Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 3 : The senior Indian women's national football team fell to a second narrow defeat at the hands of Uzbekistan.
According to Aiff.com, India lost 0-1 to Uzbekistan in the second of two FIFA Women's International Friendlies at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence on Tuesday.
Despite an improved and spirited performance, the Blue Tigresses were outplayed by a moment of brilliance from Nilufar Kudratova early in the second half.
India entered Tuesday's encounter in the aftermath of a 0-1 loss in the first friendly. India showed signs of improvement, especially in their intensity and intent; however, the scoreline, unfortunately, remained the same.
Unlike the first fixture, where the team struggled in transition, the hosts played on the front foot, pressing higher up the pitch and trying to take the game to the visitors.
The defence, led by the tireless efforts of Thokchom Martina and her backline partners, worked hard to contain Uzbekistan's swift attack. Their positioning and communication appeared to be much sharper, and when the backline was breached, goalkeeper Payal Basude stood tall.
She made a string of crucial saves in the first half, most notably after Nozimakhon Ergasheva rattled the crossbar with a fierce strike in the 11th minute.
In midfield, India looked more cohesive as a unit, with players utilising the width of the pitch to stretch the Uzbek defence and find the crucial openings. Sangita Basfore assisted in building attacks from deep, while fullback Ranjana Chanu injected pace and creativity.
The best chance for India came in the 21st minute. Ranjana whipped in a dangerous cross from the right, which Pyari Xaxa met with a strong header at the far post. The Uzbekistan keeper managed a reflex save, and though the rebound fell kindly to Sangita, she failed to direct her shot into the back of the net.
That missed opportunity came back to haunt India. Just four minutes into the second half, Uzbekistan struck, which turned out to be the decisive goal.
Kudratova picked up the ball on the edge of the box, skipped past two Indian defenders with elegant footwork, and unleashed a fierce left-footed strike that flew past Payal Basude into the top corner.
The setback seemed to momentarily unsettle the Blue Tigresses, but they regrouped and pushed forward for an equaliser. Soumya Guguloth and Pyari Xaxa continued to test the Uzbekistan defence, while substitutes brought fresh energy.
However, despite several promising moves, the final pass or shot often lacked the sharpness needed to level the score.
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