No overworking defence

When India qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, it happened with a lot of small margin wins. With goals coming in at the right time, it often needed the accompaniment of outstanding saves and well-timed clearances and blocks from the defence. It led to defensive frailties just being covered to see through the matches. The overload of sustained pressure would lead to difficult last quarter of the game. A trend, which obviously followed through to January 2019, in the Asian Cup group stage as well.

Well, though it may appear that the players ran out of steam towards the end of the game, it was a direct result of having to absorb the pressure over time as well as to cushion a marginal lead.

Stimac’s infusion of young blood into the team to blend in with the experienced is basically to not have a work-around for this problem but to eliminate it. At Guwahati, Bheke had the freedom to push up the flanks in support and creating the width for the team. It did come with some risk of occasional loss of position and creating a hole. What were India doing different from a few years ago? Thoughtless long-balls were nearly gone. Borges stayed deep to help out ball retrieval and prevent penetration, allowing his central partner, Thapa, to link with the wing backs and flanks.