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Mumbai, Masterminded superbly by ace striker Sunil Chhetri, a dominant India scripted a sensational 4-1 win over Puerto Rico in an international football friendly.
India were down 0-1 in the seventh minute with Emmanuel Sanchez scoring off a spot kick, but the hosts, ranked 152, rallied to dominate the visitors, ranked 38 places above them, with some attacking moves. India, who led 3-1 at the half-way stage, scored through Narayan Das (18th minute), Chhetri (26th), Jeje Lalpekhlua (34th) and Jackichand Singh (58th).
Chhetri, who had given away his captain’s armband to Norway-based custodian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu for the game, paved the way for two goals and also struck once to emerge as the star performer for the hosts.
It was India’s fourth straight victory after the 1-2 loss to Turkmenistan in the World Cup qualifiers in Kochi in March early this year.
India, in fact, started the match — the first in Mumbai after six decades — on the wrong foot, conceding a penalty in the seventh minute after Elliot Velez was brought down by Jackichand Singh in the box.
Medio Sanchez utilised the opportunity to beat Indian custodian Sandhu to bulge the bottom right corner of the goal. The hosts could have equalised in the 12th minute but for the rival goalkeeper rushing out and foiling Chhetri before he could take advantage of a fine through from Eugeneson Lyngdoh.
India scored twice with the help of freekicks, Chhetri playing a stellar role in both these strikes. India got a freekick just outside the penalty area following the hacking down of medio Bikash Jairu by a rival defender.
Chhetri curled the ball around the “wall” only to hit the left post, but defender Narayan Das, lurking nearby, pounced on the rebound and struck home, finding the right corner of the goal.
Six minutes later, India got another freekick when Chhetri was brought down by Emmanuel D’Andrea.
This time, however, India’s leading international goalscorer was able to find the back of the net. The side could have been 3-1 up in the 32nd minute had Jeje not ballooned a shot from inside the area over the post after being fed superbly by Jackichand Singh. However, luck and some poor defending by Puerto Rico benefitted the Indians as a high cross from Pritam Kotal was headed towards Jeje by Chhetri and the 25-year-old from Mizoram made no mistake this time, heading the ball from an unmarked position very close to the rival goal.
After the break, a 4-1 cushion was provided by Jackichand, who blasted into the underneath of the cross-piece before his shot went in. He got hold of a misdirected header from Lyngdoh before connecting the volley home. India almost conceded a goal when Sanchez’s powerful shot hit the crossbar.
