Bangladesh hold India to 1-1 draw
Ronan Sullivan set up an equaliser for Abdul Riyad Fahim as Bangladesh fought back from a goal down to hold India to a 1-1 draw in their final Group B fixture of the SAFF U-20 Championship at the National Stadium in Male, Maldives on Saturday.
Sullivan, the 18-year-old Philadelphia Union Academy player whose spectacular brace powered Bangladesh to a 2-0 win over Pakistan in the opening match, once again delivered when it mattered, providing the assist that helped his side secure second place in the group behind India.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The result sets up a semifinal clash for Bangladesh against Nepal on Wednesday, while India will take on Bhutan in the other semifinal later on that day.
Both India and Bangladesh finished on four points, but one-goal advantage helped India edge Bangladesh to top the group.
With both teams already assured of last-four spots, the match served as a group decider. It was India, the defending champions, who started and finished the stronger of the two sides.
Bangladesh coach Mark Cox made just one change from the Pakistan game, bringing in Ashikur Rahman in place of Yousuf Ali in defence. However, Ashikur was forced off midway through the first half, with Fahim coming on in his place.
India broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when Vishal Yadav rose high to head home a corner delivered by Omang Dodum.
With Bangladesh adopting a more physical approach, the match saw several scuffles. One such incident led to a heated exchange in the dugouts, resulting in the dismissal of Bangladesh head coach Mark Cox and India goalkeeping coach Sandeep Nandi.
As the interruptions led to 10 minutes of added time, Bangladesh struck back at the end of the first half, with Fahim volleying home at the far post from a swerving corner by Sullivan.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with India enjoying slightly more dominance and Dodum squandering a couple of chances. Bangladesh also created a few half-opportunities but lacked a cutting edge. Nevertheless, they held firm to secure a draw.
Comments