After 1982, again that shame of 9 goals

In modern-era football, the shame of conceding 9 goals is hardly seen anymore. Teams are seen scoring back after conceding. Otherwise they try to stop goals by playing maximally defensive football. But what Bangladesh showed against Indonesia on Thursday dealt a huge blow to the country's new football awakening. After 1982, Bangladesh again conceded 9 goals. In the match, the red-and-greens lost 9-2.

Bangladesh had gotten the opportunity to play in a FIFA tournament for the first time. In that opportunity came a black chapter in football history. Bangladesh's play throughout the entire match was bound to irritate anyone. What plan coach Thomas Dooley actually had in mind when he sent his disciples out to play the match, only he can say. Even when the team was conceding goal after goal, he did not strengthen the defense and instead sent a forward onto the field.

All of Bangladesh's footballers together were in a gasping state trying to handle Indonesia's speedy attacks. It was literally a dire, help-calling situation for 36-year-old Jamal Bhuiyan. Yet coach Dooley did not even think of substituting this footballer.

Jamal, who has lost speed under the weight of age, has also lost ball possession and the ability to pass the ball! Shuki Itofusa played just as badly. This footballer is inept at everything—passing and receiving the ball, tackling opponents. In reality, there is no example of anyone playing well.

And the biggest mistake is coach Dooley not doing homework. He did no work at all regarding the Indonesian footballers. Where whose strength lies, how whom can be stopped, what kind of defense can hold the hosts back—none of that was in the coach's plan.
And so the flood of goals was also massive. Starting from the 11th minute, Bangladesh then conceded goals in the 20th, 32nd, 36th, 37th, 42nd, 45th, 90th, and the sixth and seventh minutes of injury time. Michel Baker alone scored 5 goals.

The last time, in 1982, Bangladesh lost 9-0 against Iran. There had been such shame before that too. In 1979, there was a 9-0 loss against South Korea, and in 1975, a 9-1 loss against Hong Kong. Besides, an 8-0 loss to Jordan in 2016 in the World Cup qualifiers and an 8-0 loss to Japan in the same competition in 1993 are at the top of the list of Bangladesh's big defeats.