March 12, 2025 - Today, East Bengal Football Club (EBFC) faced a tough defeat against FK Arkadag in Turkmenistan. The match was the second leg of the AFC Challenge League quarterfinals. East Bengal lost 2-1 in this game. With a 1-0 loss from the first leg in Kolkata, the total score became 3-1 for Arkadag. This result ended East Bengal’s journey in the tournament. Fans are disappointed, but the match showed both struggle and spirit from the Indian team.
The game took place at Arkadag Stadium in Turkmenistan. It started at 4:00 PM IST. East Bengal came into this match with a big challenge. They needed to win by at least two goals to stay alive in the competition. The first leg, played on March 5 in Kolkata, had ended with a 1-0 win for Arkadag. That early goal by Yazgylych Gurbanov in the 10th minute had given the Turkmenistan team a small lead. East Bengal knew they had to fight hard today to turn things around.
The first half of the match began with hope for East Bengal. The team played with energy. They wanted to score early. In the 15th minute, East Bengal got a chance. A quick pass found their striker in the box. He took a shot, but the Arkadag goalkeeper made a good save. The crowd cheered loudly for the home team. Arkadag tried to attack too. Their players moved fast, but East Bengal’s defense held strong for a while.
Then, something big happened in the 33rd minute. East Bengal scored! The goal came from a corner kick. The ball flew into the penalty area. An East Bengal player jumped high and headed it into the net. The score was now 1-0 in this match. With the first leg in mind, the tie was level at 1-1. Fans watching online felt a rush of excitement. Maybe East Bengal could do it after all.
But trouble came soon after. Just minutes later, East Bengal’s defender Lalchungnunga got a red card. He made a hard tackle on an Arkadag player. The referee showed no mercy and sent him off. Now, East Bengal had only 10 players on the field. This made things very difficult. Arkadag saw their chance. They started to push harder. East Bengal’s remaining players tried to stay tight in defense, but the game was slipping away.
The first half ended with East Bengal leading 1-0 in this leg. The total score was still 1-1. Both teams went to the locker rooms. East Bengal’s coach, Oscar Bruzon, had a big job ahead. He needed to plan with one less player. Arkadag’s coach, Wladimir Bayramow, looked calm. His team had the advantage now. The home fans clapped and shouted. They believed Arkadag could win.
The second half started with Arkadag attacking more. East Bengal tried to hold their lead. They played deeper in their half. The 10 players worked hard to block Arkadag’s moves. For a long time, it worked. The goalkeeper made some good saves. The defense cleared the ball many times. But playing with one less man was tiring them out.
Arkadag kept coming forward. In the 70th minute, they got a free kick near the penalty area. The East Bengal wall stood tall. The shot hit the wall and went out. The danger passed for now. East Bengal tried to counterattack. One player ran fast with the ball. He passed it to a teammate, but the Arkadag defense stopped the move. The game was tense. Both sides wanted to score.
As the clock ticked down, East Bengal fans hoped for a miracle. The team held on bravely. It looked like the match might end 1-0. That would mean extra time. But then, in the 89th minute, everything changed. Arkadag scored. A quick pass cut through East Bengal’s tired defense. An Arkadag striker shot the ball past the goalkeeper. The stadium erupted with noise. The score was now 1-1 in this leg, but Arkadag led 2-1 overall.
East Bengal had very little time left. They pushed forward with all they had. But in added time, disaster struck again. Arkadag scored a second goal. It was the 92nd minute. A cross came into the box. An Arkadag player tapped it in. The final score in this leg was 2-1. The total score across both legs was 3-1. East Bengal was out of the AFC Challenge League.
The whistle blew. The match was over. Arkadag players celebrated with their fans. They were moving to the semifinals. East Bengal players looked sad and tired. They had fought hard, especially after the red card. Coach Oscar Bruzon shook hands with the other team. He later said, “We gave our best, but it wasn’t enough today. The red card changed the game.”
Fans took to social media to share their thoughts. One person wrote on X, “Not surprising that a 10-man East Bengal lost 2-1 away. Arkadag are not that good. We let ourselves down.” Another fan said, “The red card killed us. But we showed heart.” Many felt the first leg loss at home was the real problem. Losing 1-0 in Kolkata made today’s task too big.
This was a big moment for East Bengal. They wanted to do well in Asia. The AFC Challenge League was a chance to shine. The team had started as underdogs in Group A. They surprised everyone by topping the group. But now, their run was over. If they had beaten Arkadag, it would have been their best-ever finish in a continental tournament.
Arkadag, a young club from Turkmenistan, proved too strong. Founded just two years ago, they have been winning a lot. They took the lead in the first leg and finished the job today. Their fans were happy. The team showed they could handle pressure. Late goals in the second leg sealed their victory.
For East Bengal, this loss hurts. The club has a long history. Fans call them the “Red and Gold.” They hoped for a trophy or at least a deep run. Now, they must focus on other competitions, like the Indian Super League (ISL). The team will learn from this. Playing in Asia is tough, but it helps them grow.
The match had some extra drama too. Reports said the referee asked Coach Bruzon to leave the bench. It’s not clear if he got a red card or just a warning. This added to East Bengal’s problems. Playing with 10 men and maybe no coach on the sideline was a huge challenge.
Looking back, East Bengal had moments of promise. The goal in the first half gave hope. The players showed fight. But the red card and late goals broke their dream. Arkadag took their chances well. They stayed calm and scored when it mattered most.
This news is fresh as of March 12, 2025. It’s a sad day for East Bengal fans. They will remember this match for a long time. The team tried, but luck and skill were not on their side. Arkadag moves forward. East Bengal goes home. Football can be cruel sometimes.
In the end, the score tells the story: East Bengal 1-2 Arkadag in this leg, 1-3 overall. The AFC Challenge League continues without an Indian team. Fans will now wait for the next season. They hope East Bengal comes back stronger. For now, the focus shifts to healing and planning ahead.
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