India's Kolkata-based soccer club East Bengal FC played an away match in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League 2 against Jordan's champion Al Hussein.
East Bengal FC, which had scored two goals in the first half alone to take a 2-0 lead, surrendered two consecutive goals to Al Hussein in the second half.
Despite their pursuit continuing until the final whistle, East Bengal, which had victory within reach, ultimately settled for one point each.
Three-line summary
1. September 16, Amman, Jordan, East Bengal 2-2 draw
2. Led 2-0 in the first half, conceded two goals in the second half
3. The equalizing goal was scored in the 42nd minute of the second half
East Bengal's Away Debut with a Two-Goal First-Half Lead
The AFC Champions League 2 is the newly restructured second-tier Asian club competition this year. East Bengal won the group stage berth by defeating Kuwait's Al Arabi SC last month. According to The Times of India, East Bengal continued this winning streak and won the Durand Cup final, defeating rival Mohun Bagan SG. Coach Antonio López Habas said ahead of the away match, "I want to replicate the winning momentum we've maintained over the past two months in the Al Hussein match." East Bengal brought only three foreign players—Dani Ramírez, Mohamed Rashid, and Diego Zibulic from Croatia—on the away trip, with the remaining spots filled by domestic Indian players.
The match was held on September 16 at the Amman International Stadium in Amman, Jordan's capital. According to Sportstar's broadcast, East Bengal scored two goals in the first half alone, taking a 2-0 lead. The home team Al Hussein had struggled in recent form, losing three of their last five matches, and took the field under interim head coach Bashar Bani Yaseen after parting ways with head coach Ahmad Hayel.
Second-Half Comeback Created by Two Substitute Players
The flow changed after halftime. In the 61st minute, Al Hussein's Al Mardhi scored past goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill with a chip shot to make it 1-2. In the 70th minute, East Bengal brought on Narender Galot to solidify their defense, and in the 75th minute brought in Rohit Danu, Rainier Fernandes, and David Hmar simultaneously to protect the lead. However, in the 87th minute, two substitute players for Al Hussein connected perfectly. Obeida Al Naamarnah's cross was converted into a goal by Ahmad Asaf, who also came off the bench, to equalize at 2-2. After several more tense moments in extra time, the score did not change again, and the match ended 2-2. East Bengal's Dani Ramírez said in an interview with Sportstar, "While I think we could have won, I'm not completely satisfied, but there's meaning in just being able to play on the Asian stage."
Next Group Stage Opponents
With this draw, both teams earned one point each. East Bengal plays their next group stage match at home against Al Shorta, and Al Hussein will travel to Oman to face Al Seeb.
References
- East Bengal FC, "Excited" out to make momentum count in Jordan — The Times of India
- East Bengal vs Al Hussein ACL 2 match coverage — Sportstar
Tags #EastBengal #AlHussein #AFCChampionsLeague2 #ACL2 #IndianFootball #JordanFootball #AsianClubCompetition #DurandCup #MohunBagan #AmmanInternationalStadium #CoachHabas #DaniRamirez #KolkataFootball