Head coach Stephen Constantine's strategy of making seven changes in his starting eleven did not yield the desired result as India suffered a 1-2 defeat at the hands of New Zealand in their final league match of the Intercontinental Cup football tournament here today.

Despite the loss, the Indian team is still one foot in the final to be played on June 10 with six points from two earlier wins. The home team had beaten Chinese Taipei (5-0) and Kenya (3-0).

India took the lead through captain Sunil Chhetri in the 47th minute but New Zealand rallied through goals from Andre Earnest De Jong (49th) and Moses Dyer (86th) as the Indian defence looked shaky all through the match in front of a full-house Mumbai Football Arena.

For Chhetri, who was playing in his 101st match, it was his 62nd international goal, levelling with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (62 from 116 matches) of Sweden and Ronaldo (62 from 98 matches) of Brazil.

If Kenya beat Chinese Taipei tomorrow, it will be a complicated calculation to decide who play in the final. In that situation, all the three teams -- India, Kenya and Chinese Taipei -- will have six points each and head-to-head results will be considered and then the goal difference.

Since India has a goal difference of plus 7 as against plus 1 of New Zealand, it has a big chance to make it to the final.&nbsp;

New Zealand had more chances in the first half as they kept the Indian defence under intense pressure after the half-hour mark. But they failed to find the Indian net and both teams went to the breather goal-less. 
Just after resumption, Chhetri scored in the most bizarre way of giving his side a 1-0 lead.

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Individual errors cost us the match, says Constantine. 
 
Read: <a href="https://t.co/K3gWhN67lD">https://t.co/K3gWhN67lD</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BackTheBlue?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BackTheBlue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreIndia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvNZL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvNZL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsianDream?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsianDream</a> <a href="https://t.co/rDFATVKkpp">pic.twitter.com/rDFATVKkpp</a>
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianFootball/status/1004784930256089088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A back pass to New Zealand custodian Woud prompted him forward but his poor clearance hit Chhetri's foot and rolled back into the goal.

But, India's joy was short-lived. Sarpreet Singh slipped the ball through to De Jong, who gave a fine finishing touch, sending the ball into the right corner of the net.

After the comfortable wins in the first two matches, Constantine made as many as seven changes in his starting line-up though he made five substitutions later on.&nbsp;

One of them was goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu who made way for Amrinder Singh. He had also initially benched experienced Jeje Lalpekhua and Sandesh Jhinghan, who were back in the second half.

New Zealand showed an aggressive intent and in the third minute Sarpreet Singh drooped it from a high but Amrinder parried it away to the left. Jai Ingham was nearby but Salam Ranjan Singh kicked the ball out.

The second chance for the Kiwis came in the 13th minute when right back Justin Gulley crossed the ball in a tight angle to Andre De Jong, whose header went above the crossbar.

For India, Chhetri did well to bring the ball down from a diagonal pass from Mohd Rafique but it was taken away by Kiwi custodian Micheal Woud. The India skipper appealed for a penalty but it was dismissed by the referee.

In the 28th minute, Udanta Singh came in for Rafique.

The best chance for New Zealand in the first half came in the 35th minute when Ingham floated a corner to the near post, which was headed by Myer Bevan, but Amrinder managed to keep it at bay.

Minutes before the half-time came two good chances for India. Chhetri had made his way into the middle to give the ball to Ashique, but the winger took long to get his feet.

Another chance was when Ashique sent in a cross which was headed back to Chhetri by Balwant Singh but the India skipper shot above the bar. At the half-time it was 0-0.

India suffered a 1-2 defeat at the hands of New Zealand in their final league match of the Intercontinental Cup football tournament

