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East Bengal FC had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Odisha FC despite pulling ahead in their Hero Super Cup opener at the Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri on Sunday, April 9.
The first half unfurled as a cagey affair with ample stoppages in play. Fouls, throw-ins, offsides, and plenty of injuries didn't allow the game to flow effortlessly. However, Odisha emerged as the livelier of the two sides. However, in the 38th minute, a defensive howler from Narender Gahlot allowed the Torchbearers to pull ahead through Mobashir Rahman.
East Bengal went into the break with a 1-0 lead but the Juggernauts came out hungry to restore parity. Despite the Kolkata giants' best resistance, Nandhakumar Sekar tapped home the equalizer after a brilliant run from Diego Mauricio.
Jake Jervis had a couple of opportunities late in the game to pull the Red and Gold Brigade ahead but floundered inside the box.
On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings for East Bengal FC from their draw against Odisha FC:
Kamaljit Singh (GK) [6.5]
The East Bengal FC custodian made some crucial stops throughout the game and kept his side in the game.
Kamaljit Singh, however, could do very little to stop Odisha FC's goal.
Athul Unnikrishnan [6.5]
Despite being his first start for the East Bengal senior side, Athul Unnikrishnan proved why he is rated so highly.
He looked strong going into tackles for the most part, but was humbled by Diego Mauricio in the build-up to the Odisha goal.
Sarthak Golui [6.5]
Despite slotting in as a makeshift centre-back, Sarthak Golui looked sturdy at the back, making some crucial interceptions and tackles.
However, he couldn't contribute much through his build-up play from deep and only stuck to no-nonsense defending.
Lalchungnunga [6.0]
Quite like Golui, Lalchungnunga too looked solid in defense for more parts.
However, in the build-up to the Juggernauts' strike, the youngster could've covered Nandhakumar better to avoid the equalizer.
Tuhin Das [6.0]
The 23-year-old defender looked slightly out of depth in certain phases of the game.
Once Constantine switched back to the 4-4-2 system, Tuhin Das looked increasingly nervous.
Charalambos Kyriakou [5.5]
The Red and Gold Brigade started with a five-man backline with the Cyprus international playing at the heart of the East Bengal's defense.
Charis Kyriakou looked pedestrian for most of his stay on the pitch and had to be brought off after the break.
Mobashir Rahman [7.5]
For the majority of the first half, Mobashir Rahman seemed like an isolated figure in the middle of the park.
However, in the 38th minute, a howler from Narender Gahlot allowed the East Bengal midfielder through on goal and he converted with a clinical strike.
Alex Lima [6.0]
The Brazilian couldn't progress the play from the middle of the park and committed a few clumsy fouls in the middle.
A lot more creativity has been left wanted from Alex Lima after tonight.
Naorem Mahesh Singh [7.0]
Like he had been throughout the ISL 2022-23 campaign, Naorem Mahesh Singh was agricultural right from the first whistle. Throughout the game, the left winger kept his full-back counter-part Narender Gahlot on his toes.
The 24-year-old combined well with Cleiton on occasion to break down the Odisha FC defense.
Cleiton Silva [6.5]
The Brazilian marksman couldn't replicate the clinical nature of his game that East Bengal fans had seen throughout the ISL season.
Cleiton Silva had a few signature moments of brilliance throughout the night but nothing too significant to affect the scoreline.
Jake Jervis [5.0]
The English forward not only looked out of touch but also far from the expected agility level. Jake Jervis had a couple of glorious opportunities inside the box to get on the scoresheet but either miscued his efforts or had them saved.
SUBSTITUTES
Suhair VP [6.0]
The forward slotted into the midfield, replacing Kyriakou and looked lively.
However, his touches on the ball were wasteful and the workrate alone couldn't salvage his performance.
Jordan O'Doherty [6.0]
The Australian midfielder came on late in the game and didn't have much of a time to make any impact.
However, he didn't do much wrong either.
