India will be looking for early lead

MARGAO, October 29: It was a strange twist of fate. Goa was not supposed to watch its favourite son Samir Naik making a rare start in international football.
But then rain and poor ground took the match away from Chennai and the Dempo sideback is ready to have a go at Lebanon at his own den. "Last start?" the affable Dempo sideback pondered over the question."Probably against Saudi Arabia in Kolkata," he mumbled.
That was incidentally Bob Houghton's first match as India coach. And on Tuesday afternoon when Houghton will stand with his now customary scowl on the touchline watching the most important match in his brief stay here, Naik "will fight till death" to stay alive in the World Cup qualifiers.
Naik had been a revelation during the Portugal preparatory tour but during the Nehru Cup, Houghton was more impressed by NS Manju's defensive prowess. That would be enough to urge the 'dada' of Goan football to prove a point.
For the uninitiated, India have a uphill task on Tuesday. Writing off a 3-0 deficit — they lost 4-1 to Lebanon in the first leg. Will India rediscover itself at the Nehru Stadium here?
By Houghton's own admission odds are heavily stacked against the hosts. But with Goa being the new venue and promises of a decent home support taken seriously, India, Houghton feels, can achieve the Mission Impossible.
"I am expecting Goans to throng the stadium on Tuesday since four of their local favourites (Makesh Gawli, Climax Lawrence and Clifford Miranda being the other three) will be there firing on all cylinders," he said.
Houghton will also be looking at his talisman and skipper Baichung Bhutia as the man to bank on. At 30, he may have a fewer number of aces up his sleeve but still on a big match he will deliver.
"I don't know what will happen tomorrow. But it's THE match for us,' Bhutia said. "We need a early goal. And after that we can't afford to concede any," he said.