FIFA Friendlies: Indian women's team ready for round two against Uzbekistan

Bengaluru, June 2 (IANS) Regrouped and refreshed after their 0-1 defeat against Uzbekistan in the first of their two FIFA Women’s International Friendlies, the senior Indian women’s national team is gearing up for Round 2 against the White Wolves.

The Blue Tigresses face Uzbekistan in the second friendly at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru, on Tuesday (June 3), with the kick-off slated for 16.30 IST. The match will be streamed live on the Indian Football YouTube channel.

India head coach Crispin Chettri, who dished out debuts to three players in the first match (Manisha Naik, Malavika P., and Priyadharshini Selladurai), expressed his desire to continue in the same experimental vein for the second match as well.

“Both these matches are completely experimental for us. Giving chances to new players and seeing their mindset at this level is of paramount importance,” said Chettri. “Maybe we could experiment with a certain change in the system as well, but the core philosophy will remain the same.

“We must maintain composure, and not just kick the ball and hope things will happen.”

Chettri was all praises for India’s opponents on the eve of the match. “They are quite good, both physically and technically. All the players are technically aware of their responsibilities, and are very good at set-pieces, be it corners, free-kicks, or throw-ins.”

“We can’t make too many changes in such a short time, but we’ve worked on a few things that we were lacking,” he said.

India midfielder Sangita Basfore is confident that the Blue Tigresses are up for the challenge. “We were all upset after the loss in the last game because we knew we had the potential to win. But we learned some valuable lessons, and the girls are determined not to repeat the same mistakes,” said Sangita.

“I personally feel mentally refreshed and ready for the next challenge. I’m confident that we will set up and perform better in the next game,” she added.

Uzbekistan head coach Kotryna Kulbytė was pleased to see her training routines come through in the first match. “First of all, a victory is a victory. Every win must be earned on the pitch, and I truly believe that the players deserved this one. I was especially pleased to see some of the tactical movements we’ve been working on in training come through in the match. Of course, we still need to improve in a lot of areas, but that’s all a part of the process,” she said.

The Uzbekistan head coach complimented the Blue Tigresses on setting up a strong team, even though they are currently undergoing a change of guard.

“They have a number of young players with significant potential. You can see that there’s a new generation coming through with a lot of talent,” she said. “They are particularly dangerous while transitioning into attack. Their counter-attacking game is quick and sharp.”

Uzbekistan forward Lyudmila Karachik expressed her eagerness at the opportunity to test herself against quality opponents.

“This is an excellent opportunity to test yourself. These matches often bring a different rhythm and demand quicker decision-making. The pace is faster, the physicality is different, and small mistakes are punished quickly. So it’s always a valuable experience,” she said.

--IANS

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