Bangladesh women’s AFC Asian Cup opener was a treat to watch

When the 112th ranked side in the world goes head-to-head with a team who sits almost 100 places above them in the FIFA World Rankings, it would not be amiss to call it a true David vs. Goliath clash. Such was the state of the narrative ahead of Bangladesh’s AFC Women's Asian Cup opener against China on March 3. The implications of such a duel become even more pronounced when one accounts for the fact that China are both the defending champions of the tournament, as well as the most decorated side in the history of the competition, winning it a total of nine times. Our tigresses, in comparison, stepped onto Australian soil as debutants, fielding a squad packed with young talent and fresh faces.

On pen and paper, the result at the end of the final whistle was unsurprising — China beat Bangladesh 2-0 to seal a “comfortable” win. But if you followed the match closely over the course of its 90-odd-minute, the story would not seem quite as one-sided.

For starters, both of China’s goals came in the dying moments of the first half. Wang Shuang opened the books with a long range shot from outside the box where you could find very little to fault Bangladesh for. The second time the ball found the back of the net, it came off two very unlucky deflections from Bangladeshi defenders. But apart from these mishaps, the girls in green and red looked very solid defensively across the first half. They rarely allowed China the space to build rhythm or consistently penetrate the final third, barring a couple of nervy exceptions.

Credit must also be given to our goalkeeper Mile Akter, whose safe hands held firm despite mounting pressure from the opposition. Time and again, she stepped up with crucial saves to prevent the scoreline from ballooning.

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The second half of the game was an even more exciting watch. Possession seemed to be shared quite evenly between both sides, which is a huge feat against a side as formidable as China. Bangladesh showed sharp attacking intent as well, with head coach Peter Butler making tactical substitutions to sharpen the frontline as the match wore on into its tail end.

Not to mention, the ever-talented baller Ritu Porna Chakma almost produced the goal of the tournament from a quickfire counter attack in the fourteenth minute of the game. Unfortunately, though, the opposition’s goalkeeper denied her of the feat by a tiny margin. But in retrospect, the spontaneity and unpredictability of this moment went a long way in setting a fighting tempo for the rest of the match.

Of course, this isn’t to say that there weren’t shortcomings in the team’s performance. The lack of quick short-ranged passes or the over-dependence on long balls will undoubtedly be points of discussion within the dressing room.

But more than anything, what stood out was the heart that the girls showed on the pitch. Despite the conditions and statistics being heavily stacked against them, Bangladesh’s tigresses showed that they were more than willing to go toe-to-toe with one of Asia’s — and the world’s — finest sides. This daring and exciting brand of football is exactly what fans have always wanted to see from our flagbearers.

As the girls gear up for their next two group stage matches against North Korea and Uzbekistan on March 6 and March 9 respectively, one thing is clear: the road ahead will not get easier at any point. Three-time winners North Korea and top fifty ranked Uzbekistan will most definitely pose tall challenges. But if you feel inclined to write our tigresses off, you might want to think again. If this opener was anything to go by, the girls will once again leave it all on the pitch and just might cause a few upsets along the way.

Ayaan immerses himself in dinosaur comics and poorly-written manga. Recommend your least favourite reads at ayaan.shams@gmail.com