The India U-19 football team suffered a crushing 0-5 loss to hosts Saudi Arabia in their opening Group D match at the AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers.
The Indian colts were slow off the blocks as the hosts tried to take early advantage, pressurising the Indian midfield to commit mistakes.
The India U19 team pose before their match against Saudi Arabia. Image courtesy: Twitter/@IndianFootball
Dheeraj Singh was called into action as early as the 9th minute when he thwarted a Saudi attack from the flanks. A minute later, the hosts could have taken the lead but Abdullah Alhamaddan failed to net the ball after rounding up Dheeraj.
In the 15th minute, India gifted the lead to Saudi Arabia after Anwar Ali's pass fell to Alhamaddan, who slotted the ball into the net to give the hosts a solitary goal lead.
Pursuing the equaliser, the Indian colts started to look for counter attacks but were held at bay by a stern Saudi defence at the Prince Mohammad bin Fahad Stadium.
Ashis Rai's one-two with Rahul KP resulted into the former finding himself onto goal but Rai could only release a feeble shot unable to trouble the Saudi custodian in the 26th minute.
The hosts kept piling on the pressure on India and kept the Indian colts at distance from their goal as the half-time scoreline read 1-0.
In the 50th minute, Saudi Arabia doubled their lead when Feras Albrikan rounded off an onrushing Dheeraj and scored to make the scoreline read 2-0.
The Indian U-19s pressed to minimise the deficit but could only make it past the Saudi midfield, being held by the Saudi defence.
Coach Luis Norton de Matos introduced Edmund and Amarjit Singh to spice up things but Edmund's shot in the 72nd minute from outside the box was lost as Saudi players defended their box.
Saudi Arabia added another goal in the 75th minute to seal the match after Al-Shahrani blasted the ball into the net, capitalising on a scuffle inside the Indian box.
The hosts piled on the agony on the Indians with another goal with Al Brikan scoring in the 81st minute to make it 4-0. He added another one in the 86th minute to make it 5-0.
The India U-19s face Yemen next on 6 November. They would clash with Turkmenistan on 8 November.
Published Date: Nov 05, 2017 01:06 pm | Updated Date: Nov 05, 2017 01:08 pm
