India earned a 2-1 win against heavyweights Argentina in a COTIF Cup match played in Valencia.
India's
U-20 football team scripted a memorable 2-1 win over traditional
powerhouse Argentina, triggering a wave of celebration among Indians.
The win is made more special by the fact that the Indian team played
with 10 men for more than 40 minutes after Aniket Jadhav earned a red
card in the 58th minute. But, in the end, Deepak Tangri's
fourth-minute goal off a header and Anwar Ali's stunning free-kick in
the 68th minute were enough to earn India a historic win despite
Argentina pulling one goal back.
MATCH
MATHS: This was India's debut participation in the COTIF Cup,
which took place in Valencia this year. Before the Argentina match,
India played two matches -- a loss against Mauritania and a draw
against U-20 Fifa World Cup runners-up Venezuela. Argentina had
already qualified for the semi-finals after winning their first three
games and thus rested a couple of key players.
SQUAD
STRENGTH OF THE OPPONENTS (ARGENTINA):
Coach:
Lionel Scaloni (a 2006 World Cup winner)
Rested
startlets: In-form players Alvaro Barreal amd Adolfo Gaich
The
playing XI: Inter Milan striker Facundo Colidio, having already
scored twice in the tournament, started at no.9. The squad also
included Augustine Almendra,a highly-rated youngster. Francesco Lo
Celso, the younger brother of PSG's Giovani Lo Celso, who plays for
Argentine Primer Division club Rosario Central. Most of the squad
members play in the Argentina First Division with Boca Juniors,
Rosario Central, and San Lorenzo boasting three players each in the
squad.
MOMENTS
IN THE MATCH:
MINUTE
4 -- A lucky goal. India got a corner. Ninthoinganba Meetei swung the
corner-kick that met Deepak Tangri's head. The shot should have been
saved but the Argentinian goalkeeper fumbled the ball into his own
net. INDIA 1-ARGENTINA 0
MINUTE
54 -- India's Aniket Jadhav is flashed the red card for a bad foul.
MINUTE
68 -- In a moment of pure inspiration, India's Anwar Ali curls a
brilliantly struck free-kick that thunders into the underside of the
bar's top right corner and into the net.
MINUTE
72 -- A chip goal by Argentina's Marinelli
No comments:
Post a Comment