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East Bengal FC lost 4-2 to Odisha FC in their seventh game of the ISL 2022-23 season at the VYBK Stadium in Kolkata today (November 18). It was Odisha FC's sixth game of the season.
East Bengal came into the game eighth in the points table and were high on confidence, having defeated Bengaluru FC 1-0 in their previous game.
Odisha FC, meanwhile, came into the game sixth in the points table and suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat in their last game against Hyderabad FC.
East Bengal were looking for their third victory of the season, while Odisha FC wanted to secure the victory and move to third in the points table.
The match started with the Red and Gold Brigade having the first good chance of the game in the fifth minute. However, Semboi Haokip failed to keep his header on target from a VP Suhair pass. Cleiton Silva was guilty of wasting a brilliant opportunity in the 15th minute.
Haokip finally broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute when he slotted the ball into an empty net from a VP Suhair pass.
Naorem Mahesh Singh then scored in the 35th minute as he finished off a Suhair cross to double the lead for East Bengal FC.
Odisha FC started the second half with a bang as they scored in the 47th minute through a Pedro Martin strike from a Diego Mauricio pass. Martin scored another goal in the 48th minute to equal the scorers for Odisha FC.
Jerry scored Odisha FC's third goal in the 65th minute. He headed the ball into a relatively empty net to give the Kalinga Warriors the lead for the first time in the game.
Nanda Kumar scored in the 76th minute to make the scoreline and 4-2 and complete the stunning comeback for Odisha FC.
On that note, let's take a look at three things we learned from today's game:
#3 The Indian trio (Semboi, Mahesh, Suhair) in attack for East Bengal FC work wonders
The first half was all about East Bengal and their dominant performances in the attack. The Red and Gold Brigade mostly relied on foreigners for goals. However, today it was the Indian trio up front who made all the difference in the first half.
The SMS (Semboi, Mahesh, Suhair) trio for East Bengal FC had a brilliant impact on the game in the first half. Semboi and Mahesh Singh scored their first goals of the season today, and both goals were a result of VP Suhair's cross.
The trio were superb in the first half but failed to show their magic in the second half.
Their lack of involvement in the second half impacted the result in a big way.
#2 Odisha FC's second-half changes work to perfection
Odisha FC were clumsy in the first half but were classy in the second half to secure their third comeback victory against the Red and Gold Brigade.
Josep Gombau made four changes at halftime after seeing his side play terrible football and trail 2-0 at the break. He introduced Pedro Martin in place of Issac, Denechendra in place of Raynier, Nikhil in place of Osama Malik, and Jerry in place of Sahil.
The changes worked immediately as Gombau's side scored in the 47th minute courtesy of Martin's strike from a Mauricio pass.
Odisha FC equalized in the 48th minute and it was the combination of Pedro and Diego who were again at the helm to help the Juggernauts get the equalizer.
Jerry Mawihmingthanga, another substitute, gave Odisha FC the lead in the 65th minute to secure a victory for Josep Gombau's side.
Gombau's changes at halftime and apt match-reading ability were the main reasons for the Kalinga Warriors' victory today.
#1 A game of two halves, and five minutes of madness
The first half was a tale of wonders for East Bengal while the second half was all about Odisha FC's grit and determination. to come back from behind and win the game.
Semboi Haokip and Mahesh Singh scored twice in the first half to give East Bengal FC a handsome 2-0 lead in the first half.
Gombau made four changes at the start of the second half, and that was when East Bengal FC's five minutes of madness began.
At the start of the second half, Suhair had a chance to make it 3-0 but failed to keep his header on target. The Kalinga Warriors scored their first goal in the resulting game, and East Bengal FC fell like a pack of cards in the next five minutes.
Whatever move Gombau's team created in the second half, they looked to breach East Bengal FC's defense. This was in contrast to the scenario that was present in the first half where they failed to create proper chances.
In the second half, the Juggernauts looked like a completely different side. Meanwhile, East Bengal FC looked like a dejected side in the second half. They only have their casual approach during the first five minutes of the second half to blame.
