Ranking does matter, no doubt about that. India played much worse than their rank suggests -- you would think India are around 165. The players looked unsure, slow, rusty, and even scared. That is because we are not accustomed to play international matches, that too on foreign soil.
More important is to play regularly, against varied opponents, varied venues so that a friendly becomes another-day-in-the-office for the players. They wont get overwhelmed by the occasion.Till then, it will be face saving outing for AIFF and job-saving for the coach.
Also this was a first outing in 7 months. so no match practice as a team, hence rusty co-ordination.Friendly is played for these reasons exactly, to get the team gel well. Also I am not sure if India had the prior experience of playing such vast away crowd before. I think performance will improve from next match,since team will have spent more time together.
Its good that we are playing friendlies before qualifiers. but one more friendly should have been there before Kyrgyzstan apart from Lebanon.
September date is too close to Reliance Sports private unrecognised League. AIFF will not disturb that. Kushal Das will come up with some other theory like last year Ranking Theory to not play Friendly that close to it.
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so dont care. But thanks for your efforts
More important is to play regularly, against varied opponents, varied venues so that a friendly becomes another-day-in-the-office for the players. They wont get overwhelmed by the occasion.Till then, it will be face saving outing for AIFF and job-saving for the coach.
Its good that we are playing friendlies before qualifiers. but one more friendly should have been there before Kyrgyzstan apart from Lebanon.
this is a golden time,if we can string 3 wins will push india into less than 100 and you get in better cycle.