Kolkata: Like the pizza tosser, PE teacher, carpenter, banker and software engineer at the T20 World Cup, Sporting Club Delhi are a breath of fresh air in the Indian Super League (ISL). Like the Italy cricket team, they had two sets of siblings in 23-year-old twins Mohammed Aimen and Mohammed Azhar and Alex and Alan Saji.
The team of 20-somethings had stretched Bengaluru FC and even nosed ahead against East Bengal but like their first night in ISL, exuberance lost out to experience, resulting in a 1-4 defeat on Saturday.
Jay Gupta was caught out by Augustine Lalrochana and how. All of 21, the Delhi wing back turned the international left back inside out and fired a shot that arrowed into the bottom corner. Four minutes in, and after a rousing start to their campaign, East Bengal were trailing, their high line exposed by a slick pass by Aimen to Lalrochana after Joseph Sunny had stolen possession.
Sporting Delhi ended the first half with a curler from Manoj Mohammad, once with East Bengal, which Prabhsukhan Gill had to fly to his left to keep out but a lot had happened in between. Translocated from Hyderabad and with new owners, Delhi allowed Miguel Ferreira too much space, gave away too many free headers and Clarence Fernandes had a brain fade clattering into Edmund Lalrindika and conceding a penalty.
The spot-kick was converted by Youssef Ezzejjari, the Spanish-Moroccan getting his third goal in two matches, in the 12th minute. Four minutes prior, Lalrindika fired a volley from around 20 yards after Rafael Ribeiro had cleared Bipin Singh’s free-kick – conceding too many of them in the final third was another proof of being thin on experience – only as far as the East Bengal player who was used in midfield on Saturday. Vishal Yadav should have saved it but like the rest of his mates, this will be a learning experience.
Inside the first quarter, the teams has scored three goals but, more importantly, East Bengal were where they had expected to be: in front. With wingbacks Lalrochana and Mohammad, coach Tomasz Tchorz, an at Mohun Bagan when they won the I-League in 2019-20, had tried to check East Bengal’s wingers and had managed to contain the right side.
But it was the inability to rein in Ferreira that proved to be their undoing. Ferreira had found Ezzejjari with a free header in the 27th minute but it was his weighted pass, almost after waiting for new East Bengal’s No.9 to make the run, that led to the third goal in the 40th minute. Ezzejjari acknowledged the Brazilian’s effort after his fourth goal in two matches as did the 20,376 at Salt Lake stadium. A poor pass from Yadav caused the Delhi team palpitations but Bipin Singh failed to keep his shot on target. As did Nandha Kumar who blazed over early in the second half after Ferreira put him through.
With their high line, East Bengal will always give teams chances. And with joy in their legs, Sporting Delhi came at the Kolkata giants. Not long after the hour-mark, Matija Babovic should have done better with his header. Then, Mohammad’s delivery from the left had Alan Saji and Sunny converging but neither could get a touch. Lamgoulen Semkholun, the former Churchill Brothers defender, shot to Gill before the Brazilian central defender Ribeiro missed his header. But the evening ended with a left-foot screamer from Ferreira who made the most of Sporting Delhi players tracking back too much.
The “joy East Bengal” chants are getting louder after two wins but Delhi again showed they can spring a few surprises before this single-leg round league ends in May.
