Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Malang: Arema Indonesia were made to pay for the first-half dismissal of Gunawan Dwi Cahyo as Ayeyawady United marked Myanmar's AFC Cup debut with a 1-1 draw in Wednesday's Group H opener at Gajayana Stadium.
Roman Chmelo's impressive 28th minute header had put Arema into the lead before Cahyo was shown a straight red card shortly before half-time.
And Ayeyawady took full advantage after the break as the visitors were rewarded for a dominant second half display as Fariz Bagus Dhinata's own goal just after the hour mark ensured a share of the spoils.
"We did well and scored once before we were reduced to 10 men. After that, we had a lot of problems," said Arema coach Dejan Antonic.
"I am very disappointed with the red card as my player made a mistake, although the decision was a little controversial in my opinion."
With the match being played on a heavily saturated pitch following a torrential downpour either side of kick-off, both sides enjoyed an even share of possession in the opening exchanges although neither goalkeeper was forced into a save of any note.
But in the 28th minute Ayeyawady goalkeeper Thiah Si Thu was left with little chance as Chmelo met Abdulmushafry Talaohu's cross on the edge of the penalty area and the onrushing Slovakian midfielder guided an unstoppable bullet header into the top corner.
But Arema were dealt a blow three minutes before the break as defender Cahyo was shown a straight red card following a lunging tackle on Ayeyawady's Cameroonian striker Yves Ngangue.
Ayeyawady looked to make instant use of their numerical advantage at the start of the second half as Ngangue tested Arema goalkeeper Deniss Romanovs inside the first minute, with the home side being forced further onto the backfoot as the half progressed.
And three minutes after the hour mark the visitors equalised as Dhinata found the bottom corner of his own net after attempting to tackle Ngangue after the former Anzhi Makhachkala forward had down chested a left wing cross on the edge of the six-yard area before the Arema defenders' intervention gave Romanovs no chance.
Ayeyawady were presented with a glorious opportunity to take the lead with 15 minutes remaining as Romanovs could only push a rising strike from the edge of the area back out towards the penalty spot, but with the goal as his mercy, Ngangue failed to direct the follow-up header on target.
Marko Krasic rattled the Ayeyawady crossbar three minutes later with a well-stuck free-kick from 25 yards before Chmelo was denied by Thu in the last minute of added time as the home side finished strongly.
"It was a good game and I am satisfied with the draw as both teams played well," said Ayeyawady coach Jozef Herel.