We should have done better with the finishing: Sunil Chhetri
India captain Sunil
Chhetri was left to rue poor finishing in Thursday night’s 2-0 Asian Cup defeat
to hosts UAE, but says his side will “fight until the last second” for a place
in the knockout stages.
India were right to feel
aggrieved by the loss at Zayed Sports City Stadium when, despite creating a
number of early chances, they fell behind to Khalfan Mubarak’s strike three
minutes before half time.
India then struck the
woodwork twice in the second half, with UAE striker Ali Mabkhout scoring in the
last minute to make secure the three points.
However, Stephen
Constantine's team still sit second in Group A thanks to their opening 4-1
victory against Thailand. The standings mean, should they defeat Bahrain on Monday,
they will be guaranteed progression to the last 16.
Asked following the
reverse if India deserved to lose to the UAE, Chhetri said: “It’s easy for me
to say no, but we didn’t convert chances and they did. So we can’t say they
didn’t deserve to win. We should’ve done better with the finishing - things
would’ve been different.
“We’re a bit
disappointed. We did enough to get a little more from the game. In these kind
of big games you’ve got to take your chances. It’s one of those days where we
didn’t convert our chances and, in a big game, you don’t get this many
chances.”
Chhetri conceded he was
culpable for spurning two gilt-edged opportunities in the first half, one a
header straight at UAE goalkeeper Khalid Essa with the match goalless and the
other a pulled shot immediately after the home side had taken the lead shortly
before half time.
“This is one of the
important lessons, we knew it,” Chhetri said. “If at the start of the game you
would’ve told me we were going to get five chances the way we did, I would’ve
taken it. Anyone would’ve taken it. Chances like that against the UAE? You
would’ve taken it.
“But then we created
them and we didn’t convert, not a single one. If we did that before they did,
if we are 2-0 up, things are definitely different. That’s kind of nerves in big
games, that kind of confidence you get. So that’s the difference.”
Regarding Monday’s group
decider against Bahrain in Sharjah, Chhetri said: “We are confident and we will
fight. As I’ve said before, we’re not the most technical side, we’re a young
side, but we never shy away from a fight.
"We’re going to
fight right to the last second, no matter what happens. And that’s what’s going
to happen against Bahrain also. We know exactly what we want in terms of
numbers; we’re just going to go there and fight our best.”