The Blues go down 2-1 to Lao Toyota away in AFC Cup despite late attempts at fighting back

THE BLUES BEGAN their journey in AFC Cup with a defeat away to Lao Toyota as they fell a goal short despite a flurry of attacks late in the game.

Missing a couple of key players in the squad, including skipper Sunil Chhetri, Bengaluru FC started with Kim Song-Yong up front supported by C.K. Vineeth. They had Beikhokhei Beingaichho on the right and Michael Collins teamed up with Alwyn George and Shankar Sampingraj to run the midfield. Lalthuammawia Ralte took position under the sticks, while defense regulars Curtis Osano, John Johnson and Rino Anto were joined by Lalchhuan Mawia.

The Blues started the game on the wrong foot. Early on, the defenders were caught unawares and Japanese striker Kazuo Homma was given enough room to run straight through with acres of space and finish past Ralte. 3 minutes in, Lao Toyota were 1-0 up.

It was Vineeth who earned the first real chance for the away team when he got past the Lao Toyota defensive line and set up Alwyn George who fumbled at the finish. Rino Anto came up with a good run as he sent a cross to Vineeth right inside the LTFC box but the latter couldn't receive it.

The cards came out as the battle heated up. Michael Collins got a yellow when he tackled an opponent medio hard. Then Ralte got booked for a handball that appeared to have been wrongly given; the ball had hit his belly.

But the resulting free kick, taken impeccably by Phatthana Syvilay, went straight in, leaving the defenders standing on their spots. Just before half-time, Lao Toyota went up 2-0.

In the second half BFC did all they could to come back. Westwood fielded a squad with an altered midfield and more aggressive approach. Beikho and Alwyn George came off to make way for Malsawmzuala and forward Udanta Singh. 

Fresh from India U-23 duty, Udanta had an immediate impact on the game. He ran hard and created a good chance for Collins who shot the ball straight at the keeper. Moukda Souksavath, who was marking Udanta, grew increasingly frustrated with the latter's speed and was reduced to making reckless tackles. Two rash ones got him two quick yellows and by the 65th minute, he had recieved his marching orders. Suddenly, Lao Toyota were down to 10 men and Bengaluru FC could sense a comeback. They doubled down on the attack, bringing in debutant striker Daniel Lalhlimpuia to replace medio Shankar Sampingraj.

Very soon it became a one way traffic with BFC regularly being on the offensive. Kim Song-Yong managed to get past a number of defenders to set up Michael Collins but the latter's shot got blocked. Soon Kim got straight clear of the defenders again but couldn't finish from a one-on-one situation with the keeper.

The highly sought goal finally came in the 91st minute, when C.K. Vineeth managed to latch onto a good ball and put it in the net. This was followed by a number of good chances, none of which were converted. After 4 minutes of nervy action in the added time, the Blues ended the match at 2-1.

The Federation Cup winners will rue the number of chances they have missed in this game. Over the last 3 weeks they have suffered 3 defeats in the I-League and this is their second loss on the trot in all competitions; for the first time this season, and a rare occurence in their history. But they will take heart from the way their team fought hard to come back from 2 goals down; on another day at least 3-4 of their attempts could have gone in. When they face this Lao Toyota team again, with a full squad and at home, it's likely to be a different story.