I-League 2018-19: Indian Arrows 1-0 Shillong Lajong - 5 Talking Points

#2 Movements predictable for Indian Arrows

Anwar Ali shrugs off Mahesh Singh's challenge

This could be apprehended right from the formation with which Floyd Pinto employed his men. He knew that Shillong Lajong would attack centrally and thus, deployed three midfielders in the central position to nullify the threat. The fact that he freed Boris of his defensive duties is a further testament to it as he was confident they wouldn't be a threat down the wings.

Even when they were indulged in one-on-one situations, the Arrows' defender always came out on top. The back four of Anwar Ali, Narender, Ashish Rai, and Aimol knew what they were doing.

The Blue Colts even played with a high back line and caught Naorem Singh and Lalmuanpuia offside on a couple of occasions. This is a risky tactic as the opposing team is attacking centrally and a single mistake could leave the strikers in a one-on-one situation with the keeper. However, it paid dividends on this situation.