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That was it from this match. This is Manasi signing off. Thanks for tuning in and see you soon!
- That's all from Stimac -
Stimac: Without showing courage, without taking responsibility - you cannot play like, is what I told the players at half-time. You cannot afford playing this like if you have to play the World Cup qualifiers.
Stimac: Syria has shown great quality, and can strike very quickly. If you let Syria with space and time, that will be dangerous.
Stimac: Things are clear for me, and it will be a clear future for the Indian (in terms of team selection).
Stimac: If the things keep going like this, I will get a heart attack (laughs)! It was a difficult match but now it is now very clear- as to what we have, what we don't. It will be much easier for me now to how the team will be picked.
- Time for some post-match quotes from coach Igor Stimac -
India will play its next match on July 16, against Syria. As things stand, Tajikistan is leading the tournament with six points. DPR Korea and Syria have three points each. India has none.
FULL TIME: INDIA 2-5 DPR KOREA. India's nightmare comes to an end, albeit on a bitter note as it conceded one even in added time. The Blue Tigers were never in the game, owing to their shaky defence. The 5-2 result means India has no points so far in the tournament, while all others have opened their account. The positives from this match for Stimac would be the impact created by Udanta, Chhangte and Sahal, who were responsible for the two goals scored.
90+1' - GOAL! INDIA 2-5 DPR KOREA. Ri Hyong Jin scores the fifth of the night as DPR Korea edge closer to its win. Amrinder blocked the first attempt but couldn't save Ri Hyong Jin's effort off the rebound.
90' - Four minutes have been added on here.
87' - A lobbed ball from the defence is played for Chhetri up top but the flag goes up as Chhetri was offside when the ball was played.
83' - The Indian team has shown a better performance in the second half, as compared to the first, but a leaky defence means the Blue Tigers are likely to head to their second loss of the tournament.
77' - DPR Korea has a free-kick from a dangerous position. Ri Hyon Jin steps up for it, but misses the aim.
71' - GOAL! INDIA 2-4 DPR KOREA - Sunil Chhetri scores! The Indian skipper connects with Udanta's ball from the right wing, after Sahal sent the pass to the winger. Udanta finds his Bengaluru teammate, who puts the ball into the net off his knee! Chhetri can find several ways to score a goal, folks.
69' - Hong Jin Song cannot continue further after his collision with Chhangte, having dislocated his arm. Meanwhile, Bheke and Sahal come on for Bose and Borges.
63' - GOAL! INDIA 1-4 DPR KOREA. Ri Un Chol scores! It seems like the final nail in the coffin as India concedes the fourth of the night- Rin Un Chol is on the scoresheet after Song Pak and Jong Il Gwan set him up well. Amrinder's leg couldn't stop it either.
61' CHANCE! Udanta is fed with a pass from Thapa, just outside the box. Udanta shoots from distance but it misses the target.
54' - That's all from Jobby tonight as Anirudh Thapa replaces the striker. Can India pull off a comeback here?
50' - GOAL! INDIA 1-3 DPR KOREA. Lallianzuala Chhangte scores! The ever so fast Chhangte combines beautifully with Chhetri in a one-two as the youngster sends a long-range strike past Antae Song at goal! It all started with the DPR Korea defence losing the ball, and Rowllin finding captain Chhetri with a through ball.
49' CHANCE! The introduction of Udanta and Chhangte has shown improvement already as the latter kickstarts action from the left. Chhangte's squared pass for Rowllin in the middle is kept well by Amarjit, who finds Udanta on the left wing. As Rowllin runs towards the box, Udanta dinks the ball for him. However, bad decision making from Rowllin means he takes a turn inside the box and does not go for goal, and does not leave it for Chhangte either. Rowllin's ball finds Chhetri, who can't do anything.
47' - Two changes made at half time by Stimac as Udanta Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte come in for Manvir Singh and Brandon Fernandes respectively.
46' - Second half kicks off!
- Defensive errors have cost India dearly as the Blue Tigers have been no competition for DPR Korea. Jerry L, Subhasish Bose, Pritam Kotal and Sandesh Jhingan have all been poor at the back, and Adil Khan - who was brought on for Jhingan - too has already picked up a booking, within five minutes of his introduction. On the other hand, it has been a fairly easy game so far for DPR Korea, which has been clinical up front, with the captain Jong Il Gwan leading by example.
HALF TIME: INDIA 0-3 DPR KOREA - India walks off at the half-time whistle after a disappointing first-half performance. Goals from Jong Il Gwan and Sim Hyon Jin mean that DPR Korea is enjoying a healthy lead at the break.
45' - Two minutes will be added on here. India still trails by three goals.
43' - Ri Hyong Jin takes the free-kick, and his attempt is powerful. Amrinder, however, dives to the correct side and clears the danger.
42' - Adil brings down Pak Song just outside the box as DPR Korea has a free-kick. Not the start Adil would have wanted as he is shown a yellow.
