Even after churning out a 2-1 win over Oman in their inaugural match of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers, India had their feet firmly rooted to the ground. Coach Igor Stimac rightly mentioned before the match that UAE were technically superior to Oman and his troops will give utmost respect to the opposition.
The Whites were the dominant force throughout the 90 minutes and they deservedly walked away with the three points. However, there were plenty of positives to take away from the match for India as well. They remained disciplined, dogged, and determined not to concede and were on the brink of accomplishing the mission until that ill-fated moment where they gave away the late penalty.
Let us look at the three things that stood out in the loss against UAE.
The Indian goalkeeper once again proved his pedigree as he made a couple of saves that restricted the scoreline to just 1-0. His first significant contribution came after the half-hour mark when he not only timed his advance to perfection but also made himself wide enough to narrow down Rashed Salem's angle in a one-on-one situation. Throughout the match, he was seen communicating with his backline to plug any space. In the 74th minute, he made another save with his outstretched palm to further frustrate UAE. He made five saves, an equal number of clearances, and six collections in the match which highlights the rich vein of form he was in.
Although many might consider Suresh's foul inside the box which gave UAE the penalty as the pivotal moment of the match, it was Vikram Pratap's substitution around the hour-mark that tilted the game in UAE's favour. There was a distinct change in approach and the fearless mentality, which was praiseworthy, suddenly took a backseat.
