Blue Tigresses to play two friendlies against Myanmar in July
Jun 18, 2024
New Delhi [India], June 18 : The Indian senior women's team will play two friendly matches against hosts Myanmar in Yangon on July 9 and July 12, 2024, during the FIFA Women's International Window.
The Blue Tigresses will have a camp at the National Centre of Excellence in Kolkata from June 26, 2024. India played two friendly matches against Uzbekistan on May 31 and June 4 in Tashkent.
India are currently 67th in the FIFA Rankings, while Myanmar are 54th, as per an All India Football Federation (AIFF) press release.
Talking about India's previous match against Uzbekistan which was a friendly too, the Indian senior women's national team brushed off their bruising first-game loss to take a hard-fought and hugely credible goalless draw against Uzbekistan in the second friendly at the TDTU Stadium in Tashkent on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
In a marked improvement from the first game, the Blue Tigresses were at the forefront of proceedings in the opening quarter, even earning themselves multiple set pieces in attacking areas to threaten the Uzbekistan goal.
The best chances of the half fell to Soumya Guguloth, with the winger's dangerous drifts into the centre constantly posing problems for the hosts. With the first, Guguloth volleyed Anju Tamang's cut back wide of the goal, when unmarked and near the penalty spot. Tamang's crossing proved to be troublesome again soon after. The Uzbek goalkeeper Zarina Saidova's weak punch wound its way to an onrushing Guguloth and even though the winger turned the ball in, the linesperson's flag was up for offside.
It wasn't all one-way traffic though as Uzbekistan forced Shreya Hooda into a pair of smart saves, one from a long-range shot she tipped over, before saving a header from the resulting corner. The teams went into the break locked in a goalless stalemate.
The second half played out much to the tune of the first, with the Blue Tigresses the aggressors and the hosts reduced to counter-attacks ripe with physicality. Despite dominating the possession and constantly driving the ball into the final third, India's lack of finesse with the final pass let them down. On the rare occasions that they did get the pass right, it was the finish that was lacking.
