The team was trailing 0-2 at HT. Till then, EB seemed to be playing perhaps the worst match under Bruzon. Missing three key players--Dimi, Saul and Talal--due to injury and Jeakson owing to suspension, the team looked to be completely down and out during this period. Defence was shoddy, there was no holding in the midfield and the forward line looked completely clueless. Punjab FC was running riot, particularly their Argentine striker Pulga Vidal who scored one goal and assisted the other.
Come half-time and EB seemed to rise like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes. Not sure what the HT talk from Oscar was, but the body language of the players underwent a complete transformation. Now each player was going for every ball, harrying the Punjab players and literally firing on all cylinders. From the 47th to the 66th minute, the team had scored four goals (Hijazi, Vishnu, own goal by Suresh Meitei and David) and put the game to bed. The opposition completely lost all rhythm; it did not help Punjab that Ivan Novosolec had to be subbed off due to injury and Lhungdim received a red card.
This is the East Bengal that we know, the team that plays best when it has its back to the wall.
PS: Amidst all the hoopla, the fans and team management might do well to remember that losing two foreigners for the rest of the season and having slowcoaches like Yuste (the worst EB player on the field) and Hijazi and one of the most ineffective foreign backup strikers (Cleiton) would not help much in qualifying for the playoffs. Even if replacements are signed, they would need time to gel with the team and this might hamper the team's prospects.
The team was trailing 0-2 at HT. Till then, EB seemed to be playing perhaps the worst match under Bruzon. Missing three key players--Dimi, Saul and Talal--due to injury and Jeakson owing to suspension, the team looked to be completely down and out during this period. Defence was shoddy, there was no holding in the midfield and the forward line looked completely clueless. Punjab FC was running riot, particularly their Argentine striker Pulga Vidal who scored one goal and assisted the other.
Come half-time and EB seemed to rise like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes. Not sure what the HT talk from Oscar was, but the body language of the players underwent a complete transformation. Now each player was going for every ball, harrying the Punjab players and literally firing on all cylinders. From the 47th to the 66th minute, the team had scored four goals (Hijazi, Vishnu, own goal by Suresh Meitei and David) and put the game to bed. The opposition completely lost all rhythm; it did not help Punjab that Ivan Novosolec had to be subbed off due to injury and Lhungdim received a red card.
This is the East Bengal that we know, the team that plays best when it has its back to the wall.
PS: Amidst all the hoopla, the fans and team management might do well to remember that losing two foreigners for the rest of the season and having slowcoaches like Yuste (the worst EB player on the field) and Hijazi and one of the most ineffective foreign backup strikers (Cleiton) would not help much in qualifying for the playoffs. Even if replacements are signed, they would need time to gel with the team and this might hamper the team's prospects.
You mean East Bengal of the second half was a poked tiger?
However, all is not hunky dory...EB is going to face JFC on Saturday. The canny Khalid Jamil would have noticed EB's defensive frailties, particularly against the long ball and he would be looking to exploit this. The only positive for EB is that Jeakson would be returning to the line-up and Diamantakos would be available for selection (as told by Oscar in the post-much interview)
The Spanish head coach shed light on what changes for his team after the interval.
“I felt that we were inferior to them. They were better in all the areas, in all the sectors, in all the actions, and in all the positions. So, we were looking like a rival who didn't even want to put up a fight today,” he said during the pre-match press conference.
“The reality is that I elevated the tone in the half time because it's a shame playing a game at home with all the supporters that they didn't even shout at us,” he added.
“After the talk, in the second half, everything changed. So, the problem was not a tactical problem, the problem was not missing the foreigners, it was a problem of belief, courage and attitude.
So, after such a bad first half, I think that I need to praise my players because in the second half they played like lions in every action. I'm happy that I could do the substitutions. So, I think that is a beautiful story of a comeback of East Bengal FC in line with the history of our club,” he continued.
Pretty interesting tactics by Oscar Bruzon today: deploying Anwar Ali as CDM (as in the last match) and going for the four man defence with Hijazi and Yuste as full-backs and Chunga and Rakip as side-backs. Upfront, he started with both Cleiton and Dimi, with Cleiton playing in a somewhat deeper position. Frenetic action in the first 15 mins with both the teams getting chances but failing to convert them. Nandha and Vishnu (who started in place of Vishnu today) were guilty of excessive dribbling and holding on to the ball too long on a number of occasions and squandered some potential goal-scoring opportunities. Nandha also missed a gilt-edged chance to score when a defence-splitting pass from Anwar found Cleiton who passed it to Nandha, but he shot straight at the goalkeeper.
The second-half started with JFC showing more intent, but it was EB who broke the shackles when Nandha and Cleiton combined to find Dimi, who simply had to tap the ball in the goal. Both teams then created chances, but lost their way in the final third.
Anwar Ali was the Player of the Match for me. He started as a CDM but shifted to the right-back position after Rakip's injury: not only did he make a number of crucial interceptions but also tirelessly helped out in attack and if lucky, might have scored a goal if his thunderous shot from outside the box did not hit the post. At the fag end, he made one of his most telling contributions by clearing the ball when one of the JFC players was almost clear on goal. Souvik also is showing his mettle under Bruzon, emerging as one of the leaders of the team.
With this win, East Bengal rose one point in the standings--from 11th to 10th and could potentially upstage Chennaiyin FC (who lost 0-1 to Mumbai City today) and reach the 9th position on the 28th (of course, if CFC, who will have a played an extra game, loses to or draws with BFC on that day).
