I-League 2017: Injuries haunt Mariners ahead of East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan match
What's the story?
Mohun Bagan face a number of injury issues ahead of their crunch-match against cross-town rivals East Bengal, at the Salt Lake Stadium, on Sunday. The Green and Maroons' midfield could be heavily weakened, as Australian midfielder Diogo Ferreira and Japanese playmaker Yuta Kinowaki could miss the Kolkata Derby.
To add to that, young attacker Azharuddin Mullick is also doubtful for the game.
In case you didn't know...
Mohun Bagan’s opening tie was an away against Minerva Punjab, which ended in a 1-1 draw. After talismanic winger Sony Norde put the ‘Green and Maroon’ ahead in the first half, the hosts put constant pressure on the Bagan defence and finally equalised in the closing stages to hold the four-time National League champions.
The heart of the matter
Yuta Kinowaki and Diogo Ferreira are yet to make their first I-League appearance with the Kolkata-based side. While the Australian is sure to miss the game, Mohun Bagan will takea last call on Kinowaki before the game, coach Sanjoy Sen said ahead of the match.
It is also learnt that a final word on Azharuddin Mallick is still yet to be taken, but if he doesn’t make a place in the starting XI, Raynier Fernandes is likely to take his position.
In the pre-match conference, Bagan coach admitted that losing the points will not affect their approach to the game in any way; they will go for a win.
“I don't live in the past. I believe this will be a crucial game for both sides. This league is about points and I am guessing they too won't like to drop any,” said Sanjoy.
“You cannot tell the players that we want to go for a draw. We will go for a win. If we fail to win, a draw won't be bad. But, any point is important in the league as we have failed to regain the title in the last two seasons,” Sen added.
On a lighter note, Sanjoy wished luck to two of his former players, Yusa Katsumi and Eduardo Ferriera, both of whom will play in the ‘Red and Gold’ jersey on Sunday afternoon.
What's next?
With both teams losing points in the first game, it is expected that both the sides will play cautiously. There will also be added pressure on the players as this is by far the biggest football fixture in the country, and any mistake can have adverse effects.
Author's take
Mohun Bagan will bank their luck on Haitian winger Sony Norde who is definitely one of the most effective players in the entire I-League and he can change the course of the match in minutes. But in order to win, they have to play as a team. On the other hand, East Bengal will rely on the duo of Katsumi Yusa and Syrian playmaker Mahmoud Amnah to create attacks at regular intervals.