Head coach Stephen Constantine's strategy of making seven changes in his starting eleven did not yield the desired result as India suffered a 1-2 defeat at the hands of New Zealand in their final league match of the Intercontinental Cup football tournament here today. Despite the loss, the Indian team is still one foot in the final to be played on June 10 with six points from two earlier wins. The home team had beaten Chinese Taipei (5-0) and Kenya (3-0). India took the lead through captain Sunil Chhetri in the 47th minute but New Zealand rallied through goals from Andre Earnest De Jong (49th) and Moses Dyer (86th) as the Indian defence looked shaky all through the match in front of a full-house Mumbai Football Arena. For Chhetri, who was playing in his 101st match, it was his 62nd international goal, levelling with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (62 from 116 matches) of Sweden and Ronaldo (62 from 98 matches) of Brazil. If Kenya beat Chinese Taipei tomorrow, it will be a complicated calculation to decide who play in the final. In that situation, all the three teams -- India, Kenya and Chinese Taipei -- will have six points each and head-to-head results will be considered and then the goal difference. Since India has a goal difference of plus 7 as against plus 1 of New Zealand, it has a big chance to make it to the final. New Zealand had more chances in the first half as they kept the Indian defence under intense pressure after the half-hour mark. But they failed to find the Indian net and both teams went to the breather goal-less. Just after resumption, Chhetri scored in the most bizarre way of giving his side a 1-0 lead. Individual errors cost us the match, says Constantine. Read: https://t.co/K3gWhN67lD#BackTheBlue #WeAreIndia #INDvNZL #AsianDream pic.twitter.com/rDFATVKkpp — Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 7, 2018 × A back pass to New Zealand custodian Woud prompted him forward but his poor clearance hit Chhetri's foot and rolled back into the goal. But, India's joy was short-lived. Sarpreet Singh slipped the ball through to De Jong, who gave a fine finishing touch, sending the ball into the right corner of the net. After the comfortable wins in the first two matches, Constantine made as many as seven changes in his starting line-up though he made five substitutions later on. One of them was goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu who made way for Amrinder Singh. He had also initially benched experienced Jeje Lalpekhua and Sandesh Jhinghan, who were back in the second half. New Zealand showed an aggressive intent and in the third minute Sarpreet Singh drooped it from a high but Amrinder parried it away to the left. Jai Ingham was nearby but Salam Ranjan Singh kicked the ball out. The second chance for the Kiwis came in the 13th minute when right back Justin Gulley crossed the ball in a tight angle to Andre De Jong, whose header went above the crossbar. For India, Chhetri did well to bring the ball down from a diagonal pass from Mohd Rafique but it was taken away by Kiwi custodian Micheal Woud. The India skipper appealed for a penalty but it was dismissed by the referee. In the 28th minute, Udanta Singh came in for Rafique. The best chance for New Zealand in the first half came in the 35th minute when Ingham floated a corner to the near post, which was headed by Myer Bevan, but Amrinder managed to keep it at bay. Minutes before the half-time came two good chances for India. Chhetri had made his way into the middle to give the ball to Ashique, but the winger took long to get his feet. Another chance was when Ashique sent in a cross which was headed back to Chhetri by Balwant Singh but the India skipper shot above the bar. At the half-time it was 0-0.

Intercontinental Cup: India suffer 1-2 defeat against New Zealand

The Indian national men's senior team will take on New Zealand in their third game of the Intercontinental Cup 2018 at the Mumbai Football Arena in Mumbai on June 7.

Sunil Chhetri-led team India will look to extend the winning run ahead of the final clash.

The match will be played on June 7, 2018 and will begin at 8 pm IST. All the tickets for the Indian football team's remaining Intercontinental Cup matches have been sold out.

On June 2, Chhetri posted a video on social networking sites and pleaded to fellow citizens to come and support the Blue Tigers at the stadiums at every possible opportunity.

India responded to the emotional request of Sunil Chhetri and a full house stadium greeted him at Mumbai Arena Stadium for the match against Kenya which India registered a comprehensive 3-0 victory against Kenya.

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India are going to face <a href="https://twitter.com/NZ_Football?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NZ_Football</a> in the final match of the round robin stage of the Hero Intercontinental Cup tonight. Let the winning momentum continue <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvNZL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvNZL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BackTheBlue?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BackTheBlue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreIndia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsianDream?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsianDream</a> <a href="https://t.co/DaqqnOzNFT">pic.twitter.com/DaqqnOzNFT</a>
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianFootball/status/1004587472515260416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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After the goalless first half, Chhetri scored after a controversial penalty that was given to the hosts in the 68th minute to give a lead to the team. Again, took advantage in the extra time and scored the third goal for the team. He converted a beautiful cross-field assist from Balwant Singh to celebrate his 100th international match.

Sunil Chhetri thanked the supporters who turned up at Mumbai Football Arena to watch that match.

