AFC Champions League Elite:
Rabiei rues lack of prep, red card as 10-man Tractor exits in last 16
Tractor FC head coach Mohammad Rabiei regretted his side’s lack of preparation after the Iranian top-flight champion fell to a 3-0 defeat against the UAE’s Shabab Al Ahli in the last-16 round of the AFC Champions League Elite on Tuesday.
Shabab Al Ahli dominated the opening stages at Jeddah’s Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium but, as the first half wore on, it was Tractor that started to take the initiative, going into the interval on top.
However, Tractor goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand’s 52nd-minute sending-off for a foul on Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun outside the box turned the game in favor of the Emirati outfit. Yuri Cesar scored from the penalty spot 13 minutes later, before Iranian international midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi doubled the lead with a composed finish 10 minutes from time.
Brazilian striker Mateusão capped off Shabab Al Ahli’s victory when he found the net eight minutes into stoppage time.
“The players were really passionate and motivated today, and we were able to keep our shape and discipline, especially in the first half,” Rabiei said after the game.
“Our team suffered because for 40 days we have been a long way from training,” added the Iranian coach, whose side had not played competitively since February 26 – two days before the United States and Israel initiated a war campaign against Iran.
“We managed our energy in the first half with our strategy, and we created opportunities.
“That one incident changed the game,” Rabiei said of the red card. “After we went behind, we did our best to come back and played high-risk football to score the equalizer, but our opponent could use the space behind our defense to score more goals.”
Meanwhile, Rabiei’s opposite number on the Shabab Al Ahli bench, Paulo Sousa, hailed the victory as “a big step” for his club, adding: “We are working really well. Since 2017, the club have been working to grow the group of players with young players, investing lots for that.
“Since my time here last year, my idea has been to create a winning mentality, a culture of winning, looking mainly to be the protagonist in the match.
“For the players and the club, it’s one more step that we have reached, and we are looking to recover, focusing on our opponents in the next one and to make another step.”
The victory took the Dubai-based club into the last eight of the Asian elite clubs’ competition for the first time since 2015, where Sousa’s team will meet Thai champion Buriram United at the same venue on Friday.
Elsewhere in the West zone’s first knockout round, former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho was on target from the penalty spot in the final seconds of extra time as Saudi Pro League champion Al Ittihad edged out the UAE’s Al Wahda 1-0 later on Tuesday to set up a last-eight clash against Japan’s FC Machida Zelvia on Friday.