Farukh Choudhary scored a late equaliser as the India senior men’s national team played an inspired second half to hold hosts Vietnam to a 1-1 draw in an international friendly at the Thiên Trường Stadium here on Saturday. Bui Vi Hao had put crowd favourites Vietnam in the lead in the 38th minute, but India pulled back through comeback man Choudhary, who found the net for a 58th-minute goal. The last time Choudhary played for India was on October 10, 2021.
Overall, India produced an all-round performance, with heroics from the defence, the attack, and the midfield. Goalkeeper and skipper Gurpreet Singh put up a stellar performance, which included saving a penalty in the 27th minute. While Vietnam are ranked 116 in the FIFA table, India are 10 places behind them.
Vietnam were on the attack from the starting whistle and were looking to pry open the Indian defence with quick short passes in the attacking third. Hoang Duc and Nguyen Van Toan, the two focal points in the Vietnam attacks, were combining well in their efforts to get behind the Indian defence. Hoang Duc had the first opportunity of the match after Van Toan produced a snaky run before releasing the former, whose left-footed shot went wide.
The Blue Tigers, on the other hand, had fielded five defenders but were not shy of setting up chances on the break for striker Farukh Choudhary. Breaking on the counter just a few minutes later, Lallianzuala Chhangte released Choudhary, who made a swift decoy movement before nutmegging his marker. Once in some space, he fired a left-footer from outside the box, which was saved by Vietnam goalkeeper Nguyen Filip.
India had their hearts on their sleeves when Rahul Bheke brought down Bui Vi Hao as the referee pointed to the spot. Vietnam captain Que Ngoc Hai stepped up, but his shot was easily smothered by Gurpreet’s massive frame.
Buoyed by their captain’s save, India looked to funnel their attacks to Choudhary. In the 27th minute, the 27-year-old stole the ball from Ngoc Hai, played a one-two with Brandon Fernandes, and found himself in a position where he just had to beat the keeper. However, the angle was too acute, and his effort was parried away.
The hosts began to claw their way back into the game, however, enjoying large periods of possession.
The concerted pressure finally paid off in the 38th minute, when a clearance off a Vietnam corner fell to Vi Hao, whose deflected volley was blocked by Gurpreet, but the ball hovered around the goal line before rolling in.
The hosts were content with their lead and slowed the pace of the game in their efforts to get the half-time whistle.
The Blue Tigers came out with waves of attacks in the second half. Chhangte’s low cross from the right was cleared, and Farukh was shoved off the ball after he ran in behind the defence. Despite the pressure on the attacking third, it was an aerial through ball that brought the goal for India. Suresh hung it up behind the defence, as Farukh shrugged off the Vietnam captain before chipping it on the volley over keeper Filip, to put India back on level terms.
The momentum was now with the visitors, who kept using their wings to produce swift counterattacks. Farukh had a golden chance once again when Chhangte chipped it over the Vietnam defence to the former, who tried to spoon it over the onrushing keeper again but missed it by inches.
In the last few minutes, Márquez made a few changes, with Edmund Lalrindika, Liston Colaco, and Vikram Partap Singh replacing Farukh, Fernandes, and Chhangte, respectively. However, towards the closing exchanges, the hosts, buoyed by the 22,000-odd home support, created a few chances, and it took some reflex saves by Gurpreet and a goalline clearance by Anwar Ali to keep them out.
The Blue Tigers had their last chance to steal the victory in the fifth minute of extra time when Colaco was played through on the counter. The forward cut in from the left and let fly, but his effort was blocked.
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