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Goal!

If India were able to reign supreme in the South Asian Football Federation tournament, which concluded at Margao, Goa, last Saturday, it was mainly because of the unstinting efforts of two of Indian football's biggest names - Baichung Bhutia and Bruno Coutinho. The duo struck up the perfect rapport when it mattered most, to ensure that Indian supremacy in the region remained intact.

India went into the tournament as favourites, having won three of the previous four editions of the tournament. As such, few doubted the team's abilities to win for the second time on the trot. However, after a goalless draw in the opening match against Bangladesh, it looked as if the hurriedly put together Indian team, comprising players who were weary after a gruelling domestic season during which the National Football League and Santosh Trophy were gone through, was just not good enough, and that coach Sukhwinder Singh would not be able to deliver the goods.

Critics felt that the team missed the services of Raman Vijayan, the topscorer, along with Philip Mensah of the National Football League, and that Coutinho at 29 was a spent force. But all doubts were dispelled once India overcame arch rivals Pakistan, with scintillating contributions from skipper Coutinho and Bhutia who, together, fashioned a well-deserved victory in the second match.

Bhutia, who got back into the thick of action after a short breakduring which he visited England to parade his talents in front of Aston Villa, was undoubtedly the player of the six-team tournament. This wily striker is perhaps at his best at the moment. His body language said it all, as he repeatedly broke through the rival defences with deft swerves or sheer speed. And even when he was not in the thick of the action, he somehow was there in front of goal to connect a cross or cash in on a rebound. He finished the tournament with four goals, to earn the title of most valuable player of the tournament. With a little luck on his side, he should have scored more. The goals he scored in the semi-final against Maldives and in the final against Bangladesh had class written all over them. In fact, the semi-final goal was just the catalyst the golden boy of Indian football needed to excel in the final, where he laid the ground for Coutinho to score first and then himself scored the second goal in India's 2-0 victory over Bangladesh.

Indeed, if Bhutia could be adjudged the most valuable player, then Coutinho would have got the award for most industrious player, had there been such an award. The 29-year-old skipper, who was surprisingly left out from India's Bangkok Asian Games team last year, was seen in the same vein as during the National Football League when he led Salgaocar, Goa, to the title (he also led Goa to the runner-up slot in the Santosh Trophy). It came as no surprise that he picked up the most valuable player award in the semi-final match against Maldives wherein he scored the match-winner, and he was to go on and score the goal that put India ahead in the final.

As in the National League, Coutinho had a point to prove in the SAFF tournament too -- that he was still a force to reckon with. His comments after receiving the trophy certainly said it all. ''I think I've played very well the whole season and this tournament has gone very well for me. The triumph not only means a lot to the team, but also to me," he declared.

Coutinho's clever promptings and ability to find open spaces in rival defences proved decisive, as Bhutia and IM Vijayan repeatedly had a clear look at goal.

Perhaps it can be said that the midfield was the key to the team's success. Coach Sukhwinder Singh certainly played his cards well. Despite severe pressure from the think tank, he preferred to make more use of the Salgaocar trio of Coutinho, Jules Alberto and S Venkatesh, instead of the experienced East Bengal midfield of Carlton Chapman, Basudeb Mondal and Ranjan Dey. In the final, in particular, these Salgaocar stars came up with an extraordinary display which dashed whatever hopes the visitors from across the border may have entertained after holding India in the opening match of the tournament.

In the opening match, Bangladesh's ploy to crowd the defence paid off. However, the same tactic did not work in the final as Coutinho, Alberto and Venkatesh did well to hold on to the ball, draw out the defenders and then release it.

This present team has a lot of promising youngsters in Alberto, wingback Prabhjot Singh, stopper Roberto Fernandes, medio Daljit Singh and goalkeeper Virender Singh, who, given the opportunity, can deliver. Indeed, the onus is now on the All India Football Federation to harness the skills of these players and build a build a strong team for further competitions, particularly the pre-Olympic qualifiers that will come up shortly.

Save for a couple of inclusions, these players should be persisted with and given more international exposure. Sukhwinder Singh, who was adjudged the best coach of the inaugural Philips National Football League after guiding JCT to the title, did well in the coach's role in this tournament as well, and looks to deserve more time with this team.

The satraps of Indian football are no doubt elated with the recent success, but they must keep in mind that the SAFF title is just a minor milestone. Reigning supreme in Asia, and beating other Asian giants like Japan, South Korea and China are the goals that the AIFF has to now address itself to.