The tour of Portugal has been a timely reality check and playing the second and third division clubs has helped the team to get in the groove for the international fixtures, India striker Sunil Chhetri said ahead of India’s friendly against Thailand on Saturday.
The Indian national team is in Bangkok currently to play the first of several friendly matches lined up for this month after their two-month training camp in Portugal. India and Thailand will then play a return fixture on September 8 at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi.
The Kansas City Wizards striker joined the national team last month after being released by his club and has been among the goals immediately. But Chhetri feels this part — of the international friendlies — is the most important for the team.
“Playing higher-ranked teams is the way forward for us. We are ranked low only because we don’t play enough international matches. That will change. In Doha next year we will play all the big names. We have already shown that we can beat higher ranked teams at home, now we have to go out and do the same away,” Chhetri told DNA from Bangkok on Thursday.
He insisted that playing second and third division teams from Portugal have helped the side become match-fit. Chhetri also lashed out at the critics who feel playing the club sides isn’t an ideal preparation “The Portugal tour was a reality check. The standard of the second and third division clubs there is just too high for us to discount them. Why doesn’t anyone understand that playing against the club sides from a country-ranked number eight in the world isn’t easy? Very few people realise how playing against these sides has actually helped us.”
Though happy with his own form, Chhetri said it is team effort that mattered in the end. “It is important that India wins. Obviously, it feels great to score for the country but the team as a whole is playing pretty well. All of us are giving our 100%. We know how important the coming months are,” he said.
So how has the stint with Wizards helped him? “Of course it has. It is difficult for me to explain in what way but I can feel the difference. I’m very happy to be back with the national team. No matter which club you play with, it’s very special when you are playing for your nation,” he said.
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