Jamshedpur break into knockout spots as Jeremy Manzorro's freekick masterclass sinks East Bengal FC | ISL 2023-24

Jamshedpur FC tasted the pangs of heartbreak in the first half and euphoria in the second, as they sank East Bengal FC in ISL 2023-24 with a stunning late freekick from Jeremy Manzorro in the 97th minute on Thursday.

Despite dominating the entirety of the first 45, the Red Miners conceded a clumsy goal right before the break. For the majority of the second half, the Torchbearers were made to believe they were in complete control. But late goals from Rei Tachikawa and Manzorro altered the narrative at the JRD Sports Complex.

Brimming with confidence after their unbeaten start to the second half of the season, the Khalid Jamil-led outfit was fearless and ferocious from the first whistle. Javier Siverio was handed out his first start for the Red Miners, starting alongside Daniel Chima Chukwu.

Meanwhile, the Torchbearers too had a new man in their backline, Jose Antonio Pardo's replacement - Aleksandar Pantic - who paired up with Hijazi Maher. The Spaniard was called into action right away as Jamshedpur's 4-4-2 system overwhelmed the East Bengal midfield. While Siverio and Chima were concerned with getting into the opposition box, Mohammed Sanan and Imran Khan overloaded the flanks and pinned back the visitors.

Jamil's trusted soldier Imran Khan danced past his markers for fun on numerous occasions and was once tripped inside the penalty area by Hejazi. But the referee decided against awarding a penalty. Prabhsukhan Singh Gill soon had to come to the defence of his backline when Siverio's stinging effort from a distance needed a hand from the EBFC shot-stopper to deny it.

But Jamshedpur were sent the first warning signs of the night when a defensive error from Muirang allowed Nandhakumar Sekar to stroll through on goal. The former Odisha FC winger ticked all the checkboxes until it was time to pull the trigger. His effort lacked conviction and flew skywards. For the Men of Steel, however, the message was clear - capitalize when you're in front or repent later.

For almost the entirety of the half, the hosts were all over East Bengal and there was no foreseeable respite for the Red and Gold Brigade. But football is a funny game.

Completely against the run of play, the visitors were shown a gateway to take the lead when Jamshedpur, consumed by their utter domination, was caught napping. Nandha was once again one-on-one with the keeper and this time he managed to sneak the ball under the frame of Rehenesh TP. Jamshedpur dominated throughout the half and yet with a stroke of luck and clinical finishing, Cuadrat's men went into the break ahead on the scoreline.

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Jamshedpur FC complete stunning comeback victory over East Bengal FC in the second half

After the heartbreak right in the 45th minute, many would've expected the Red Miners to return with muted momentum. But Jamil was capable of rallying his troops through the anguish as they started yet again on a positive note. East Bengal, with the lead in their bag, were comfortable enough to sit back and hit on the counter.

For most parts of the half, the visitors' approach seemed sufficient enough to frustrate Jamshedpur's over-reliance on fullbacks. A header off the post from Vishnu PV and then a one-on-one opportunity for Mahesh Naorem seemed like opportunities where East Bengal could've doubled their lead. Quite like the Red Miners in the first half, the Torchbearers lacked the conviction to deliver the final blow. And quite like the first half, there was an anti-climatic ending awaiting.

A curling cross from wide by youngster Nikhil Barla found the head of second-half substitute Rei Tachikawa in the 80th minute and the Japanese midfielder nudged the ball into the back of the net. The Furnace was left roaring and a momentum shift could be felt in the air. Seven minutes were added on by the referee and that's all either side had left to alter the scoreline in their favor. In a fixture of fine margins, you either need a moment of magic or a moment of madness.

When Jeremy Manzorro stepped up to take a freekick from a dangerous area in the seventh minute of additional time, Jamshedpur fans hoped for the prior. And like the messiah he's slowly turning into, the Frenchman answered the prayers of home fans. As his boots kissed the leather, the ball looped past the wall, before taking a slight deflection off an EBFC defender and curling into the bottom corner past a diving Prabhsukhan Gill.

As Cuadrat, his players, the traveling supporters gasped in unison, the entire Furnace soaked in euphoria. Three whole points against their direct mid-table rivals placed them in the knockout spots, ahead of NorthEast United. For the Red and Gold Brigade, the doors to entering the Top 6 are slamming shut one after another.