After the Durand Cup finals, the Torchbearers clinched the ticket to the Super Cup finals after a wait of six years.
East Bengal continued their winning streak in wednesday’s first semifinal match against Jamshedpur FC at the Kalinga Stadium, winning 2-0 to claim the highly anticipated spot in the 2024 Kalinga Super Cup final. The Red and Gold brigade demonstrated their dominance right from the group league stage, where they topped with three emphatic victories. Under the guidance of Spanish coach Carles Cuadrat, East Bengal won their fourth consecutive match in the Kalinga Super Cup.
The team’s excellent performance in the tournament signals a comeback with which theyclinched the ticket to the Super Cup finals after a long wait of six years. East Bengal’s decisive victory proved their greater might and tactical skill. Even though Jamshedpur played aggressively in attack, East Bengal never offered them the opportunity to control the game.
They made the most of their chances, scoring twice and keeping a clean sheet, claiming their first of the competition. During the previous season, they made it all the way to the final of the Durand Cup where they went down against the Mariners. The stalwarts, Hijazi Maher and Javier Siverio led the Red and Gold Brigade to the cup finals after adding their names to the scoresheet.
Match Report: As it happened
The breakthrough for East Bengal came in the 19th minute when Saul Crespo, following a smart cut-back from Hijazi Maher off a set-piece, saw the Jordanian defender tapping home. The opening was set up by Brazilian Cleiton Silva’s corner, partially cleared by Provat Lakra. With the unexpected rain before the start, both teams were apprehensive about proceeding. However, as the battle progressed, things became more heated than they had been before.
Jamshedpur FC came close to scoring a comeback attempt at the thirty minute mark, but East Bengal custodian Prabhsukhan Gill made a remarkable stop to prevent Rei Tachikawa’s strong drive from going in. Throughout the entirety of the match, East Bengal’s defence, which was led by the a Spanish defender Jose Pardo, and the goalie, Prabhsukhan Gill was able to effectively block Jamshedpur’s onslaught.
Jamshedpur goalie T.P. Rehenesh made a diving save against East Bengal’s young attacker P.V. Vishnu in the 43rd minute, preventing East Bengal’s swerving attempt from doubling the advantage. East Bengal scored an insurance goal in the 47th minute to guarantee that Jamshedpur would not mount a comeback in the second half.
The Torchbearers led by the spanish tactician remain that the scoreboard remained spotless, which allowed them to maintian their two goal lead till the end of the stoppage time. With a well-executed connection between Nandhakumar Sekar and Nishu Kumar, Javier Siverio found the net in the 47th minute increasing their cushion over the Men of steel. In the 82nd minute, Cleiton’s penalty kick attempt for East Bengal hit the crossbar, denying them a chance to go up 3-0.
With this triumph, East Bengal moves on to the Kalinga Super Cup final, where they will meet the winner of Thursday’s second semifinal between Mumbai City FC and Odisha FC. With a final match scheduled for Sunday, East Bengal will have another opportunity to win a national championship, which would be a huge turn around spurred on by Carles Cuadrat’s coaching skills.
Also Read: East Bengal triumphs in the biggest Derby of Indian football in Kalinga Stadium
