India hold 44th ranked Panama to 1-1 draw in FIFA friendly

Manvir Singh, Williams and Kuruniyan combined well particularly down the left throughout the first half, with the former pair constantly pressing the Panama defence and forcing them to make errors. Panama, on the other hand, hardly made any serious challenge to the Indian goal throughout the half.

Towards the end of it, Akash Mishra put the ball over the top of the Panama defence to Ryan Williams who suddenly had only the goalkeeper to beat. The visiting defenders were caught sleeping and Williams later admitted that he was quite surprised by how far back de Leon was on that occassion.

“It was one of those situations, it came down the side and the keeper has given me so much space on the right. Then, like my hero Thierry Henry, just opened up my body and slotted it in,” Williams told the host broadcasters. “He just opened it up for and there was no way I could miss it.”

Panama coach Thomas Christiansen cut a visibly frustrated figure as he left the field during half time and his temper seemed to be only getting worse as the second half wore on. He made as many as three changes at half time, including changing out both his winger and full back on the left. And yet, Panama didn’t really see any significant improvements apart from the fact that they started going for more long range shots than in the first half.

One such shot was from Omar Valencia, one of the three players who came on as half-time substitutes. It went right into the top-right corner, leaving Sandhu rooted to the spot and Panama found the equaliser. However Jamil didn’t allow his men to shut shop and just go on defending, a habit that has been the bane of this outfit against tougher opposition.

Ashique Kuruniyan was a livewire on the wide left as he made some incisive runs with Williams trying to keep the pressure from his left-in position. The best chance that India lost was when Ashique whipped a low cross from the left and Edmund made a mess of it it in the 79th minute. Two minutes later, Edmund entered from the right and kept an assist for Manvir Singh, who instead of an easy tap tried to push it in with back heel and missed.