AFC Cup 2017: April 25 SC coach rues unideal weather conditions

The match saw the names of three Indian players on the score sheet as visitors struggled to play in heavy rain...

side defeated DPR Korea champions April 25 SC 3-0 in the first leg of the knockout round game that took place at Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Wednesday.

The match saw the names of three Indian players on the score sheet as skipper Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh and Lenny Rodrigues ensured a first leg advantage for the home side.

After the game, the losing coach Hwang Yong Song spoke about his failed plan to keep the Bengaluru attack at bay and praised the fitness levels of his opponents.

"We came to Bangalore for the game. The idea was to keep the score to a minimum. The draw would have been good. The condition was not good for the defenders. I think BFC players’ physical condition is good."

The DPR Korea champions struggled to keep hold of the ball in a rain-hit match and as a result, the home side added two more goals after the restart.

"While our attackers struggled in attack, the Bengaluru strikers were very fast and hence, our defenders couldn’t defend. Today, it was very bad. We didn’t expect it to rain so much." conceded Hwang Yong Song.

The coach sprung a surprise with his starting line up when he benched his main striker Kim Yu Song, who leads the goalscoring charts in this year's AFC Cup with 9 strikes to his name. He was then brought on as his side trailed Bengaluru FC halfway into the first half.

"He had hurt his back. His physical condition wasn’t good." explained the coach when asked about the surprising omission.