Durand Cup 2019: 3 Reasons why East Bengal scrappily defeated Army Red after two late goals
Late strikes from Jaime Colado and Bidyasagar Singh was enough to secure all three points in East Bengal’s opening game against Army Red at their club ground on Saturday evening in the Durand Cup.
After fighting hard for 83 minutes, the Red and Gold brigade broke the deadlock by an eye-catching free-kick from Spanish forward Colado. Substitute Bidyasagar Singh doubled the lead in the dying minutes of the match to clinch the first victory of the season.
The win takes them closer to a semi-final berth. They are scheduled to play Bengaluru FC on August 6 at the same venue. A win on Tuesday will almost ensure them a ticket to the knock-out stages.
Let us have a look at three reasons why East Bengal won the match after the scored were level for 83 minutes.
#3 Jaime Santos Colado - 'The lone warrior'
Jaime Colado made the difference for East Bengal in the match, scoring the opening goal in the 84th minute via an excellent free-kick.
Just when the Army Red was hoping to snatch a point from the 16-time champions, the Spaniard spoilt the party.
Starting along with young Boithang Haokip upfront, the Spaniard was in the thick of things from the starting whistle. Colado almost got his name on the scoresheet in the 25th minute of the match via a free-kick, but the ball was denied by the woodwork.
It was in the 80th minute that the Army Reds were reduced to 10 men after their goalkeeper was sent off. East Bengal was awarded a kick just a few metres outside the box.
Colado was well in range to hit the target. He sent the ball to the farthest corner to the right, giving them the lead. Apart from that, he was the main initiator of the attacks.
Also see : Durand Cup, Durand Cup Schedule, Calcutta Football League.