Durand Cup 2022: Sumit Passi's own goal becomes a nightmare for Emami East Bengal FC against ATK Mohun Bagan
Emami East Bengal FC squared off against ATK Mohun Bagan in the first derby of the 2022-23 season on Sunday, August 28. The two giants went up against each other at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.
The Red and Gold Brigade managed two back-to-back draws against the Indian Navy FT and Rajasthan United FC. Meanwhile, the Mariners started their 2022 Durand Cup campaign with a defeat against Pushpender Kundu's side and managed a point against Mumbai City FC.
The match kicked off with ATK Mohun Bagan dominating the game, while Emami East Bengal FC sat back and soaked in pressure. Juan Ferrando's side were deployed in a 3-4-3, with Joni Kauko, Hugo Boumous and Liston Colaco leading the attack.
Despite maintaining control over the possession, the Green and Maroon Brigade found it difficult to breach the opposition's defense. Charalambos Kyriacou, who was deployed as a right-back, kept Liston Colaco and Ashique Kuruniyan at bay for most of the first half.
Stephen Constantine's side were patient without the ball and sought the right opportunity to hit back on the counter. Eliandro's physical presence bothered ATK Mohun Bagan's defense on a few occasions but the Brazilian forward could not hurt the defense led by Florentin Pogba.
Throughout the entirety of the first half, Juan Ferrando's men dictated the tempo of the match with their steady build-up. Ashique Kuruniyan, who was deployed as a left wing-back, made a few darting runs into the final. On one occasion, the former Bengaluru FC star got the better of Kyriacou and managed to take a shot. But his attempt did not trouble Kamaljit Singh.
Towards the end of the first half, the Mariners looked to have made a breakthrough and attacked in numbers. But their attempts were dealt with by Constantine's backline.
One such attack resulted in a corner. Colaco stepped up to take it and managed to put the ball close to the goal. Emami East Bengal FC's Sumeet Passi, in an attempt to clear the ball out of danger, turned it into his own net. With the half almost about to end, Passi's own goal was a huge setback for the Red and Gold Brigade.
Emami East Bengal FC turn up the heat against ATK Mohun Bagan
At the start of the second half, Stephen Constantine made three changes. Cleiton Silva, Aniket Jadhav and Himanshu Jangra were brought on to try and impact the game in favor of Emami East Bengal FC.
Cleiton made an instant impact after coming off the bench. The Brazilian was far more active in his side's build-up and linked up with his teammates to attack the spaces behind ATK Mohun Bagan's defensive setup. The former Bengaluru FC man almost made it count when he met a cross inside the box. But his attempt went straight into the hands of Vishal Kaith.
Cleiton created a chance for his team when he ran down the left flank before whipping in a cross. But his teammate Sumeet Passi could not hit the target and was wide off the mark.
The changes made by the Emami East Bengal FC head coach did light up the second half but failed to impact the scoreline as the match ended 1-0 in favor of ATK Mohun Bagan.