#2 Defensive woes not resolved
If India had defensive issues in the second half against Tajikistan, North Korea exploited it right from the beginning. A completely altered defence line couldn't solve any of Stimac's troubles. As desired, Sandesh Jhingan was back in action but paired with an out-of-form Subhasish Bose. The lapses made by inexperienced Narender Ghalot was repeated by Bose, playing his 16th international match.
The two full-backs Pritam Kotal and Jerry Lalrinzuala were constantly caught at fault, giving away possession cheaply. While Jerry contributed in attack in the second half, Pritam was a silent presence throughout the game. Jhingan was forced out in the first half following an injury and was replaced by Adil Khan. However, the Pune City defender couldn't help India from conceding again. Rahul Bheke's introduction in the second half was also not a success.
The issues that remained at Indian defence were many. All of the five goals conceded had errors from the defenders or goalkeeper. The centre-backs failed to guard spaces and the Korean attackers had far too much room to pick passes and even to take shots.