Asian Cup 2019: 5 Things We Learned as India lose to UAE  

India's finishing was not up to the mark. Photo Courtesy: Indian Football Twitter handle
India's finishing was not up to the mark. Photo Courtesy: Indian Football Twitter handle

#3 UAE taking control of the second half

Khalfan Mubarak of UAE after scoring the first goal
Khalfan Mubarak of UAE after scoring the first goal

While the first half saw India develop attacks even after seeing very few minutes of the ball, the second 45 minutes was mostly dominated by UAE. The beginning after the break showed glimpses of India making a comeback, trying out on attacks like they did in their previous match. However, the team in whites took control of every part of the field as Stephen Constantine's men found it hard to find the scoresheet.

The Indian manager changed tactics from the kick off in the second half, as Jeje Lalpekhlua was introduced replacing Halicharan Narzary. Substitutions in the form of Rowllin Borges and Jackichand Singh also had very little influence over the game.

The second half had UAE enjoy more than 61% of the possession. Alberto Zaccheroni also made a tactic of shifting their attacks from the left wing to right wing in the latter half. While Pritam Kotal was the first defender who was well troubled, Subhasish Bose also had a lot to deal with in the final 45 minutes.

Thus, a plan well framed and executed got India very little on the pitch, apart from the occasional attempts on goal that went nowhere. Indeed, it was UAE's control over the game in the second half, that kept India away from goals.

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