East Bengal FC loses 1-0 to Bengaluru FC in ISL 11 opener. Defensive errors, a red card, and poor refereeing mark East Bengal's fifth consecutive opening game defeat.
In the Indian Super League (ISL) opener of Season 11, East Bengal FC suffered yet another defeat as they lost 1-0 to Bengaluru FC at the Sri Kanteerava Stadium in a match that marked their fifth consecutive season of not winning on Opening Day despite an improved performance in the second half.
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| Pic Source x.com/Bengalurufc |
The only goal scored by Bengaluru secured their win after taking advantage of East Bengal’s defensive lapses. Throughout the game, numerous yellow cards were shown including one red card; however, some decisions made by referee Crystal John had controversial grounds with regards to the final result.
Match Summary: Bengaluru FC 1-0 East Bengal FC
With this 25th-minute strike, Vinith Venkatesh recorded his name on history making him the youngest scorer ever for Bengaluru FC. On the other hand, East Bengal’s loss served as an even bigger reminder about how poor their defense had been since Hijazi Maher and Héctor Yuste were unable to contain Bengalurus’ attacking onslaught.
The game ended badly for East Bengal when their defender Lalchungnunga, who already had a yellow card, fouled someone in the 87th minute. Referee Crystal John gave him a second yellow and hence a red card which reduced East Bengal to 10 players. Although fans and pundits criticized this decision, East Bengal could not equalize while Bengaluru took home the three important points.
Poor Defensive Setup Costs East Bengal
From the outset, East Bengal appeared disorganized in defense. Miscommunication between central defenders Maher and Yuste allowed Bengaluru FC to create several chances at goal. Continuous exchanges with Vinith Venkatesh led him to break through and slot the ball beyond a goalkeeper in the 25th minute. This made him the youngest scorer of a goal for Bengaluru FC hence adding to the team’s joy before their home crowd.
For quite some time now, East Bengal’s defense has been an area of concern and once more indicated how they fail to deal well under pressure from opposition forwards in this match again. To stabilize the backline, one important defender Maher was substituted after committing several mistakes during the second half.
Controversial Refereeing Decisions
The match itself produced seven yellow cards in total, out of which four went to East Bengal and three others were awarded to Bengaluru FC. But certainly, it was only when Lalchungnunga received his second yellow card during an incident that occurred late in the game that things got out of hand. Fans together with players from East Bengal were really annoyed; most believed there was no need for any booking at all.
Additionally, East Bengal were denied a penalty which caused more anger towards referee Crystal John. His decisions were seen as too harsh by many and East Bengal fans claimed their team has been treated unfairly.
Improved Second-Half Effort by East Bengal
In the second stanza however, despite their problems at defense East Bengal remained adamant. The introduction of P.V Vishnu alongside other key players such as Aman CK and Cleiton Silva seemed to more or less help the team’s rhythm in terms of attack. The passes began to connect, and East Bengal set up numerous scoring opportunities without any finding its intended target.
However, regardless of how well Cleiton Silva played behind the goal line in an attempt to beat Bengaluru’s defense, they remained strong. The brighter side was that even though they failed to close down on their opponents’ lead during the remainders of play, East Bengal’s performance improved a little in this part of the match before returning home empty-handed –majorly being disappointed by loss.
What’s Next for East Bengal?
They will need to gather themselves quickly and sort out their defence problems if they want any chance of turning the tide around in ISL Season 11. Attacks looked good but the backline needs to be more cohesive as well as tighter. Up in front are harder matches and coach Carles Cuadrat must either find solutions or else it will be another tough season for East Bengal followers.
In contrast, Bengaluru FC fans will be pleased with how well they played; especially Venkatesh’s historic goal. Their defence was very well established and they should plan to stretch this win over the course of the ISL season.
East Bengal lost 1-0 against Bengaluru FC mainly due to defensive blunders, bad reffing decisions and lost chances. These losses have placed East Bengal under some serious pressure because they have now lost five opening round games in a row. However, having started off so strongly as well as discovering new prospects such as Vinith Venkatesh, will definitely make Bengaluru FC happy.
