Published By: Ritayan Basu
Last Updated: March 27, 2023, 15:15 IST
Indian males’s soccer group’s Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (AIFF)
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has been in the Indian males’s soccer group setup for 13 years now
Less than 24 hours after struggling a defeat in the gruelling last of the Indian Super League 2022-23, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was on the aircraft to Kolkata to be a part of the National Team camp for the Tri-Nation meet in Imphal.
“It’s obviously difficult to play after losing the final. There are no two ways about it,” he mentioned. “But when it’s about the National Team, you’re always eager to come back. You want to get up, go again, and play the next game as soon as possible because that’s the best way to forget about the past game,” he added.
Gurpreet has been in the nationwide setup for 13 years now and is getting ready for what could be his third AFC Asian Cup last spherical marketing campaign subsequent yr. The Indian custodian believes utilising every worldwide break shall be key. The Tri-Nation International Football Tournament is the first step going ahead, and the Indian males’s soccer group received off to an excellent begin with a 1-0 victory over Myanmar on Wednesday.
“Rankings are a bit deceiving because Myanmar are a difficult team to play against. But we are experienced enough to not take teams like these lightly.
“Of course, we know there are plenty of things we’ve got to improve, but playing in a new city, a new stadium, keeping a clean sheet and winning in front of home fans was very crucial. Although I did not play, I could feel the excitement,” Gurpreet mentioned.
Like many gamers in the Indian squad, it was Gurpreet’s first expertise in Imphal, one which left him amazed. “I absolutely loved the fans. I heard a lot about the passion for football here from the Manipuri players. It’s a great honour to come here. It was wonderful seeing the stadium packed two hours before kick-off. That’s what you play for,” he added, hoping for extra of the similar on Tuesday.
India’s subsequent opponents Kyrgyz Republic had been made to work onerous by Myanmar in Saturday’s 1-1 draw, which led Gurpreet to observe, “There isn’t a big difference between the two sides. Myanmar were at par with them for the majority of the game. For us, being physical and compact will be beneficial. We need to have very good ball skills, keep the ball and pass it well.”
Gurpreet does have a good thought about the Kyrgyz facet after going through them twice in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. Going by these encounters, he expects a stiff battle. “We had a couple of close and nail-biting games against them. Our 1-0 home win against them was one of my best games with the National Team. They had, and still have, very good attacking players who can play the ball.”
By the time India travelled to face the Kyrgyz Republic in the away fixture, the Indian males’s soccer group had already certified for the Asian Cup. But it was one among Gurpreet’s most memorable studying experiences. “We lost the away match against them, but it was a very respectable game. We went at each other throughout the 90 minutes. We didn’t have Sunil bhai in that match and were 0-2 down at half-time. Jeje pulled one back, and we were very close to getting the equaliser too. We did well as a team and stuck together,” he shared.
Some may feel a goalkeeper is usually the most isolated player on the pitch, but it does come with a big advantage – being able to view the entire field. Good communication, as such, is one of the underrated aspects of a custodian.
“As a goalkeeper, it’s all about communication with your teammates, no matter the opposition,” Gurpreet mentioned. “Against weaker sides, there’s less involvement, but we always need to be sharp. In 50-50 games, we are more involved, and I always think that the ball will come to me, so I need to be in the best possible scenario, make a save, a collection, pick out my teammates and remain concentrated.”
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