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India suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat to Guam in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the GFA National Training Centre, in Hagatna, on Tuesday, but the match saw the team’s skipper, Sunil Chhetri, eclipse a milestone.
The prolific striker became the first Indian footballer to score 50 international goals when he reduced the margin in the dying minutes of his 87th match.
"Number of goals never matters for me. I never keep track of feats. I just play for my nation," said Chhetri later.
Former captain Bhaichung Bhutia, who scored 42 goals in 107 matches, is well behind Chhetri in second place in the list of India's leading goal-scorers, and I M Vijayan, with 40 from 79 games, in third.
Guam, playing the ‘Heritage Card’ within the rules, utilised seven American players, including a couple from the MLS.
The United States territory in the North Pacific Ocean, with a population of little more than 170,000, scored once in each half through Brandon Marquee (38th minute) and Travis Nicklaw (60th minute) to script their second successive victory in the Russia 2018 World Cup preliminary joint-qualification Round 2 match.
Chhetri reduced the margin for India, heading in a cross from the right, in the third minute of added time.