Chhetri plays 45 minutes as Wizards go down 2-1
AGENCIES
NEW YORK, APRIL 14
India’s first-ever player to sign for an MLS club, and only the third player from the country to play abroad, Sunil Chhetri finally made his competitive debut for the Wizards on Tuesday, as he started the US Open Cup match against the Colorado Rapids and played the first half. The Wizards eventually lost the game 2-1, despite going one up after Teal Bunbury’s strike.
Sunil was taken off at half time, and had played the opening period in an advanced central midfield role, playing behind striker Josh Wolff, and even earned himself a booking in the 20th minute for a slightly reckless tackle.
Speaking on Sunil’s performance, coach Peter Vermes said, “He was okay. He was good in possession, but he wasn’t getting close enough to goal. We’ve got to figure out different ways to get him closer to goal.”
Speaking after the game, Sunil concentrated talking more on the team’s performance. He said, “It was disappointing that we lost the match.” He continued, “I thought I had some good touches, but it’s going to take some time, and I’m going to go back to the training field and train hard.”
