result. However, he looks to be fine and is being pried with magic spray to help him come onto the field. 

22' The Blue Tigers still have work to do in order to control the game better. Tajikistan have enjoyed the lions share of possession so far, recording 58% possession as compared to India's 42%. Igor Stimac must demand better from his players in controlling possession. 

20' Set-pieces are going to be a worry for India in this game. Tajikistan get another corner which is flung in to Siyovush Asrorov, whose weak header goes wide. 

18' BIG CHANCE FOR TAJIKISTAN! A long-ball is flung forward, but Narender Galot completely misjudges the ball's bounce, allowing Ilhomjon Barotov to steer clear on goal. However, his shot is a poor one and goes just wide of the target. 

15' Tajikistan captain Akhtam Nazarov looks to create something with a cheeky rabona pass, but Thapa does well to recover possession again inside the box. The Chennaiyin FC man looks energetic as ever today. 

13' The Blue Tigers again show impressive tenacity to win the ball in the middle, with Sahal and Udanta ganging up to win the box. They play a sleeky one-touch passing before the ball is sent out for a throw-in. 

11' CLOSE! India kick-starts a venomous counter-attack as Udanta is set free to sprint through the right. However, he isn't able to find Chhetri in the far-post and sees his attempt go out for a corner. 

10' The Blue Tigers lose the ball in their own half thanks to Tajikistan's intense pressing. However, Adil Khan does well to win the ball and charge it for a corner. 

8' The visitors look to have targetted moving through the left. Rahimov's the man being pinged with passes forward, but Bheke's receiving some help from his midfielders to avert the danger. 

5' Tajikistan almost come up with an instant response! Muhammadjon Rahimov goes past Bhekea and puts in an inviting cross, but Sherridin Boboev's header goes over. 

4' CHHETRI SCORES! A cheeky Panenka penalty from the captain cool, who nets his 69th international goal to put his side in the lead. 1-0! 

3' PENALTY FOR INDIA! Lalrinzuala Chhangte wins the ball in the middle, before Sahal Abdul Samad flicks past in midfield before sending Mandar Rao Dessai forward. He plays it to Chhangte who is brought down in the box. 

1' AND WE KICKOFF! India get the Intercontinental Cup going, attacking from the left to right. 

7:55 PM: The fans are making their voices heard and our correspondent Rutvij Joshi states the chants are defeaning in the TransStadia Arena for Igor Stimac's first game in India. The teams are making their way into the field and will now go through the pre-match rituals. Kick-off in a few minutes folks!

7:50 PM: Most of Tajikistan's players play their trades domestically for the Tajik League's reigning champions FC Istiklol. They might've suffered barren run in the international circuit in 2019, but Usmon Toshev's men will not be any pushovers and definitely take the Blue Tigers to the very limit. 

7:45 PM: In what comes as some worrying news, Anas Edathodika and Pronay Halder have been ruled out of the Intercontinental Cup. Pronay suffered an injury heading into the first game, while Anas' set-back is still not confirmed. Regardless, it must come an unecessary headache for Stimac to lose his two senior figures. 

⚠️ UPDATE ⚠️@anasedathodika and Pronay Halder (injured) has been ruled out of the @IndianFootball ???????? #HeroIC squad.#IndianFootball #INDTJK #BackTheBlue #BlueTigers???? AIFF Media pic.twitter.com/XpZZQURBDB

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) July 7, 2019

 

7:40 PM: The players are going through with their rigorous pre-match training sessions. Our correspondent Rutvij Joshi says that the players are undergoing stern spriting drills and doing rondo sessions in particular. Perhaps a bombastic start is awaiting us? Do you think India will score an early goal? Sound off in the comments below..

7:35 PM: The Stimac effect has also had a positive impact on the fans in Ahmedabad. Many are flocking in to watch their national heroes play. Our man at the stadium, Rutvij Joshi, says the stands are filling in slowly and about 9,000 tickets are sold out!

7:30 PM: The fans are definitely having a delight outside the stadium and made their voices felt hours before the game. 

7:25 PM: Igor Stimac keeps up his tradition to handing debuts on a flyer, with Narendra Singh and Mandar Rao Dessai making their national team bows in the game. It seems like an attacking 4-3-3 formation, with captain fantastic Sunil Chhetri leading the line like usual.  For Tajikistan, influential midfielder Parvizdzhon Umarbayev misses the tie, while young striker Shahrom Samiyev starts from the bench. 

7:20 PM: AND THE STARTING LINEUPS ARE IN!India XI: Gurpreet, Bheke, Narendra, Khan, Mandar, Sahal, Amarjit, Thapa, Udanta, Chhangte, Chhetri(C)Subs: Amrinder, Kamaljit, Bose, Jhingan, Lalrinzuala, Kotal, Rai, Brandon, Rowllin, Justin, Farukh, Manvir. 

Tajikistan XI: Yatimov(C), Dzhaililov, Asrorov, Tabrezi, Nazarov, Juraboev(C), I. Barotov, Ehsoni, Rahimov, Tursunov, Boboev. 

Subs: Shohrukh, Dzhuraboev, Kamirov, A. Barotov, Solehov, Babadzhanov, Yodgorov, Saidov, Samiev, Maladutsov. 

7:15 PM: The Croatian gaffer's chosen a relatively young squad himself, continuing his tradition of giving youngsters opportunities to shine for their national team. Will Jobby Justin or Mandar Rao Dessai get their national team debuts today? Team news will be coming in a bit. 

7:10 PM: The Blue Tigers have only won one game out of the four faced against Tajikistan in the past. Igor Stimac will definitely want to improve that record and start on the right foot by ousting a relatively younger opposition side. 

7:05 PM: It's the first ever time the TransStadia Arena will host an international game and the faithful in Ahmedabad look pumped for it. Our man at the stadium, Rutvij Joshi, says that 8,500 tickets have been sold for this game out of the 10,000 which were initially put on sale. 

Also Read:  We are on our way to become a strong force in Asia- Igor Stimac

[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]

7:00 PM- Hello everyone! It is a wonderful atmosphere at the EKA Arena by TransStadia in Ahmedabad and the Indian National Team is all set to face Tajikistan in their opening game of the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2019. The weather is near to perfect and spectators are coming in to experience the game. This is your host Uttiyo Sarkar, and I hope you enjoy the game with me.

Match Preview: India vs Tajikistan: Curtain raiser to preparations for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers