A Dismal Year

After a brief flirtation with hope for two seasons,Indian soccer standards went downhill in 2004 -- a year which came to a chillingend with the tragic on-field death of Brazilian striker Cristiano Junior.

If 2002 and 2003 rekindled optimism for a turnaround inthe country's soccer fortunes under the Anglo-Cypriot chief coach StephenConstantine, the outgoing year gave a rude jolt to the rising expectations asthe national squad stumbled from match to match suffering one humiliating lossafter another.

In 2002, after Constantine took over, India emergedsurprise champions in the LG Cup in Vietnam before narrowly missing a last eightberth in the Asian Games. The following year saw India finishing runners up inthe first ever Afro-Asian Games with the colts winning a rare trophy in theBritish Isles and returning good performances in Asian age group tourneys.

But 2004 proved anti-climatic. India failed to bag thegold in their favourite hunting ground -- the SAF Games -- and bowed out asusual in the first round of the World Cup qualifiers, but not before facingignominous defeats against Japan and Oman that led to the call for Constantine'sscalp.

However, it was the death of the highly talented Juniorin the Federation Cup final that came as the biggest shock.

It brought out into the open yet again the absence of even basic facilities inIndian soccer and made international headlines forcing world governing body FIFAand Asian Football Confederation to take note of the tragedy as accusations flewthick and fast about Mohun Bagan custodian Subrata Paul's responsibility in thestriker's death.

It was at the SAF Games in Islamabad that the downslidestarted. The Indians, missing a host of stars due to injury, managed to claimonly the silver finishing second best to arch-rivals Pakistan in the final.

The World Cup preliminaries saw India being drubbed 1-5by Oman and humiliated 0-7 by Asian powerhouse Japan. They put up a grittyopening half display against Japan in the first half of the home leg in Kolkatabut in the end lost 0-4.

A 1-0 win over Singapore at Goa and a goalless drawversus Oman in Muscat were the only silver lining for the Indians who concededas many as 18 goals in their six outings.

The World Cup disappointment was matched by a dismal LGCup show in Vietnam, where India had scripted a fantastic title finish in 2002.

India crashed out at the semi final stage going down0-4 to a Korean University team after having lost 1-2 to Vietnam. A 2-1 win overa weak Myanmar side was the only saving grace for the side led by BhaichungBhutia.

Bhutia, incidentally, had a poor season having to coolhis heels on the benches for the major part of the year following recurringinjuries.

PTI