India Get Thrashed 2-5 by North Korea, Out of Intercontinental Cup Final Reckoning | Highlights

7’ India get the ball on the left, Jerry cuts in, and loses it around the 30 yard mark. Amarjit is forced to concede a freekick. Korea can have a shot at goal here.

8’ And Korea get their goal! Jong Il Gwan smacks it into the far corner. Amrinder had the wall covering the near post, but took a half step towards that side anyway. That half step was enough to create the gap for this goal. Brilliant strike though!

Amrinder has had game time before and the issues have been, as usual, communication and decision-making. He’s a good shotstopper, though, with good reflexes. And the North Koreans will give him a bit of work to do. In addition, there is the fact that the four in front of him are also a new combination.

-- Siddhanth Aney

11’ India win a freekick down the right. Brandon delivers a beautifully floated ball to the far post. Chhetri peels off his marker, but times the header a bit wrong and his header goes flying over the bar. Uff.

Great delivery by Brandon though, right amount of flight and curve on it. Also tells you this Korean defense isn’t very solid.

-- Arjun Pandit

13’ Great to see that Paul Masefield has gone full partisan for Indian football. He is completely lambasting the North Koreans for diving. Which they are not, to be clear. They are going down easily, but not diving.

15’ India’s midfield is being over run by a horde of Koreans. Amend that. India’s midfield is struggling to deal with the Koreans’ quick passing in the middle.

16’ Erm. Guys. This is getting ugly. Korea score a second!!!

Ri Un Chol had all the time in the world, just walking past Pritam and passed it to Sim Hyon Jin, who slotted it home into the bottom corner. Jhingan slid in last ditch to intercept the pass, but he was nowhere near.

18’ Predictably, the crowd has fallen silent. And Stimac has sent Adil Khan to warm up.

At a loss for words. This is pretty much along expected lines. Say what you will about experimentation, but this is purposeless.

-- Siddhanth Aney

19’ India have a freekick on the right, but a bit central. No reward. Brandon’s delivery is a nothing.

20’ Some seriously bad play at the back there by Amrinder, who makes a hash of a routine clearance. But it is safely cleared.

This is getting really Comical.... India at sea!

-- Arjun Pandit

22’ The commentators keep spirits up by saying, that they will take time to get used to the system. But -- and this may seem like a really revolutionary thought, so brace yourselves -- how about playing the same XI twice and giving them a runabout to apply that system? Instead of a completely new team, in the headlights.

I honestly think, now the clock starts on reverse post this game for many players, think he’s giving everyone a run out and then will have enough evidence as to why someone made it didn’t make it to this team.

-- Arjun Pandit

24’ There isn’t much of note happening in this game. Korea are passing the ball around, and India are back tracking and clearing it away. So……. we shall use this opportunity to do some shameless self promotion. For the game against Syria, we shall be on live commentary on our YouTube channel. And we have a notebook full of jokes, and another full of stats for it. Stay tuned.

25’ Korea have another chance, and Amrinder makes a save at his near post! Good save too! That could’ve been the goal that emptied the stadium.

27’ Korea are making a change! P Song coming on to replace Han Thae Hyok.

North Korea is a country we don’t get too much inside information on. Football, or sport at large, at least makes some sort of exchange possible. Chhetri and his Bengaluru FC teammates have travelled to the North Korean capital to play AFC Cup football. Here’s a link to a piece by our friend Mihir Vasavda, who went along for the ride.

28’ Korea have a third! And this is ridiculous! Really!! A perfectly placed header into the bottom corner and Mr. Kiren Rijiju isn’t having the best debut as an Indian football watcher.