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In what was a do-or-die encounter for East Bengal in the 2023 Hero Super Cup, they failed to secure the victory they desperately needed to keep their semi-final qualification hopes alive.
Despite leading by a margin of two goals at one point, the Kolkata giants settled for a 2-2 draw against Aizawl FC in their final Group B match, effectively ending their campaign.
Ahead of the game, the equation was simple for the Red and Gold Brigade. They had to win their tie and elevate their goal difference over that of Hyderabad FC and Odisha FC and hope that both ISL clubs will play out a stalemate later in the day.
Meanwhile, Aizawl FC were already out of contention to make it through to the semi-finals and had just pride to play for.
Outgoing East Bengal head coach Stephen Constantine opted for two changes to the starting lineup from the previous match. Sumeet Passi and Charis Kyriakou replaced the injured Jake Jervis and Athul Unnikrishnan.
East Bengal, like in their two previous matches, started on a bright note and it didn't take long for them to break the deadlock. In the 16th minute, Cleiton Silva sent Noarem Mahesh Singh through down the left channel and the winger eyed a low cross into the box. However, his effort took a deflection off an Aizawl defender and ended up inside the net.
The Kolkata outfit had drawn first blood and soon doubled their lead through an unlikely customer in Sumeet Passi. VP Suhair whipped in a hopeful, looping ball into the opposition box and Aizawl FC custodian Vanlal Hriatpuia completely missed the flight. Passi positioned himself perfectly to thump home the second goal of the night.
It seemed like East Bengal were cruising through the encounter against an uninspired Aizawl outfit. But soon after the drinks break, the Mizoram-based club completely switched gears.
Chances started to emerge for the I-League outfit and ultimately in the 42nd minute, Aizawl FC managed to pull a goal back. Akito Saito attempted to chip the East Bengal keeper, Kamaljit Singh, who had come off his line to narrow the angle. Although the shot-stopper made a valiant effort to save the shot, the ball bounced loose and fell to David Lalhlansanga, who quickly squared it to Hruaitea.
Showing remarkable composure, Hruaitea calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net, sending the fans in the stands into a frenzy of celebration. The ghosts of the past had once again started to haunt East Bengal as they were inching close to letting another two-goal lead slip.
Aizawl FC equalize in the second half as East Bengal pave way for another catastrophic performance
After the break, Constantine and the Red and Gold Brigade tried to regroup and stop the slump. However, those efforts were in vain as only in the 48th minute Aizawl FC equalized the scores.
In a moment of misjudgment that proved costly for East Bengal, their goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh rushed off his line to clear the ball, leaving his goal unguarded. The mistake was quickly capitalized on by opposition forward David Lalhlansanga, who deftly lifted the ball over Kamaljit with impressive technique, nestling perfectly into the back of the net and securing a crucial goal for his team.
This lapse in communication and defensive awareness was a clear sign that the Red and Gold Brigade were edging towards another dreaded collapse. While at one stage they were focusing on the margin of victory, East Bengal were scampering to the finish line with the hopes of a draw.
In the 58th minute of the match, Aizawl FC's Amawia unleashed a fierce shot from long range towards the East Bengal goal, which was expertly saved by Kamaljit. However, the ball rebounded into the path of Lalhlansanga, who found himself with an open goal in front of him.
In what could have been a costly mistake, David, unfortunately, failed to hit the target with his shot, wasting a glorious opportunity to score. Fortunately for him, the assistant referee's flag was raised for offside.
More chances continued to fall in Aizawl FC's way, but the ISL outfit narrowly managed to hold on to the draw. But it wasn't enough for Stephen Constantine's men to keep their Super Cup semi-final hopes alive.
The winner of Group B will ultimately be decided by the top-of-the-table clash between Odisha and Hyderabad later in the day.
