I-League: Round 18 Review – It keeps getting worse for Kolkata clubs
Overview
United SC have done better than the other three Kolkata clubs but they too threw away a two-goal lead in this round
All four Kolkata clubs were in action in this round but none of them could register a win. It continues to get worse for teams from the city that is often referred to as the ‘Mecca of Indian Football’ as there are no clubs from that region in the top six. In fairness United SC have done well to be in the mid-table despite their financial problems but they too had a disappointing result at the weekend as they threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Shillong Lajong.
The Big Three – East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting – though don’t have any excuses for their poor showing. East Bengal have the best squad in the I-League and are favourites for the title but they suffered their fifth defeat against Dempo on Sunday and are now 12 points off the top. Even the games in hand that the red-and-gold brigade have don’t look to be an advantage anymore as there seems to be no confidence in their play with the foreigners in particular performing poorly. League leaders Bengaluru FC though failed to take advantage as they could only come from behind to earn a point at home against Mumbai FC.
Mohun Bagan are enduring a fourth straight trophyless season and were denied maximum points in this round by Churchill Brothers’ in-form striker Balwant Singh. The clash ended 2-2 with Balwant bagging a brace and Mohun Bagan could still be involved in the relegation battle as they are only seven points clear of rock-bottom Rangdajied United but have played an extra game and still have to face the Shillong club away from home.
Newly crowned IFA Shield champions Mohammedan Sporting are very much in the battle for survival as their 1-0 loss to Salgaocar was their fourth-straight defeat in the I-League and thus they remain only a point above Rangdajied. All four Kolkata clubs were in action in the local league and IFA Shield during the I-League break and thus they lack the freshness which nine other clubs will have for the rest of the season. Those additional fixtures could cost them in the I-League either in the title race like in the case of East Bengal or relegation fight as Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting are finding out.
Results
Mohun Bagan 2-2 Churchill Brothers; Mohammedan Sporting 0-1 Salgaocar; United SC 2-2 Shillong Lajong; Bengaluru FC 1-1 Mumbai FC; Dempo 1-0 East Bengal
Game of the round
Mohun Bagan 2-2 Churchill Brothers
Mohun Bagan led in this game but couldn’t hold on
The repeat of the Federation Cup semi-final turned out to be an entertaining contest with Churchill Brothers earning a priceless point in their bid for survival. Mohun Bagan saw a lot of the ball in the early stages with Katsumi Yusa wasting a couple of golden opportunities. Eventually Churchill’s quality in attack saw them go in front as Balwant headed home Saran Singh’s cross. However the Mariners equalised in bizarre fashion as teenager Alesh Sawant scored past his own goalkeeper Lalit Thapa while attempting to clear a harmless pass from Yusa.
Mohun Bagan coach Karim Bencherifa made a positive change at the interval as he switched to two strikers by bringing on CS Sabeeth. That substitution paid dividends early in the second half as Sabeeth and Christopher Chizoba combined with the latter getting brought down in the box by Thapa. Chizoba kept his cool and successfully converted the spot-kick. Having scored through an own goal and penalty, it looked like Mohun Bagan’s fortunes had finally turned but a superb strike from Balwant late on broke the hearts of the home fans. The Goan side also had chances to win the game in stoppage time with the green-and-maroon brigade in the end holding on for a point.
This match was another example of Mohun Bagan’s problems as despite some decent buildup play they lacked the cutting edge upfront in the absence of club captain and talisman Odafa Okolie. The defensive discipline which they showed during the Federation Cup group stage was also absent but it was largely due to the good performances of Churchill’s attackers. Balwant, a player rarely used by Bencherifa at Salgaocar, proved to be the standout performer and has surely done enough now to be in India’s squad for next month’s international friendly against Bangladesh.
Result of the round
Dempo 1-0 East Bengal
East Bengal have dropped 20 points already after 13 matches
There were many subplots to this contest with the main one being the reunion of Armando Colaco with his beloved Dempo. But eventually it was Armando’s successor Arthur Papas who had the last laugh as his young side got the better of 10-man East Bengal. This result could truly mark the start of the Papas era at Dempo while on the other hand it has made the Kolkata club’s title challenge almost impossible. Even if it was 11v11, East Bengal struggled to create clear cut chances and their play lacked any rhythm with the players looking clueless at times.
All the pressure was on East Bengal and it showed when Gurwinder Singh needlessly fouled Zohib Islam Amiri. There can be a debate about whether it was a sending off or not but Gurwinder should have kept his cool as with ten men it became a hopeless situation for Colaco’side especially as they were lacking in confidence prior to this encounter. The match winner was former East Bengal striker Tolgay Ozbey, who headed home Clifford Miranda’s well-measured cross. Tolgay had become the subject of many jokes among East Bengal fans after his flop spells at Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting but the Australian responded in the best possible way.
Mathematically East Bengal are still very much in the title mix but the concern for the fans will be that their team are not looking like winning even one game so consistency looks inconceivable. The red-and-gold brigade still have some matches in hand but would possibly have to win almost nine of their remaining 11 fixtures to win the trophy that they crave for the most. But their league form over the last 12 months suggests that even finishing in the top four won’t be easy. Meanwhile Dempo recorded their second straight win in the I-League and have kicked on from their impressive showing in the Federation Cup. A top four finish looks very much possible again for Papas’ boys.
Best Players
Foreigner – Uilliams Bomfin (Shillong Lajong)
The Brazilian made a spectacular return from injury by scoring one and creating another in the 2-2 draw with United SC in Kalyani. Uilliams first set up Durga Boro in the first half and then equalised with a fine finish in the second period.
Indian – Balwant Singh (Churchill Brothers)
The 27-year-old striker delivered when his team badly needed to earn them a crucial away point. Balwant’s I-League tally is now eight, only one behind joint top scorers Josimar and Sunil Chhetri, and thus he has a realistic chance of becoming the first Indian to finish as the highest scorer.
Controversy
All the controversy in this round was surrounding the refereeing in the games involving the big Two of Kolkata. In the stalemate between Mohun Bagan and Churchill Brothers, referee Umesh Bora was criticised for not sending off Churchill goalkeeper Lalit Thapa for his dangerous foul on his own teammate Dharmaraj Ravanan. The custodian might argue that the challenge was accidental but he went in a clumsy fashion and injured Ravanan, who had to be eventually left out of the club’s AFC Cup travelling squad as a precaution.
The other official who found himself on the spotlight in this matchday was Vishnu Chauhan who sent off Gurwinder for his off-the-ball foul on Amiri. There was minimum contact from Gurwinder and Amiri made the most of it but referee Chauhan produced the red much to the frustration of the East Bengal camp. The Kolkata club feel the dismissal directly affected the result and have alleged double standards from the referee as Chauhan only produced the yellow to Dempo Pronay’s Halder, who appeared to have elbowed Joaquim Abranches of East Bengal. East Bengal sent the video of that incident to the media on Monday and it remains to be seen whether they take up the matter with AIFF.
The Table
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points | GD |
| Bengaluru FC | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 31 | 10 |
| Sporting Clube | 15 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 28 | +9 |
| Pune FC | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 28 | +7 |
| Shillong Lajong | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 24 | -2 |
| Salgaocar | 16 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 24 | +1 |
| Dempo | 17 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 22 | -1 |
| United SC | 17 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 20 | -2 |
| East Bengal | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 19 | +5 |
| Mohun Bagan | 17 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 0 |
| Mumbai FC | 16 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 18 | -1 |
| Churchill Brothers | 16 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 15 | -6 |
| Mohammedan Sporting | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 13 | -7 |
| Rangdajied United | 16 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 12 | -13 |