All the tickets for the Indian football team's remaining Intercontinental Cup matches have been sold out

The Indian national men's senior team will take on New Zealand in their third game of the Intercontinental Cup 2018 at the Mumbai Football Arena in Mumbai on June 7. Sunil Chhetri-led team India will look to extend the winning run ahead of the final clash. The match will be played on June 7, 2018 and will begin at 8 pm IST. All the tickets for the Indian football team's remaining Intercontinental Cup matches have been sold out. On June 2, Chhetri posted a video on social networking sites and pleaded to fellow citizens to come and support the Blue Tigers at the stadiums at every possible opportunity. India responded to the emotional request of Sunil Chhetri and a full house stadium greeted him at Mumbai Arena Stadium for the match against Kenya which India registered a comprehensive 3-0 victory against Kenya. India are going to face @NZ_Football in the final match of the round robin stage of the Hero Intercontinental Cup tonight. Let the winning momentum continue #INDvNZL #BackTheBlue #WeAreIndia #AsianDream pic.twitter.com/DaqqnOzNFT — Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 7, 2018 × After the goalless first half, Chhetri scored after a controversial penalty that was given to the hosts in the 68th minute to give a lead to the team. Again, took advantage in the extra time and scored the third goal for the team. He converted a beautiful cross-field assist from Balwant Singh to celebrate his 100th international match. Sunil Chhetri thanked the supporters who turned up at Mumbai Football Arena to watch that match.

India vs New Zealand, Intercontinental Cup: Sunil Chhetri-led Indian team look to extend winning run

The Intercontinental Cup is a four-nation association football tournament which is underway.&nbsp;This is the first edition and will be concluded on June 10, 2018.

The tournament is organised by The All India Football Federation (AIFF) which is treated as a part of the senior men's team's preparation for 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

It is a great initiative taken by India to promote football at the grassroots level and also it will be a morale booster of the India team ahead of Asia Cup.

According to the FIFA Rankings, as of June 1, 2018, the Indian team was ranked 97 when they entered the competition. Although, it is expected that the team will better their international ranking after this tournament.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-indian-football-team-salutes-sunil-chhetri-on-his-100th-match--142096">Watch: Indian Football team salutes Sunil Chhetri on his 100th match</a>

Apart from India, Kenya, New Zealand and Chinese Taipei have also participated. The Chinese Taipei national football team is the official name given by FIFA to the national association football team of Taiwan aka. The Republic of China.

Initially, South Africa was announced to participate in the tournament but Kenya later replaced them when South Africa expressed its inability to participate.

So far, India leads the tally by winning the first match 5-0 which was against Chinese Taipei.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/intercontinental-cup-2018-all-eyes-on-chhetri-as-india-face-kenya-in-mumbai--142086">Intercontinental Cup 2018: All eyes on Chhetri as India face Kenya in Mumbai</a>

Star footballer of India, Sunil Chhetri is the top goalscorer of the tournament with a hat-trick that he scored against Chinese Taipei.

India will play its next match against Kenya on June 4 and the finals will be played on June 10 at the Mumbai Football Arena.

Star footballer of India, Sunil Chhetri is the top goalscorer of the tournament with a hat-trick that he scored against Chinese Taipei

The Intercontinental Cup is a four-nation association football tournament which is underway. This is the first edition and will be concluded on June 10, 2018. The tournament is organised by The All India Football Federation (AIFF) which is treated as a part of the senior men's team's preparation for 2019 AFC Asian Cup. It is a great initiative taken by India to promote football at the grassroots level and also it will be a morale booster of the India team ahead of Asia Cup. According to the FIFA Rankings, as of June 1, 2018, the Indian team was ranked 97 when they entered the competition. Although, it is expected that the team will better their international ranking after this tournament. Watch: Indian Football team salutes Sunil Chhetri on his 100th match Apart from India, Kenya, New Zealand and Chinese Taipei have also participated. The Chinese Taipei national football team is the official name given by FIFA to the national association football team of Taiwan aka. The Republic of China. Initially, South Africa was announced to participate in the tournament but Kenya later replaced them when South Africa expressed its inability to participate. So far, India leads the tally by winning the first match 5-0 which was against Chinese Taipei. Intercontinental Cup 2018: All eyes on Chhetri as India face Kenya in Mumbai Star footballer of India, Sunil Chhetri is the top goalscorer of the tournament with a hat-trick that he scored against Chinese Taipei. India will play its next match against Kenya on June 4 and the finals will be played on June 10 at the Mumbai Football Arena.

All you need to know about the Intercontinental Cup 2018

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Intercontinental Cup: India suffer 1-2 defeat against New Zealand

India vs New Zealand, Intercontinental Cup: Sunil Chhetri-led Indian team look to extend winning run

All you need to know about the Intercontinental Cup 2018