JOIN USBengaluru FC’s reserve side suffered a 1-2 defeat to Japan’s Avispa Fukuoka under-18 side in a friendly game at the Bangalore Football stadium on Saturday.
Striker Hirohisa Ohata scored twice (58th, 82nd minutes) for the visitors, while Prashanth Kalinga pulled one back for Bengaluru in the 86th minute.
The match, organised as a part of Indo-Japan relation building process following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe last year, saw a large number of Japanese based in the city turn up to cheer for the Fukuoka side.
And they had enough and more reasons to do so as the visitors dominated the game with incessant waves of attack. Winger Ohata combined well with Minato Kai up front and the duo was a constant threat to the Bengaluru defence.
Kai was the first to test the Bengaluru defence with a side-footed volley from just outside the box. But to his dismay, the ball deflected of Kalinga’s legs to safety.
Bengaluru too had their say in the opening half with Leon and Isak Vanlalrutfela going inches wide of the target. Despite the chances, both sides lacked the finishing touch as half-time arrived with the score remaining goalless.
Though the Bengaluru coach John Kenneth Raj brought on first team regular Alwyn George in the second half, it was the Japanese side that took the lead in the second half. After a stubborn run and cross from Yuji Kitajima, Ohata found himself in space to slot home from close.
A tense final ten minutes saw Bengaluru fight back as Lalrintluanga’s effort was saved by Ryuya Akatsuki before Avispa extended their lead in the 82nd, with Ohata advancing into the Bengaluru area and sending his shot into the far corner.
There was to be more drama as BFC goalkeeper Jafar brought down Kitajima in the area with seven minutes to play. The midfielder stepped up to take the spot-kick but Jafar brought off a good save.
Bengaluru then pulled one back through Kalinga with four minutes left but the visitors held on for a narrow victory.