Jamshedpur (UNI)-
Strong contender Iran moved into the finals, going pass India TFA Blue (2-1)
with the help of an injury-time goal in the JRD Tata Cup International
Invitatioinal Football Tournament (U-19) at the JRD Tata Sports complex here
today.
With today's win, India TFA White's hope to earn the final berth was dashed.
A draw would have taken the Stephen Constantine's side into the final. Now
Iran, who had five points before the match, bagged eight points from four
matches while TFA White lagged behind by a solitary point.
Keeping the tradition of the Indian teams in this tournament, the
rejuvenated India TFA Blue played attacking football, creating umpteen
opportunites and finally missing the target.
In the first half TFA blue striker Lalampuia missed an open net.
Taking advantage of a serious defensive lapse, Iran captain Milad Nori
tapped a ball from the midfield and gave a measured pass to the advancing
striker Milad Midavoodi, who chipped the ball home over goal keeper
Subhasish Roy Chowdhury in the 31st minute (1-0).
Iran could not increase the tally till the breather, despite mounting
pressure on the TFA blue side.
The second half saw many ups and downs as the India TFA Blue came with
vengeance. Constatine, replaced as the Blue team's coach in place of
Satheevan Balan, who was sick today, made one change by dropping striker
Lalampuia with S Kuttimanni to sharpen the attack.
In the later half of the second half, the Blue team tried desparately for
the much-needed equaliser, which they get in the 83rd minutes of play when
captain Lekini Suiting, who sweated hard in the midfield, collected the ball
from the midfield and passed the ball in the left and overlapping defender
Sumit Thapa tapped the ball to romp home with the help of powerful left
footer in the 83rd minutes (1-1). |