East Bengal lose 0-1 to Arkadag at home

Kolkata: All of East Bengal’s urgency could not compensate for their lack of efficiency in the final third. If they are still alive in the AFC Challenge League it is because FC Arkadag are only 1-0 ahead going into their home leg of the quarter-final on March 12. On the basis of East Bengal’s performance at Salt Lake stadium here on Wednesday, it looks like a tall order. Especially against a team that is not used to losing at home.

Arkadag managed the game better and had more of the big chances. Skipper and full back Bashimov Abdy hit the horizontal with a cushioned effort when East Bengal goalie Prabhsukhan Gill was out of his line. They also had a shout for penalty turned down in the 53rd minute after the ball hit Gill’s hand when he was out of his area. And it was a reflex save near half-time from Gill that denied Yazgylych Gurbanov’s header in the first half.

It was Gurbanov’s ninth minute goal that made the difference. Hector Yuste’s clearance was intercepted by left-side attacker Tirkishov Shanazar who played it forward to Gurbanov who had cut inside from his position on the right. Gurbanov opened his shoulder and foxed Lalchungnunga by going for the near post. The ball went through the East Bengal defender’s legs, who was in Gill’s line of vision, and went in at the near post.

Forcing East Bengal to chase, the Turkmen disrupted East Bengal’s momentum with fouls and absorbed everything that was thrown at them. East Bengal forced corner-kicks, hung crosses into the area but Arkadag’s defence was equal to the task. The way two Arkadag defenders converged on Raphael Messi Bouli when the gangly forward got a lucky break was proof of how sharp the back four was.

They were aided by goalkeeper Charyyev Rasul bossing the six-yard box. He fumbled once early in the second half failing to collect a delivery from the left but recovered in time to grip Richard Celis’s lob. Celis also failed to direct a free header in the 71st minute. Like it was through the evening, the ball was pinging in Arkadag’s penalty area. Unlike how most of such moves petered out, this one bounced kindly for Celis who headed over.