Kolkata, August 16: East Bengal FC secured a place in the semifinals of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup by defeating Indian Army FT 1-0 in a quarterfinal match held at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Sunday. The only goal of the match came from PV Vishnu in the 38th minute with a header.
From the start, East Bengal dominated the game, keeping the Army team confined to their half. The first significant opportunity arose in the sixth minute following a brilliant passing move, but Spanish playmaker Danny Ramirez failed to capitalize.
East Bengal continued to create chances, coming close again in the 12th minute with a set-piece. Ramirez took a stunning in-swinging free-kick with his left foot, which deceived the goalkeeper but missed the target, hitting the side netting instead.
The second quarter saw a one-sided affair as the Indian Army struggled against East Bengal’s fast-paced play. In the 20th minute, Ramirez provided a precise pass to David Lalhalansanga, but the forward could not convert the opportunity. Moments later, center-back Lalchungnunga advanced and took a powerful shot from distance, which was brilliantly saved by Bhavindar Malla Thakuri.
East Bengal’s best chance in the first half came in the 29th minute when Jay Gupta delivered an accurate cross to PV Vishnu, who was in a one-on-one situation. However, his shot on the ground went straight into the goalkeeper’s hands.
Finally, in the 38th minute, East Bengal found success. Christopher Economidis delivered a superb cross into the box, and Vishnu made up for his earlier miss by leaping high to head the ball into the right corner. Thakuri attempted to save it but was unsuccessful, giving East Bengal a 1-0 lead.
When the game resumed, the Indian Army displayed more aggression and soon earned a corner, which East Bengal’s defense handled easily. Rashid attempted a daring long-range shot from outside the box, but it sailed over the crossbar.
As the match approached the hour mark, East Bengal nearly doubled 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. 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, but the winger squandered 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 to Thakuri.
With five minutes of stoppage time added, the Indian Army almost equalized against the run of play. In the 91st minute, Abhishek Shankar Pawar took a dangerous shot, threatening East Bengal’s dominance, but the Kolkata team managed to avert the last-minute danger.
Two quarterfinal matches are scheduled for August 17. Mohun Bagan Super Giant will face Jamshedpur FC at 4 PM at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, while Shillong Lajong FC will take on Northeast United FC at 7 PM at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.
My name is Kuldeep Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.