Chhetri takes on Man United

KOLKATA: Twenty one minutes might not be a lot to stamp his class on a match, but that was enough for Sunil Chhetri to herald a giant step in Indian football on Sunday.
The striker, wearing the Kansas City Wizards jersey, made history at the New Arrowheads Stadium in Missouri when he became only the second Indian footballer to play against the mighty Manchester United. India captain Baichung Bhutia represented FC Bury against the Red Devils in 2001.
On Sunday, Chhetri came out as a 69th-minute substitute and stayed loyal to his coach Peter Vermes’ strategy of pulling off a remarkable 2-1 win over Alex Ferguson’s side in the pre-season friendly.
This was the Wizards’ first-ever victory against the English giants and the visitors’ first defeat during their ongoing pre-season tour of North America. Chhetri might have played a small role in his team’s momentous achievement but Bhutia was all praise for his teammate.
"It’s a marvellous feat for Sunil and I wish him luck in future games as well. More than playing against Manchester United, I’m happy for the fact that he is getting recognition in the Major League Soccer, which is a fast-growing league in the world," Bhutia told TOI on Monday.
"Sunil is a very talented and hardworking player. And I believe he is capable of showcasing his class and talent at the MLS," he added. In front of 52,000 fans at the New Arrowheads, the Wizards took the lead in the 11th minute through midfielder Davy Arnaud. However, Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad was controversially given a red card for a sliding tackle on United striker Dimitar Berbatov inside the box.
The Bulgarian international converted the resultant penalty to bring things on level terms in the 41st minute. The hosts, however, took the decisive lead the very next minute when Kei Kamara headed in following Ryan Smith’s flag-kick.
Ferguson decided to field a relatively young side, with goalkeeper Benjamin Amos, Ritchie De Laet and Mame Biram Diouf lining up along with veterans like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Berbatov. With the Wizards down to 10 men and dropping back to defend the lead, Chhetri often cut a lonely figure upfront. However, he had two clear shots on the goal.
Bhutia said that the match would mark a new beginning in Chhetri’s MLS career. "He should aim for earning a place in the first XI more regularly. He has it in him to fight against the odds and I sincerely believe he will soon find himself on the scoring chart frequently," the veteran striker pointed out.
Former India forward and coach Subhas Bhowmick talked in similar vein. "The picture of Sunil playing a friendly against Manchester United is definitely a proud moment for Indian football. But I would like to see him breaking into the first team regularly," Bhowmick remarked.
Indian players are currently undergoing a camp in Portugal in preparation for next year’s Asian Cup. While injured Bhutia is recuperating here, national coach Bob Houghton has made an exception for Chhetri who will join the camp later.
With Chhetri playing in the MLS and the likes of Subrata Paul and Gourmangi Singh going for trials abroad, Indian football suddenly seems to be headed in the right direction. Bhutia, however, doesn’t want to get carried away.
"Our biggest challenge is the Asian Cup, where we will be pitted against South Korea, Australia and Bahrain. The whole world will be watching us. If we perform well, the doors to overseas leagues will automatically open."