Can we overcome the Japan Test….??
The India U-23 football team, on Asian Games duty, will face the formidable Japan today at the Huangpu Sports Center, Guangzhou. Entering the round of 16 after their thumping 4-1win against Singapore, the Indian Colts are high on confidence.
With this pre quarter final berth, Sukwinder Singh’s boys end the 28 years drought of not progressing beyond the Group stage in Asian Games Football. On route to the round of 16, the Indians suffered a 0-2 defeat against Kuwait and went down 1-2 to Qatar before winning against Singapore.
Meanwhile Takashi Sekizuka’s boys topped Group A with a clean 9 points scoring eight goals en-route to their round of 16. The Samurai Blue’s thrash China and Kyrgyzstan by 3-0 goals each and defeated Malaysia by 2-0 goals. The winner will meet either Thailand or Turkmenistan in the Quarter Final.
However speaking to aiff.com yesterday, Coach Sukhwinder Singh sounds positive, not worrying about Japan’s name saying “we are going with the full squad. We are very much aware that we are up against an experienced side, but the boys have performed and played very well in the last three matches and will surely go with much positive approach tomorrow”.
He also added that “There is no underdog in the modern day football and we are not overawed by their name. If we play a combined football with the same spirit what we have shown in the last games, we will certainly give our best shot in tomorrow’s match”.
Going by records, the Indians have an upper edge, being the Champion twice in 1951 (New Delhi) and 1962 (Djakarta) and placed third in 1970 (Bangkok). In contrast the Asian power house has never won an Asian Games. Their runners-up finish to Iran in the Busan 2002 edition has been their best performance till date. On two occasions in 1951 (New Delhi) and 1966 (Bangkok) they won the Bronze.
However things have change drastically over the decades when Japan emerges as the Football powerhouse in Asia and India reduced to a mere football nation. Facing the Japanese will be an escalating task for India but Japan too won’t have an easy ride owing to India’s fighting spirit incorporated lately.
The Match is likely to be telecast Live on Ten Sports at 01:00 PM IST.
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