Pretty interesting tactics by Oscar Bruzon today: deploying Anwar Ali as CDM (as in the last match) and going for the four man defence with Hijazi and Yuste as full-backs and Chunga and Rakip as side-backs. Upfront, he started with both Cleiton and Dimi, with Cleiton playing in a somewhat deeper position. Frenetic action in the first 15 mins with both the teams getting chances but failing to convert them. Nandha and Vishnu (who started in place of Vishnu today) were guilty of excessive dribbling and holding on to the ball too long on a number of occasions and squandered some potential goal-scoring opportunities. Nandha also missed a gilt-edged chance to score when a defence-splitting pass from Anwar found Cleiton who passed it to Nandha, but he shot straight at the goalkeeper.
The second-half started with JFC showing more intent, but it was EB who broke the shackles when Nandha and Cleiton combined to find Dimi, who simply had to tap the ball in the goal. Both teams then created chances, but lost their way in the final third.
Anwar Ali was the Player of the Match for me. He started as a CDM but shifted to the right-back position after Rakip's injury: not only did he make a number of crucial interceptions but also tirelessly helped out in attack and if lucky, might have scored a goal if his thunderous shot from outside the box did not hit the post. At the fag end, he made one of his most telling contributions by clearing the ball when one of the JFC players was almost clear on goal. Souvik also is showing his mettle under Bruzon, emerging as one of the leaders of the team.
With this win, East Bengal rose one point in the standings--from 11th to 10th and could potentially upstage Chennaiyin FC (who lost 0-1 to Mumbai City today) and reach the 9th position on the 28th (of course, if CFC, who will have a played an extra game, loses to or draws with BFC on that day).
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The team was trailing 0-2 at HT. Till then, EB seemed to be playing perhaps the worst match under Bruzon. Missing three key players--Dimi, Saul and Talal--due to injury and Jeakson owing to suspension, the team looked to be completely down and out during this period. Defence was shoddy, there was no holding in the midfield and the forward line looked completely clueless. Punjab FC was running riot, particularly their Argentine striker Pulga Vidal who scored one goal and assisted the other.
Come half-time and EB seemed to rise like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes. Not sure what the HT talk from Oscar was, but the body language of the players underwent a complete transformation. Now each player was going for every ball, harrying the Punjab players and literally firing on all cylinders. From the 47th to the 66th minute, the team had scored four goals (Hijazi, Vishnu, own goal by Suresh Meitei and David) and put the game to bed. The opposition completely lost all rhythm; it did not help Punjab that Ivan Novosolec had to be subbed off due to injury and Lhungdim received a red card.
This is the East Bengal that we know, the team that plays best when it has its back to the wall.
PS: Amidst all the hoopla, the fans and team management might do well to remember that losing two foreigners for the rest of the season and having slowcoaches like Yuste (the worst EB player on the field) and Hijazi and one of the most ineffective foreign backup strikers (Cleiton) would not help much in qualifying for the playoffs. Even if replacements are signed, they would need time to gel with the team and this might hamper the team's prospects.
However, all is not hunky dory...EB is going to face JFC on Saturday. The canny Khalid Jamil would have noticed EB's defensive frailties, particularly against the long ball and he would be looking to exploit this. The only positive for EB is that Jeakson would be returning to the line-up and Diamantakos would be available for selection (as told by Oscar in the post-much interview)
The Spanish head coach shed light on what changes for his team after the interval.
“I felt that we were inferior to them. They were better in all the areas, in all the sectors, in all the actions, and in all the positions. So, we were looking like a rival who didn't even want to put up a fight today,” he said during the pre-match press conference.
“The reality is that I elevated the tone in the half time because it's a shame playing a game at home with all the supporters that they didn't even shout at us,” he added.
“After the talk, in the second half, everything changed. So, the problem was not a tactical problem, the problem was not missing the foreigners, it was a problem of belief, courage and attitude.
So, after such a bad first half, I think that I need to praise my players because in the second half they played like lions in every action. I'm happy that I could do the substitutions. So, I think that is a beautiful story of a comeback of East Bengal FC in line with the history of our club,” he continued.
https://www.indiansuperleague.com/news/oscar-bruzon-reveals-how-he-inspired-east-bengal-fcs-comeback
So, the coach considers his players as 'lions'
Brison Fernandes scored both the goals
Pretty interesting tactics by Oscar Bruzon today: deploying Anwar Ali as CDM (as in the last match) and going for the four man defence with Hijazi and Yuste as full-backs and Chunga and Rakip as side-backs. Upfront, he started with both Cleiton and Dimi, with Cleiton playing in a somewhat deeper position. Frenetic action in the first 15 mins with both the teams getting chances but failing to convert them. Nandha and Vishnu (who started in place of Vishnu today) were guilty of excessive dribbling and holding on to the ball too long on a number of occasions and squandered some potential goal-scoring opportunities. Nandha also missed a gilt-edged chance to score when a defence-splitting pass from Anwar found Cleiton who passed it to Nandha, but he shot straight at the goalkeeper.
The second-half started with JFC showing more intent, but it was EB who broke the shackles when Nandha and Cleiton combined to find Dimi, who simply had to tap the ball in the goal. Both teams then created chances, but lost their way in the final third.
Anwar Ali was the Player of the Match for me. He started as a CDM but shifted to the right-back position after Rakip's injury: not only did he make a number of crucial interceptions but also tirelessly helped out in attack and if lucky, might have scored a goal if his thunderous shot from outside the box did not hit the post. At the fag end, he made one of his most telling contributions by clearing the ball when one of the JFC players was almost clear on goal. Souvik also is showing his mettle under Bruzon, emerging as one of the leaders of the team.
With this win, East Bengal rose one point in the standings--from 11th to 10th and could potentially upstage Chennaiyin FC (who lost 0-1 to Mumbai City today) and reach the 9th position on the 28th (of course, if CFC, who will have a played an extra game, loses to or draws with BFC on that day).