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Late strikes from Jaime Colado and Bidyasagar Singh was enough to secure all three points in East Bengal’s opening game against Army Red at their club ground on Saturday evening in the Durand Cup.
After fighting hard for 83 minutes, the Red and Gold brigade broke the deadlock by an eye-catching free-kick from Spanish forward Colado. Substitute Bidyasagar Singh doubled the lead in the dying minutes of the match to clinch the first victory of the season.
The win takes them closer to a semi-final berth. They are scheduled to play Bengaluru FC on August 6 at the same venue. A win on Tuesday will almost ensure them a ticket to the knock-out stages.
Let us have a look at three reasons why East Bengal won the match after the scored were level for 83 minutes.
#3 Jaime Santos Colado - 'The lone warrior'
Jaime Colado made the difference for East Bengal in the match, scoring the opening goal in the 84th minute via an excellent free-kick.
Just when the Army Red was hoping to snatch a point from the 16-time champions, the Spaniard spoilt the party.
Starting along with young Boithang Haokip upfront, the Spaniard was in the thick of things from the starting whistle. Colado almost got his name on the scoresheet in the 25th minute of the match via a free-kick, but the ball was denied by the woodwork.
It was in the 80th minute that the Army Reds were reduced to 10 men after their goalkeeper was sent off. East Bengal was awarded a kick just a few metres outside the box.
Colado was well in range to hit the target. He sent the ball to the farthest corner to the right, giving them the lead. Apart from that, he was the main initiator of the attacks.
Also see : Durand Cup, Durand Cup Schedule, Calcutta Football League.
#2 A mixed day for the young Indian contingent
Much was expected from the young guns of East Bengal, but they lacked the firepower. Abhijit Sarkar and Brandon did not live up to the hype.
The U-17 World Cup star was ill-at-ease in the wing position and often lost possession in the attacking third. Sarkar never got a grasp of the game, even though he received abundant ball supply.
Brandon Vanlalremdika also had a produced a lacklustre performance and lacked the sting in his play.
He hardly created any chances and largely remained overshadowed by other players. Haokip was one of the better players on the pitch, was full of intent and created a few chances.
Haokip nearly found the back of the net at the half-hour mark, but the ball came off the sticks. Pintu Mahata made his debut for East Bengal, although he could make much of his opportunity, he needs a few more games to get settled in.
Playmaker Rohlupuia also had an average day and needs to improve his game to cement his place in the playing XI.
#3 An improved midfield display in the second half
After a goalless first half, the Kolkata based club changed came back well in the second period. There was more wing play, chances from open play increased considerably. Spanish coach Alejandro's pep talk may have done the trick for East Bengal.
Lalrindika Ralte was a livewire in the midfield, his partnership with Colado was a major highlight of the match, even though they still need a bit of understanding between themselves.
Jaime Santos Colado was the real hero for East Bengal in the entire match. Having already proved his worth in the ‘red and gold’ outfits last season with his skillful ball play, he started exactly where he left off.
Ralte, who operated from the central midfield position found it a bit difficult in the first half with none to support him. But, once Kassim was introduced in the second half, the team gained a lot of pace in their attacks.
East Bengal played positive football once Kassim and Pintu Mahata started in the second half. It is always difficult to judge a team in its first game of the season, the having Kassim and Lalrindika in the team will help East Bengal immensely in the future days.
