Expectations are a funny thing. Even if you're not used to doing too well, raise your game once or twice and the expectations from those watching or rooting for you rise disproportionately. Those expectations come from a place of positivity, of hope; and to try and bottle them goes against base human spirit.
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Which is why you can't blame an Indian football fan for dreaming ahead of their men's national team's AFC Asian Cup opener against Australia on Jan 13. You see, last summer, India fell in love with her football team. And with love comes hope, and expectation, and belief.
It didn't really matter that the competitions won - Tri-nations Cup, Intercontinental Cup, SAFF Championship - were third (at most, mid-second) tier ones. It didn't matter that the majority of the opponents beaten usually take a beating from this team. What did matter were the trophies at the end of that glorious summer, the football that breathed life into whichever stadium India turned up in.
What mattered was Sunil Chhetri chasing an inconceivable landmark with the energy of a newbie. What mattered was the one-touch football that sparked moves. What mattered was Mahesh Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte tearing it up in the way of the modern winger. What mattered was a non-football city rising as one to sing 'Vande Mataram' at the top of their lungs. What mattered was having a midfield and defence who didn't treat the ball like an unpinned grenade. What mattered was that, to a man, they never stopped running. What mattered was all this tangible, and intangible, proof that this team is on the upward curve.
The domestic structure may still leave a lot to desire, especially grassroots development and basic football administration. But when the senior men's national team does well, there's nothing quite like it to reinvigorate support for -- and bring eyeballs to -- the sport.
You love to hear it! ��
Best wishes from none other than our Golden Boy @Neeraj_chopra1 ���� for the #BlueTigers ��#AsianCup2023 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/9Upx9bONvO
- Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) January 11, 2024
Realistically, there remains a big gap between India (ranked 18th in Asia) and the top 10 on this continent, and bridging that will need continued, sustained work behind the scenes. But India have, for the first time since this format started, qualified for successive Asian Cups. With that, though, comes the fact that the target has moved from merely qualifying for the tournament main to competing actively for a place in the knockouts. There are 16 of those available anyway.
What is the point of fighting for a seat at the big boys' table if you're not going to then fight once there?
Also Read: India at AFC Asian Cup: Fixtures, opponents, key players, title favourites
Head coach Igor Stimac can downplay the importance of this tournament as much as he wants. In November he asked everyone to stop talking about the Asian Cup, saying "it's not our priority". His complaints of a lack of preparation time and not enough friendlies may very well be grounded in logic. He definitely has a point when he claims that no one apart from Chhetri plays as centre-forward for their clubs. But none of that matters once the referee blows the whistle at the Ahmad bin Ali stadium.
Australia may be continental goliaths, Uzbekistan may be regional powerhouses (their clubs emphasise that point repeatedly when facing Indian ones) and Syria may be a dangerously underrated side, but fans will hope. And believe. And expect. Not necessarily wins and buckets of goals: but fighting tooth-and-nail, not accepting defeat till that final whistle blows, and most importantly, going for the W every time.
"Thank you for your support in advance. We'll try everything to make you guys proud" ������
Hear it from our skipper @chetrisunil11 ��️ https://t.co/gLrr9paKMC#AsianCup2023 #BlueTigers �� #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/XNkhXJ6lus
- Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) January 9, 2024
Sunil Chhetri may not come close to hitting that 100, but fans will expect him to chase every lost cause, to lead the press from the front. They will hope that Sandesh Jhingan is peak Sandesh Jhingan, throwing himself at everything, blocking sure-shot goals and putting his head in places others fear to put their boots. They will expect Mahesh and Chhangte and Sahal Abdul Samad (if fit) to take on their markers, go direct, attempt moves teams of yore might have thought were beyond them. They will hope Brandon Fernandes is at his ball-whispering best, that Apuia can bring a calm-on-the-ball we've rarely seen from an Indian midfield in big matches before this.
Also Read: India at AFC Asian Cup: Key questions facing Igor Stimac
They will believe that Stimac has tactical plans customised to suit the three different group stage opponents: perhaps keep it tight and counter sparingly against Australia, be a little more expansive against Uzbekistan and do much more than that against what should be equals in Syria. They will hope India avoid a repeat of the humbling the team got in 2011, but will also want them to be braver than they were in the 2019. It's counterintuitive almost, but that's the nature of love. They will pray that win or lose, their team will go for it with all they have, and a sound plan.
And no one can really fault them for it. Those emotions of the fans are as real as the practical challenges that lie waiting on the field... and the Indian team should not be afraid to embrace them. Isn't that the whole point of all this?