37' - A forced change for India as Stimac introduces Adil in place of Jhingan. The Kerala Blasters man walks off with disappointment.
35' - Jhingan has got down on the field in pain. It seems like he has injured his hamstring - the defender was kept out of the previous fixture owing to the same injury.
29' GOAL! INDIA 0-3 DPR KOREA. Jong Il Gwan scores again! Substitute Pak Song crosses the ball for skipper Jong Il Gwan inside the box- Gwan beats Jerry L in the aerial battle and sends it past Amrinder. Poor from the custodian, and the whole of Indian defence.
28' - DPR Korea makes an early change as Han Thae Hyok is replaced by Pak Song. Not too long for the half-hour mark now.
24' - SAVE! Amrinder punches away the effort from DPR Korea captain and today's goal scorer Jong Il Gwan as the player rose high to head the ball in, after the visitor had a corner.
22' - DPR Korea has done great so far to fetch two goals and keep the Indian attack silent so far. The handful changes don't seem to be making a difference so far for Stimac and co.
16' - GOAL! INDIA 0-2 DPR KOREA. Sim Hyon Jin doubles the lead! A defensive error from India sees DPR Korea register the second goal as Ri Un Chol teams up with Sim Hyon Jin. Ri Un Chol gets the better of Jhingan - Jhingan's tackle is poor and it allows the opponent to enter the box - and Ri Un Chol's ball finds Sim Hyon Jin up front. Sim Hyon Jin easily sends it past Amrinder, as Kotal and Bose fail to mark him.
11' - CHANCE! Chhetri's header goes off target as Brandon sends the ball for the captain, who was placed inside the box, on the left.
8' - GOAL! INDIA 0-1 DPR KOREA. Jong Il Gwan scores! The DPR Korea skipper capitalises the set-piece as he aims for the far post and sends the ball past a flying Amrinder at goal. The Indian wall is left helpless.
7' - Amarjit brings down DPR Korea skipper Jong Il Gwan, and the visiting side has a free-kick from the edge of the box, which looks like a good spot to score from. Amrinder and co. are alerted.
5' - DPR Korea tries to threaten Indian defence as it attacks from the right wing. Ri Hyong Jin tries to send a cross from the right flank but fails to do so. Later, a delivery is shot into the box which is headed away by Jhingan.
4' - Amarjit brings down Ri Un Li, and DPR Korea has a free-kick. Nothing dangerous comes off it.
2' - Early action from the Indian contingent as Manvir wins the ball and Jobby makes a run towards the box. However, Manvir's squared pass for Sunil the middle is intercepted.
1'- KICKOFF! Here we go.
7:53pm - India and DPR Korea are out on the field as the crowd gets ready for the national anthems of the two countries. India is donning the blue jersey, while DPR Korea is in white. Sports minister Kiren Rijiju greets the two teams. We are less than ten minutes away from kick-off.
7:43pm - It is must-win match for both teams as a loss would mean the team might not have a chance at a berth in the finale. We are less than twenty minutes away from kick-off.
7:20 pm - Nine changes from the loss to Tajikistan as Amrinder, Kotal, Jhingan, Bose, Jerry L, Brandon, Rowllin, Manvir and Jobby come in for Gurpreet, Gahlot, Adil, Bheke, Mandar, Thapa, Sahal, Udanta and Chhangte.
7:15 pm- The line-ups are out! Coach Igor Stimac has made a handful of changes, only two players retained from the loss against Tajikistan.
FULL STORY | Igor Stimac: The leagues aren't helping Indian players
- Earlier, coach Igor Stimac had opinions to share on a similar issue - the Croat believes the dual league system isn't helping the Indian players. “We are suffering because most our Indian strikers are not playing regularly in the ISL or the I-League as they spend most of the time on bench. Most of them do not have open place to play and that is not good for me (as the national coach) because there is only Sunil (Chhetri) who is scoring goals," he said.
READ | Sunil Chhetri: Need a league where players get 50 or more games
- Sunil Chhetri, with his two goals in the previous match, surpassed Argentine star Lionel Messi to become the second-highest active international scorer, with 70 goals. The Bengaluru FC star recently said that Indian players need a league wherein the player gets a minimum of 50 matches.
- India had gotten off to a good start against Tajikistan as captain Sunil Chhetri struck twice. However, a sloppy defense meant India conceded four goals in 20 minutes to lose the tie. As for DPR Korea, it had gained an early lead, but allowed Syria to take charge in the second half as it leaked three goals and eventually lost.
- India heads into this match, its second of the Intercontinental Cup, on the back of a loss. The Blue Tigers were defeated by Tajikistan in the opener of the tournament as Tajikistan pulled off a comeback win to seal a 4-2 win. India's opponent for today, Korea DPR, too arrives in this fixture from a loss - having lost to Syria 2-5 wherein Syria too showcased a come-from-behind victory.
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