A league that was expected to be easier after their splendid debut with a 3-0 win against lackluster Chennai City FC, Indian Arrows have slumped to three consecutive defeats against tough outfits such as Minerva Punjab (both home and away) and Gokulam Kerala FC in the I-league. Now the challenge is going to be monumental as the teenagers take on big boys Shillong lajong at the Dr Ambedkar Stadium on Tuesday.
An apparent weakness — surmised by many — that became evident after a brace from an imposing William Opoku for league-leaders Minerva Punjab in a 2-0 win, luis Norton de Matos-coached boys can be tamed using physical superiority.
It has been a common occurrence since then as the Arrows were bullied by aggressive, towering and physical players of every club they played. Whether it's Opoku or Khaled Alsah and Daniel Addo (of Gokulam), the home-side had no solution to deal with the muscular strength of these foreign players.
Arrows' assistant coach Pinto also admitted physicality of other teams has been an issue but he felt this is the best group of boys capable of absorbing such adversity and move forward.
"Yes it has been an issue, and such experience is mostly required. They would love to play any opponent on a given day, be it lajong or Mohun Bagan. Trust me, they're the toughest bunch of boys which I've worked with so far. They've endured a lot and they're learning every day."
In last three matches, Arrows have shown composure and kept things tight at the back by defending in numbers. But have conceded three of their five goals from dead-ball situations.
Despite giving away goals, the team have always reacted positively and have showed intent to get back into the game. The presence of players such as Aniket Jadhav, KP Rahul and Ninthoinganba Meetei on wings have provided that thrust the side needed to get inside the opponent's box and trouble the shot-stopper but lack of precision have seen those chances gone begging.
"We are aware of earlier defeats but if you see our matches, our opponents could not run a riot against us. Yes, we conceded silly goals which cost us the matches but they have been very closely-fought contests until now…. We haven't taken the chances thrown at us and we are working on that," said the former under-19 Indian team coach.
Arrows, which mostly incorporates the squad from the under-17 World Cup, have added few under-19 players in their squad. And two of them — Edmund lalrindika (striker) and Deepak Tangri (centre-back) have turned into a vital cog of coach Matos' side. lalrindika's pace and trickery often helps in providing the individual brilliance that the side lacked in the World Cup. Whereas, Tangri's ability to provide diagonal crosses and long passes fulfills the inadequacies of creativity from the back.
Shillong lajong, on the other hand, have a resemblance when compared with their teenage opponents; the Meghalaya side consisting of 13 players from under-22 category. They have always led emphasis on developing players from the NorthEast regions through their academies and that reflects on the coach Bobby Nongbet's current squad.
Spearheaded by 19-year-old Samuel lalmuanpuia, the club has had a decent outing in the I-league season so far. Sitting fourth on the table with 10 points (3 points away from Minerva), the Shillong-based club have showcased slick performances in majority of their matches — barring 5-1 drubbing against East Bengal in a rain-drenched match.
Coach Nonbgbet-led side harshly lost their last game — NorthEast Derby — against Manipur's NEROCA through a solitary goal by Subhash Singh after missing majority of the best chances. The side will be desperate to get back into scheme of things and keep chasing Minerva at the top.
"We were the better team on the pitch but unfortunately we ended up on the losing side. It happens in football and you have to move on. We're here and were thinking nothing less than a win tomorrow," Nongbet made it clear.
The Reds’ work will be cut out on Tuesday as skipper lalmuanpuia is unavailable for the match owing to an injury.