Pain. Fury. A hint of sadness. These emotions were writ large on Sunil Chhetri's face when he left the pitch for India in the 89th minute. Remonstrating with Manveer Singh alongside him, Chhetri could only reflect on another missed opportunity for India - the story of much of his 17 years in the national side. His exceptional free-kick, curled precisely into the top corner not three minutes prior, ought to have been the end of it. Instead, Zubayr Amiri rose, unmarked from a needlessly conceded corner, and glanced a header past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to silence the 50,000+ crowd inside the Salt Lake stadium.
In years (and decades) past, that *would* have been the end of it. A heart-breaking goal of that sort in the 88th minute would end the spirits of most teams, of most players. India were staring at the ignominy of not qualifying from an 'easy' group. Igor Stimac was staring at the sack.
Quietly, Sahal Abdul Samad replaced Chhetri on the pitch.
But you see, Sahal knows pain, he knows fury, he's intimately aware of sadness. Rewind back a year, and Sahal - born on the 1st of April - had almost become a cruel joke in Indian football. The promise that he had shown in his teens had disappeared, and coach after coach continued to not count on him, as injuries and inconsistency conspired to almost cut short a promising career.
He persevered. Unleashed by Ivan Vukomanovic, Sahal shrugged off the prevailing narrative around him and built his reputation back, every ninety minutes, every goal, bit-by-painstaking-bit. He shined, Kerala Blasters shined, and he found himself back in the limelight - a genuine hope for the future of Indian football once more. He had re-written the arc of his footballing story.
So of course, it had to be him.
And if you've been paying attention to all aspects of Indian football lately, it had to be a goal made in Kerala. Ashique Kuruniyan, who had threatened all night to lose his head, just like he had his markers, found composure in the most crucial of moments, collecting a misplaced pass. A quick flick to sidestep an incoming tackle from Farshad Noor and Ashique had space, and time.
Sahal had made a run into space on the right side of the box - Ashique found him - and like the best footballers seem to do, slowed down time and guided, not lashed, the ball past Faisal Hamidi in the Afghanistan goal. India 2-1 Afghanistan. No missed opportunity here.
Pain, fury, sadness? Gone. Gone from Chhetri's face, gone from the Indian players and the coaching staff and gone from the crowd. All that was left was ... joy.
The greatest moment of his career? "I think it's one of the greatest because it's in front of the fans, it's here in Kolkata and it's for the national team. I'm really proud," said Sahal after the game.
He had reason to be proud too, even if he played seven minutes of the game, there were positives in the entirety of that Indian performance. Stimac earned his fair share of brickbats over the years, but he deserved credit for another brave lineup. Promise oozed in all positions of the side as India played their best football in the Stimac era. The next generation of Indian youngsters fluttered about the pitch, weaving pretty patterns as they created chance after chance.
Of course, this was Afghanistan, hardly giants in the Asian football arena - and the job's still not done. Still, nights like these are why Chhetri's 37-year-old legs still run, why he continues to be ever ready to hand over the baton.
Since forever, India have conspired to throw away Chhetri's best moments. For a man of his gifts, the rare success with India is a pitiful return. It's a painful story, and one that was very nearly repeated tonight. Enter Sahal Abdul Samad and the next generation of Indian football. They may not be as good as Chhetri, but maybe, just maybe, the next generation might have it in them to rewrite the story of Indian football - from one of glorious defeat into one of, simply, victory.
No adjectives, no descriptors. Just... victory.