2019 AFC Asian Cup - The initial exuberance turned into despair for India as the host nation trounced them in the second match
- In Current Affairs
- 10:14 PM, Jan 14, 2019
- Atish Bose
Hopes were high, confidence level up after the first match but as they say battle has been won but the war is yet to be won. India started where they have left in the first game. While the initial ten minutes were devoted to weather the storm, which they did successfully, India came out in a different avatar. India cramped the midfield denying UAE any space to operate. India pressed high and as a result UAE was unable to execute their game plan. The best the host nation can manage was a few ambitious long rangers. India was relying on swift counter attack. During one such attack Sunil Chhetri released a defence splitting through ball for Ashique Kuruniyan who with his speed left his marker behind and with one to one situation with the rival keeper unleashed a drive. But all credits to the UAE shot stopper he got his hand to the ball and it went for a corner. Before Kuruniyan’s try Sandesh Jhingan missed the open net with a free header. The way India was attacking and unsettling the UAE defence it seemed just matter of time to break the deadlock.
A few minutes later Sunil Chhetri beat his marker with a towering jump but his header was straight to the rival keeper. With the half time approaching and the score line reading 0-0, India was in driver’s seat. But one drawback of the high pressing strategy is that a long ball can catch you off guard. Such a ball caught Anas Edathodika on the wrong foot and UAE went up. The very next minute Indian counter attack saw another defence splitting pass to Sunil Chhetri and he placed his shot beautifully to beat the rival shot stopper only to see it miss the goal by an inch.
After the break the story continued where it was paused. But UAE was more comfortable on the ball and controlling the mid field. Jeje was brought in to add extra potency to the attack. It almost paid off when he poked the ball in same fashion as he has done in the previous match but missed the goal by few inches. India continued to counter attack and Udanta Singh burst in to the box an unleashed a fearsome drive which hit the underside of the cross bar and rolled over for a goal kick. It seemed one of those days when the ball simply refuse to go inside the net. In the eighty ninth minute UAE put the game to bed when they scored the second of the night. But there was late drama remaining as in injury time Sandesh Jhingan’s header from a free kick just out side the box hit the upright once again.
It was a tough night for India as draw would have been a fair result for the efforts put in. Some improved finishing might come in handy for them in the last match. One thing they must work on is not conceding possession easily. It’s some time astonishing that Indian players with all the time in their hands, diligently find opposition players to give away the ball. The only result which guarantees them a passage to the knock out stages is a win against Bahrain. The last battle needs to be won in order to progress in the war.
Pic Credit: https://www.facebook.com/TheIndianFootballTeam/photos/a.445659322191547/2082027281888068/?type=3&theater
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