East Bengal’s dreams shattered by squandered chances; coach claims a penalty, while a frustrated Habas asserts that matches cannot be won this way

XtraTime Newsdesk

East Bengal are playing some strange football in the AFC Champions League Two. They have been producing impressive performances against clubs from some of Asia’s strongest footballing nations. They have dominated games and played some excellent football, yet they have either lost or settled for a draw. Tuesday was no different. East Bengal suffered a 0-2 defeat against Oman’s Al Seeb in a match where they could easily have scored at least three or four goals.

How can a team win matches after wasting so many chances? Head coach Antonio Lopez Habas made exactly this point. Even Al Seeb’s coach admitted that East Bengal had created numerous opportunities but failed to convert them. “We were lucky,” he acknowledged.

Almost everyone missed chances, from Dani Ramirez to Rashid and David. On the other hand, Prabhsukhan Gill made another outstanding save. However, perhaps the second goal would never have happened had East Bengal not conceded the first. After conceding late in the game, everyone pushed forward in search of an equaliser. That left them vulnerable, and Al Seeb capitalised on a loose ball to score their second goal on the counter-attack. But East Bengal could have finished the contest long before that.

Anwar Ali’s early injury and subsequent substitution also proved costly. It disrupted the team's balance. With Rashid and Jiksan having to pay additional attention to defensive duties, the Dani-Rashid combination could not function as effectively as it might have. However, after witnessing the number of chances East Bengal squandered, perhaps there is little point in making excuses.

Understandably, Habas was extremely frustrated and disappointed. He is particularly annoyed at the team's habit of conceding goals after the 85th minute. The repeated late setbacks have clearly tested his patience. On the missed chances, he was blunt: you simply cannot win matches like this! The East Bengal coach also questioned why his team were not awarded a penalty.

After the match, a lone voice from the otherwise empty stands could be heard faintly chanting, “Go back” at Habas. Did the coach hear it?

One particular decision by Habas has also raised questions. Why does he keep delaying the introduction of Lobo? Why is he taking so long to bring him on, match after match?

Habas's record in the AFC competitions has not been particularly impressive. And despite playing good football, the same pattern seems to be continuing this season as well. For now, East Bengal must shift their focus back to the ISL. What else can Habas say at this point?