UAE beat India in Pulsating AFC Asian Cup Match - Highlights

70’ India are lining up another substitution. Rowlin Borges on for Anirudh Thapa. Taking off the style, bringing on the guile.

71’ The referee orders a goal kick for what seemed to be a clear cut corner. Jeje does.  

The UAE side had a whopping 71 percent possession in the first half, compared to India's 29. Scoreline suggests a different kind of match altogether. India did have their chances in the first half though, especially early in the game. Of course, it's the goals that matter, not statistical highs.

72’ Interestingly enough (and on a slightly different note) India have no referees at the Asian Cup 2019. In a conversation held at the close of the last ISL season, then Head of Referees Goutam Kar had bemoaned the lack of support given to Indian referees by the association and the ISL in particular who prefer foreign referees and often pay them more. Kar, and his colleagues maintained the line ‘If you don’t let them take charge of more games how do you expect them to improve?’ It’s a fair point. With so much being invested in Indian football surely someone has to see to the fair play of the game. Even at the grassroots right?

75’ Back to the game then. Al Hammadi has a big chance on the left. He cuts in and shoots, it bounces off the post, and then off Gurpreet and somehow doesn’t go in. Incredible. India are having spaces open at the back here in their desperation to level things up. The game has collapsed a bit.

78’ UAE have a corner. The problem with playing a counter attacking game is that you cannot, absolutely cannot concede first. They are stuck between two game plans. There is an azaan in the background. How brilliant is that.

80’ Jackichand Singh comes on for Udanta who seemed to have tired out a bit. Fair play to the young man. He has done his bit for the night, and his hit off the underside of the bar was really one of the highlights of India’s second half.

86’ The legs just not there anymore, it seems. I think Constantine is probably looking at putting up the strongest possible showing against Bahrain in four days’ time. So he’s giving as many guys a rest as he can. Ashique did well to chase down the ball but he just doesn't have the juice left to also make something of it.

85’ Nothing to read here. Mubarak comes off. His goal separates the sides.

88' UAE have it in the bag. Long ball catches the Indian defence napping.  Ali Mabkout’s first touch is superb and with his second he turns Pritam Kotal inside out. Into the bottom corner. India have been good, but they have been caught out on the counter twice, after being tired out by the hosts who have held the possession and made them run around.

90’ UAE will go to the top of the group tonight. But, and here’s where the real match comes in: India will stay second, because of a better goal difference. The second has knocked the stuffing out of them. They were better in the first half, but have been flat for large parts of this.

90’ +1’ India line up a freekick on the left and Rowlin floats a beauty in. Jhingan gets his head to it, it’s a great connect but guess what… that underside of the bar refuses to budge. It could’ve been all so different if not for that.

And that’s that. The hosts have their first win and the crowd is bouncing. It wasn’t as convincing as a 2-0 scoreline makes it sound, and India had the clearer chances through the game, but were also somewhat outplayed for parts of it. When you’re using the midfield only as a screen, and not an outlet for the ball, the result will usually be very low possession numbers. UAE’s subs closed down the midfield in dominant manner when they had the lead. With 30 percent or so of the ball the Indians were chasing for all 90 minutes of the game. There will be some tired Indian boys tonight. Full marks for the shift, but UAE have been boss in the middle of the park. Adn the result does it. India are second in the group and have all to play for in their game against Bahrain.

Fair result this. My 420 Grams co-host didn’t get everything right in our pregame video. But he did call the score. India did much better, again, than I had reckoned they would. Tough night’s work for the 14 who made it onto the pitch. The UAE were better in most aspects. But, on another day, India could have got a goal or two. Udanta’s strike just needed to be a couple of inches further under the bar and Chhetri you would put money on to nail that header. But that is why we watch this sport.

As for the good part: India are still alive in the tournament. Hypothetically, we could still even top the group. We have managed to hold on to a positive goal difference and will go into the Bahrain game knowing anything is possible. Wide open group. Much fun still to be had. Newsclick will be back in a few hours with more on the Asian Cup 2019. Thanks for coming to the page and going through the game with us. Keep coming back. Good night.