Improved hosts concede four

Admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 05:09:20 +0000

Hosts Bangladesh came out of their defensive mindset to play some entertaining football but paid the price for their lack of experience as they suffered a 0-4 defeat against Jordan in their World Cup qualifying match in Dhaka on Tuesday. Much criticised for their ultra-defensive football against Australia in the previous match, which at times appeared ugly, Bangladesh finally showed their attacking ability to create several chances at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
However, they clearly lacked finishing skill that left them empty-handed in a game, which could have very different outcome than the scoreboard suggested with better striking ability of the hosts.
Jordan took full advantage of their physical and technical superiority over Bangladeshi defenders to score two goals in each half and return with a big win in the end.
Abdallah Deeb scored a brace for the visitors while Monther Abu Amara and Yaseen Bakhet scored one goal apiece to give the Arab side a much-needed win after their mundane goalless draw against Kyrgyzstan at home in the previous round.
Bangladesh head coach Lodewijk de Kruif, who returned to dug out after serving a two-match suspension, was forced to make four changes to his starting lineup that also affected the team’s harmony.
First choice goalkeeper Shahidul Alam Sohel was left out for an ankle injury while midfielder Hemantha Vincent also missed the game due to a hamstring injury he picked up in Australia.
Russell Mahmud Liton, midfielder Monaym Khan Raju replaced them respectively while Kruif also brought in defender Atiqur Rahman Meshu and defender Yamin Ahmed Chowdhury in place of forward Enamul Haque and defender Mohammad Linkon.
With the new-look squad Bangladesh looked courageous until they suffered their first setback in 14th minute when an unnecessary handball of Meshu awarded Jordan a penalty.
Abdallah Deeb made no mistake to put Jordan ahead by converting from the spot.
Bangladesh could have leveled the margin in the 18th minute but defender Yeasin saw his header following a neat corner of Mamunul Islam flew inches wide off the bar.
Rising winger Jewel Rana looked threatening for Jordan but Zahid Hasan Ameli, who started the game as Bangladesh’s lone striker, could not complement him.
In the 32nd minute Jewel beat the opponents defense, rounded off the keeper and passed it to Ameli in the middle of the box but the striker’s shot was blocked by the keeper.
Jordan doubled their lead a minute later from the resulting counter attack when Monther Abu Amara’s powerful right-footed strike from edge of the box found the back of the net after Bakheet’s initial attempt was blocked by defender Yeasin.
Jewel wasted a great chance to reduce the margin two minutes before the break, receiving a long ball from Ameli, the speedy winger found onrushing Jordan keeper alone but his placing shot went just inches wide off the empty net.
In the second half, Bangladesh lost their concentration that helped Jordan to increase the margin with two goals within just three minutes.
Kruif sent Linkon for struggling Nasirul Islam Nasir in the 49th minute but the move backfired as the defender could do little from stopping Jordan scoring two goals in the space of two minutes.
Playmaker Deeb netted his second of the evening in the 56th minute placing home a low cross of Fadel Hasan before Bakheet struck two minutes later after breaking into the penalty area from the left side.
Forward Abdul Baten Komol replaced Meshu in 75th minute and created an instant impact initiating a couple of notable attacks but Jordan’s veteran keeper Amer Shafi denied him on both occasions.
RESULT
Bangladesh 0 v Jordan 4 (Deeb 14, 57, Monther Abu Amara 33, Bakheet 59)

-With New Age input

The post Improved hosts concede four appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

De Kruif laments poor defending

Admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 05:08:03 +0000

Bangladesh coach Lodewijk de Kruif blamed his defenders for a big defeat against Jordan despite their spirited show in their World Cup qualifying match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Tuesday. Buoyed on by their home advantage, Bangladesh took a positive approach in the game attacking Jordan, ranking-wise a much superior side, whenever they had an opportunity, but their defensive fragility means the hosts conceded two goals in each half to suffer a 0-4 defeat.
Defender Atiqur Rahman Meshu, who was playing as an extra-defender, committed the first blunder when he needlessly handled the ball inside the danger zone to give Jordan a penalty in the 14th minute.
‘When you make such kind of mistakes at this level and also can’t convert the chances that comes to your way, you cannot expect to win a game like this,’ said a frustrated Kruif.
‘We did not play that bad in the first-half. Nothing went wrong expect the two goals for defensive mistakes which were ridiculous.
‘About the first goal, the first mistake was letting the ball bounce when you clear it and that too inside the 18-yard box. [And then]Somebody was trying to play football with arms.
‘It’s penalty kick. I don’t know where it came from but it has to do with maturity,’ said Kruif.
‘And the second goal is also a Santa Claus present because inside the box we needed to clear the ball at the first chance but we could not do that. We gave way the game at that moment.’
Kruif also admitted his backline was suffering with fitness problems.
‘Lack of concentration and fitness left my team suffer. I think Munna [Yeamin Ahmed] was not able to play for 90 minutes, Meshu [Atiqur Rahman] was tired, Yeasin [Khan] was also very tired and all they could do was apologise to me after the game,’ he said.
Kruif was also frustrated with his forwards, who wasted a handful of chances.
‘We created three 100 per cent chances [in the first-half] but we missed all of them,’ said Kruif.
‘I told Yeasin during the pre-match meeting that he will get that ball and it came to him as I expected. But he blew it away,’ Kruif said, referring to defender’s header wide above the post off a Mamunul corner.
‘With a little bit of luck and good organisation, we could have drawn or lose by 1-0 or 2-1. We did not deserve this big defeat.’
Bangladesh will face Kyrgyzstan in their fifth qualifiers match in Bishkek on October 13.

-With New Age input

The post De Kruif laments poor defending appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.

bangladesh vs jordan - Dhaka Mirror

Improved hosts concede four

De Kruif laments poor defending