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Will Bryce spice contest for the left side?
Bryce Miranda (Source: Instagram)
Bryce Brian Miranda was spread-eagled on the Xiaoshan Sports Centre Stadium pitch when Samuel Kynshi and then Sunil Chhetri walked up to pat him. Congratulations were in order since Rahmat Mia’s challenge had felled Miranda and fetched a penalty. One that would have a big influence on whether India would get out of the group or go home early.
Of course, Sunil Chhetri still had to score but till he misses one, his one-step penalty routine is the closest to a certain goal for India. So, after the loss against China where India didn’t have enough outfield players to make five substitutions, Miranda bursting through and being felled by the Bangladesh skipper was a pivotal moment. One that along with Rahul KP’s wondergoal and the penalty Rahim Ali won took India out of the group for the first time since 2010 and only the second time this century.
A natural left-footer
In the time of inverted wingers, Miranda is old school. He hugs the left touchline waiting for a ball, sprints when he gets it and tries to deliver into the box. Driving inside, like, say, Liston Colaco is not for this player from Mumbai whom Renedy Singh first saw in when he was East Bengal’s assistant-coach. Miranda was at Churchill Brothers playing in the I-League.
Renedy recalled seeing a hard-working player and a natural left-footer. “Can’t remember seeing too many from when I began,” said Renedy, now Bengaluru FC’s assistant-coach. Jo Paul Ancheri, Alvito d’Cunha, Clifford Miranda and Sahal Abdul Samad were his top-of-the-mind recalls of attacking left-footed players from 1996, when Renedy stepped out of Tata Football Academy and joined Mohun Bagan, to now.
For context, Renedy is a natural right-footer who worked on his other leg to become one of India’s most reliable wide left players, one who had a 13-year international career and led both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. I owe so many goals to him, Chhetri had said when they were together at East Bengal in 2008-09.
Miranda started all group stage games in Hangzhou, scootering down the left, delivering balls into the box, taking corner-kicks and winning fouls. He and Abdul Rabeeh Anjukandan have been revelations in an Asian Games campaign that has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, India not being able to take their full complement of 22 players being just one of them.
Rabeeh, he is called that, has shown he can play in different positions: defender, wide right and even in central midfield. For Miranda, only left has felt right.
“100% in training”
Till he cramped against China and against Bangladesh and Myanmar, Miranda was an outlet to stretch play. “He is fast and delivers well,” said Renedy. But football has come a long way since that was all such players were expected to do. He needs to work on getting into defensive positions faster, said Renedy. It is a mental shift, Miranda has the speed and strength to do that, he said. Evidence of the point Renedy made came in the opening game, the sternest test India faced before Saudi Arabia.
But then, Miranda turned 24 one day before the game against Myanmar. From turning out in the Mumbai league, I-League, being part of FC Goa’s development squad, playing under Igor Stimac in India’s under-23 team in 2021, to his second season at Kerala Blasters, Miranda has worked his way up. And on getting stronger. It has led to a chiselled upper body he doesn’t mind flaunting.
There is a lot to learn but it would be a fair assumption to think he wouldn’t shirk. “He always gives his 100% in training,” said India defender Pritam Kotal, now Miranda’s teammate at Kerala Blasters. “But now, that everyone knows how he plays, now that the spotlight will often be on him, it will have to be seen how he can add to his game,” said Kotal, the most-capped player in ISL.
Though he has been better as a wing-back than as attacking midfielder, in a season that has the Merdeka Cup in October, the World Cup qualifying cycle from November and the Asian Cup in January, Miranda’s form is good news. Especially because Ashique Kuruniyan is unlikely to be available because of injury.
With Colaco hitting form (yes, yes, I know the season is only two games old), Mahesh Naorem off to a good start, Ritwik Das likely to return from injury and Bipin Singh staying integral to Mumbai City FC’s plans, the possible addition of Miranda would make for a stiffer contest for the left-side attacking player. Lallianzuala Chhangte too can play in that position and usually does, shifting from the right when Udanta Singh is introduced.
Possibly an unintended consequence of ISL preferring foreigners in the team’s spine (leading to Indians being used as full backs and wide players), India is well-stocked with players who can sortie on the flanks. Nandhakumar Sekar, Udanta, Rahul KP, Manvir Singh and Chhangte are some of the options on the right and on both sides, there are full backs who have speed. As Rahul showed leaving the Chinese defender trailing in his wake, that’s always a good thing.
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