India vs. Sri Lanka (Group Stage; Match 1)
ArsenalFan700
Reddit13655 Points
What a year it has been for the India national football team. There was some hope for the side after Dutchman Wim Koevermans left the helm and was replaced by Stephen Constantine. After leading the Rwandan national team to a high FIFA ranking, Constantine was looked at as a decent hire by the AIFF in a time in which the national team just needed some stabilization and a kick up the FIFA rankings. That, unfortunately, has not quite happened.
The story of the Englishman's time here can be put down to the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, complaints about lack of camps, and complaints about a lack of PIOs. We have also seen questionable appointments made in the staff department and plenty of player upheaval as India was once again knocked-out of another World Cup qualification campaign.
However, now is the time to put that behind us. India may not be going to a World Cup in 2018 but the Asian Cup in 2019 is not out of our hands yet and with the chance to rub our shoulders against the best in Asia up for grabs what could be a greater potential confidence booster than the SAFF Championship!? In 11 editions of the tournament, India has won the SAFF Championship 5 times! We have proven ourselves to be the best in South Asia before and with the tournament being hosted on home soil, this is India's greatest chance to get that boost they need before heading into 2016, both moral wise and FIFA ranking wise.
The first opponent though for India is Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankans have already began their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Nepal on Wednesday. One of the brightest young talents in the country, Mohamed Rifnas, scored the winner in second half stoppage time to give his side the victory. They will take this as there chance perhaps to top their group and will come out all guns blazing against India. India, meanwhile, will need to put aside all the insider problems occurring in the camp and push themselves on the pitch to see out a victory. We may be without guys like Sandesh Jhingan, Romeo Fernandes, and Mandar Rao Desai, but India should have the talent still to be able to deal with the likes of Sri Lanka, especially after playing alongside some good players in the recently concluded ISL.
Will Sri Lanka come out all guns blazing? Can India play ahead of the problems occurring off the pitch? Will Stephen Constantine prove he has not been a failure of an appointment? For our sake, lets hope.
India vs. Sri Lanka
Group A Standings:
Sri Lanka (3 points, +1 GD)
India (0 points, Have yet to play)
Nepal (0 points, -1 GD)
The story of the Englishman's time here can be put down to the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, complaints about lack of camps, and complaints about a lack of PIOs. We have also seen questionable appointments made in the staff department and plenty of player upheaval as India was once again knocked-out of another World Cup qualification campaign.
However, now is the time to put that behind us. India may not be going to a World Cup in 2018 but the Asian Cup in 2019 is not out of our hands yet and with the chance to rub our shoulders against the best in Asia up for grabs what could be a greater potential confidence booster than the SAFF Championship!? In 11 editions of the tournament, India has won the SAFF Championship 5 times! We have proven ourselves to be the best in South Asia before and with the tournament being hosted on home soil, this is India's greatest chance to get that boost they need before heading into 2016, both moral wise and FIFA ranking wise.
The first opponent though for India is Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankans have already began their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Nepal on Wednesday. One of the brightest young talents in the country, Mohamed Rifnas, scored the winner in second half stoppage time to give his side the victory. They will take this as there chance perhaps to top their group and will come out all guns blazing against India. India, meanwhile, will need to put aside all the insider problems occurring in the camp and push themselves on the pitch to see out a victory. We may be without guys like Sandesh Jhingan, Romeo Fernandes, and Mandar Rao Desai, but India should have the talent still to be able to deal with the likes of Sri Lanka, especially after playing alongside some good players in the recently concluded ISL.
Will Sri Lanka come out all guns blazing? Can India play ahead of the problems occurring off the pitch? Will Stephen Constantine prove he has not been a failure of an appointment? For our sake, lets hope.
India vs. Sri Lanka
Group A Standings:
Sri Lanka (3 points, +1 GD)
India (0 points, Have yet to play)
Nepal (0 points, -1 GD)
and 5 others.
Comments
other teams are a joke,we could beat them with our u19 team