Indian football team in action (@IndianFootball/Twitter)The Indian Football Team suffered a shock defeat to UAE in the AFC Asian Cup, 2019, despite dominating the game with as much as six clear chances falling the way of Stephen Constantine's ‘boys in blue’. A cruel mixture of clinical finishing by UAE and India’s bad luck led to the defeat.
Despite the loss, there were still plenty of positives to take away from the game as unlike previous years the blue tigers did not buckle under pressure.
From captain Sunil Chhetri to winger Udanta Singh, India had a handful of clear cut chances but lacked either a quality finish or hit the bar.
On the other hand, the hosts finished clinically and took both the opportunities with open arms. Their goalkeeper Khaled Eisa had a stellar game as he made a couple of crucial saves which helped his team eventually attain the victory.
India still has the knockout stages well within their sights as they are just a point behind leaders UAE at three points level Thailand. India can seal its place in the next round by beating Bahrain. If they draw in the next game, they have to hope that UAE and Thailand play out a draw.
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