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The setting was far from heroic. And yet, the side supposed to be wearing yellow and black but was instead sporting purple, emerged as heroes.
The supposed oncoming of winter across the Eastern Ghats had done little to dispose of the heat and humidity in Bhubaneswar even as Hyderabad FC, mired deep in controversy, took the field to take on East Bengal in their opening fixture of the Kalinga Super Cup on Tuesday.
The AIFF delegated the first pitch outside the main stadium for this game between two teams from the top tier of the Indian football league structure and asked them to get going at 2 PM when the sun would be at its zenith.
The fixtures of the Super Cup are such that the Nawabs have been asked to play all their games on Pitch 1 outside the stadium, and all of them in the afternoon. For a club going through its darkest time, it was harking back to Ian Rankin's words when he said, "The world had given him another punch in the teeth, and the man was wondering how he walked into it," the man being Hyderabad FC on this occasion.
Despite that, despite the tears, Hyderabad FC walked onto the pitch with their heads held high and walked off it the richer of the two teams.
East Bengal were declared the winners by a scoreline of 3-2, but anyone who had seen the game knew that Hyderabad were the real victors.
Facing open revolt in his squad, and with his main players unavailable for reasons best known to them, head coach Thangboi Singto named a starting lineup that had just three first-team regulars in it.
One of them- goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani, who is a veritable legend of the club, took the responsibility of donning the captain's armband, while another - Hitesh Sharma - offered to pull strings in central midfield.
What happened after that could have softened even the coldest of hearts; it reassured that the club's spirit was well intact and that it was still breathing.
Mark Zothanpuia, Makan Chothe, Lalchhanhima Sailo, and Ramhlunchhunga showcased that desire matters more in football than reputation, and bit by bit, piece by piece, they tore into East Bengal's famed defense.
Abdul Rabeeh, running down the right wing, made a mockery of seasoned fullback Nishu Kumar's skills and teased the defenders of the Torchbearers with crosses that seemed like going into the back of the net any moment.
Had life been fair, and had a footballing God been watching, Hyderabad would have emerged winners on Tuesday.
East Bengal were shocked by Hyderabad's desire to win
East Bengal appeared to be shell-shocked by the desire shown by the young Nawabs and were caught unawares on several occasions inside their territory.
Although Nim Dorjee Tamang converted a penalty conceded by Souvik Chakraborty in the second half, a handball given away by Nishu Kumar in the first was turned down as a potential penalty.
A false offside decision given when Chothe had fairly bypassed the Torchbearer's high defensive line further spoiled Hyderabad's afternoon.
In a game of small margins, and which East Bengal won by just one goal, these decisions mattered even as cries for the introduction of VAR Lite in Indian football got louder.
East Bengal's head coach Carles Cuadrat was so surprised by the Nawabs' attacking forays into their half that he chose to put all his foreigners on the pitch by the end of the game.
In contrast, the Yellow and Black were playing with none of theirs - Felipe Amorim, Oswaldo Alanis, and Jonathan Moya - had already left the club while Joao Victor, Petteri Pennanen, and Joe Knowles did not turn up.
To put it as an occasion of David versus Goliath would be putting it mildly, especially since Goliath managed to somehow outpower David in the end.
Hyderabad FC's youngsters gave their all for the club's badge
Hyderabad's youngsters - many of whom have been unpaid for months owing to the financial crisis the club finds itself in - showcased on Tuesday what it means to play for the crest, and why the Yellow and Black's spirit will remain undaunted even if their prima donnas are watching from the sidelines.
Hyderabad have once again shown why they are at their best when their back is to the wall, and proven why the spirit of the club, and the city it represents, will live on.
Little is expected of the Nawabs in the Super Cup, and coach Singto can well afford to allow his youngsters to put their hands up and force their way into the first team once the ISL resumes.
The supporters of the club have little expectations of them to qualify for the semi-finals, and it should remain so.
The Nawabs' philosophy of developing and promoting young talent can flourish unabated, with the youngsters from the reserves getting their rightful opportunities to test themselves against the best in the business.
On Tuesday, these players showed how much it means to them to play for the club, and why having a big heart is important in football.
Playing against an East Bengal side that was missing only two of its regulars due to the Asian Cup, the Yellow and Black proved why names and reputations matter very little when one is confronted with desire, intent, and determination. Hyderabad FC may have lost the battle, but they won the war of hearts.
One can only hope that the Gods who have been tasked to take the club out of the quagmire it finds itself in, are watching.
