'Fighting spirit helped us win with 10 men'

Winning a football match with 10 men is never easy. And when the tie is a FIFA World Cup encounter, the stakes are even higher. But India’s performance against Guam in their Group D game showed the team’s character and ethos that coach Stephen Constantine is trying to imbibe in the national setup.

“It is very difficult for a team to hold on for 55 minutes with 10 men. I am happy that the team could hold on and get a win under their belt,” said Constantine.

“Down to 10 men, you have to give that 10 percent more, and that’s what the team did. Team spirit and the willingness to fight saw them through. Back in Guam, we had players thinking of other things. Players, who were not sure, weren’t confident. But today was a different game. And the result is there for you to see,” he added.

Ending a long standing drought, which saw India failing to register even a point in Group D, Constantine said that the win was a well-deserved one. “Yes, off course it’s our first win in the group stages. We were unlucky losing some of the games 1-2 in some occasions.

“Today, we played very well in the first half, controlled things. The sendoff was a setback. But, the guys were resilient and gave absolutely everything, and I think we deserved to win the game. But I don’t want us to get excited. We beat Guam and not Iran,” he said.
Playing a much better game against Guam, the Indians enjoyed a better share of the possession with midfield commanding the play with much ease.

“That’s what happens when you play more games. You improve. The side is improving.  We changed nothing in how we did things from day one, from the day we beat Nepal. Our philosophy will come good. It needs time. This is the future of Indian football. I am delighted for them. And we hope to beat Turkmenistan in our next home game,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gray White, the coach of the Guam national side stated that the loss had left a huge dent on their aspirations to qualify for the next round.

“It’s disappointing. This (loss) is a big blow on our hopes of qualifying to the further rounds,” he said.