FIFAe Nations Cup 2022: The opening day of FIFAe Nations cup is finally over, and Team India remain in contention to qualify for the round of 16 of the competition. Team India had been drawn in Group D and had played five back-to-back matches securing victory once, drawing twice, and losing the rest of the two games.
Team India earned their first victory over Morocco in the final game of the day to maintain their momentum going into the final day. Charanjot and Saransh lined up for India with Sidd being the backup in all matches. With 5 points in their bag, Charanjot & co will be looking to raise their bar on the final day of the competition, which starts at 9.30 PM today. For future updates on Esports and FIFAe competitions, follow InsideSport.IN.
It was a maiden appearance for Team India as they qualified for the final stage of the tournament through qualifiers. 24 teams are divided into 4 groups. Six teams would play each other twice in a round-robin format while the Top 4 teams from each group will make their way to the knock-out stages(Round 16). Team India currently rank 5th with 5 points after the conclusion of the opening day. Charanjot & co will have their task cut out as they face the same opponents once again today.
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FIFAe Nations Cup 2022 Day 1 Summary for Team India
Match 1
Team India started the campaign against one of the top European teams, Italy. Both teams started cautiously waiting for their moments to latch onto. Italy created a few chances here and there, but couldn’t convert even one of them. Team India were happy to play for a draw and they eventually settled with a nil-nil draw against Italy earning their first point in the competition.
Match 2
Team India went head to head against the Netherlands in the second match. After tasting defeat in the first match, the Dutch came out all guns blazing creating loads of chances. However, Team India’s goalkeeper came up with a brilliant save to deny the lead. Both teams went for a halftime break all square. Team Netherlands upped the ante after the break as Team India fumbled under pressure missing easy passes repeatedly. Eventually, the Dutch made the best of their opportunities to lead with a CR7(Team Netherlands) header following a miss pass by Marcelo(Team India).
Match 3
After a defeat, Team India had to compose themselves to focus on the next match. Team India squared off against Poland who were leading the table during the match. With sublime left-footed finishes, Team India secured a two-goal advantage over Poland within 60 in-game minutes. However, attacking substitutions from Poland proved costly for Team India as Poland came back from the brink to win the nail-biting match. Team India were unlucky as they conceded a soft penalty in the closing minutes of the game, and Poland bagged all three points.
Match 4
With 1 point in three matches, Team India had all to do to keep their chance of going forward into the competition. They faced Mexico in the fourth match. Both teams approached the game in a defensive mindset looking for points. Eventually, they canceled each other in all aspects of the game and settled with a nil-nil draw.
Match 5
The final game of the day was almost a do-or-die match for the eTigers as they went head-to-head against Morocco who were also looking for their first victory. Team India went out with an attacking mindset creating loads of chances. After missing a sitter, Team India were under pressure to score goals. Eventually, they found the back of the net with two gorgeous goals to have a breathing space. Meanwhile, Morocco had their consolation in the closing minutes of the game, but Team India secured their first victory((2-1) of the campaign keeping momentum on their side for the final day.
The final day of the competition will be even more intense, as Group D is still wide open. All four places are up for grabs. So, stay tuned for more updates. For future updates on Esports and FIFAe competitions, follow InsideSport.IN.
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Editors pick
