Kolkata, August 16: East Bengal FC secured their place in the semifinals of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup by defeating Indian Army FT 1-0 in a quarterfinal match on Sunday. The decisive goal came from PV Vishnu in the 38th minute, courtesy of a header. The match took place at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
East Bengal dominated the game from the outset, keeping the Army team confined to their own half. The first significant opportunity arose in the sixth minute following a brilliant passing move, but Spanish playmaker Danny Ramirez failed to capitalize.
The Kolkata side continued to create chances, coming close again in the 12th minute from a set-piece. Ramirez delivered a fantastic in-swinging free-kick with his left foot, deceiving the goalkeeper but just missing the target, hitting the side netting instead.
The second quarter remained one-sided, with the Indian Army struggling to cope with East Bengal’s fast-paced play. In the 20th minute, Ramirez provided an accurate pass to David Lalhalansanga, but the forward could not convert the opportunity. Shortly after, center-back Lalchungnunga advanced and launched a powerful shot from distance, which was brilliantly saved by Bhavindra Malla Thakuri.
East Bengal’s best chance of the half came in the 29th minute when Jai Gupta delivered a precise cross to PV Vishnu, who was in a one-on-one situation. However, the forward’s ground shot went straight into the goalkeeper’s hands.
Finally, in the 38th minute, East Bengal found success. Christopher Economidis sent in a superb cross inside the box, and Vishnu made up for his earlier miss by leaping high to head the ball into the bottom right corner. Thakuri attempted to stop the ball but was unsuccessful, giving East Bengal a 1-0 lead.
As the second half commenced, the Indian Army displayed a more aggressive approach and soon earned a corner, which East Bengal’s defense handled comfortably. Rashid then attempted a daring long-range shot from outside the box, but his powerful effort sailed over the crossbar.
With nearly an hour gone, East Bengal came close to doubling their lead when substitute Jesin T.K. intercepted a long ball from Rashid and rounded the advancing goalkeeper. However, his shot hit the crossbar, preventing any significant impact from the substitute.
In the 67th minute, East Bengal responded when substitute Edmund Lalrindika passed the ball to Ramirez inside the box, but the Spanish player’s shot went just over the crossbar. Moments later, in the 80th minute, Bipin Singh provided a precise pass to Jesin T.K., but the forward failed to score from close range. Shortly after, Jesin assisted Bipin, who squandered yet another easy chance. In the 87th minute, Jesin had another opportunity to seal the match when he received a cross from Edmund, but his header went straight into Thakuri’s hands.
As five minutes of stoppage time were added, the Indian Army nearly equalized against the run of play. In the 91st minute, Abhishek Shankar Pawar unleashed a dangerous shot that threatened East Bengal’s dominance, but the Kolkata team managed to avert the last-minute danger.
On August 17, two more quarterfinal matches will take place. Mohun Bagan Super Giant will face Jamshedpur FC at 4 PM at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, while Shillong Lajong FC will go up against Northeast United FC at 7 PM at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.
Leave a Comment