Last 30 seconds remaining. A free kick for team India. A substitution for the Bhutanese goal keeper anticipating that Bhutan will survive the last few seconds to a penalty kick out. The Indian player makes the free kick, the ball lands around the penalty area and players of the two teams jostle for the ball-the Indian team attempting to wrap up the game in the last minute and the Bhutanese team desperately trying to clear the ball away. The clock is ticking. In a twist of events, an Indian player makes it to the post. It is a goal. And an end to the Bhutanese dream of reaching the finals.
It was a tragedy for the Bhutanese team and every one who has followed the match glued to their television sets. The least we had expected was to reach the penalty kick out and try our luck. Perhaps, we had a chance there.
Indeed it was a tragedy. The boys had sweated out through out the game displaying a brave show of skill and professionalism. The fifteen minute goal from left winger Kinley Dorji was brilliant. It definitely upped the morale of the Bhutanese team while it must have send jitters through the Indian players. After all they were playing with the weakest team and in their earlier matches with Bhutan; India had thrashed Bhutan on several occasions.
For the first time, the Indian team, the top-gun of the eight teams in the tournament, was cautiously creating their chances. Sunil Chhetri’s equalizer was a saving grace. But the Bhutanese players did not lose heart. They were fighting hard and at times, even got good chances of scoring a goal.
If winning and losing is part of a game. We have indeed lost in style. The commentator put it in a very right note, “the tiny country of Bhutan, once a laughing stock of football, is at its best today.”
The semi final match was indeed an act of redeeming our respect. The match not only brought out the best in our players but also showed to the world that we are not willing to stay at the bottom of the ranks. The semifinal match with India was a superb display of grit, determination and hard work by the players.
If this is the spirit, then Bhutanese football sure has a long way to go. Congratulations to Team Bhutan for their mind blowing performance in the SAFF semifinals with India. For me, personally, reaching the semifinals and taking the Indian footballers to the brink of desperation, was victory enough. The boys put on a great show.
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