Majestic Mohun Bagan see off resurgent East Bengal to cement top spot

When Alejandro Menendez was appointed as the East Bengal coach in 2018, the mandate was not just to win the I-League or the other domestic honours, it was more about building the core of a team based on some imagined Spanish philosophy. After a slew of heartbreaking seasons, the idea was to focus more on the journey than on the destination, as the arrival of a deep-pocketed investor was supposed to herald a new era for the Kolkata club.

By the time the lights went out at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday evening, it became more or less evident that the last 18 months have almost been a non-starter on those aspects. A majestic Mohun Bagan side outplayed their arch-rivals in the first half and saw off a resurgence of sorts in the second to secure a 2-1 win, which further cemented their position at the top of the table.

The recency bias about Red and Golds’ domination in the last 25 odd minutes might make one forget their dismal first-half showing, but there was a larger pattern to notice. None of the players among Kamalpreet Singh, Kassim Aidara, Brandon Valnlalremdika and Jamie Colado – who have been under his tutelgate throughout these two seasons – have significantly improved. Nongdamba Naorem almost toyed with Kamalpreet, while Kassim was nowhere when Jose Beitia headed the ball into an open net from 12 yards out.

What was more telling is the club’s best move – from which they scored their only goal – was orchestrated by Edmund Lalrindika, who has joined the club from Bengaluru FC only five days ago.

Mohun Bagan, on the other hand, was at their very best. Kibu Vicuna did exactly what most ISL coaches used to do in the early days of the tournament – give all important central positions to foreigners and keep the Indians on the supporting roles as much as possible. Sk Sahil had a difficult start to the game and East Bengal were the better side in the early exchanges but once both teams settled down, the Mariners had complete control of the proceedings.

The link-up play was so good that one can’t blame the overenthusiastic commentator who called it ‘Joga Bonito’. East Bengal offered little resistance in the midfield and were stretched on the wings, as the Mariners tried to cross the ball into the box from the wide positions.

Throughout the match, even after his team earned the two-goal cushion, Vicuna remained a man at peace with himself, relatively unperturbed by the frenzied surroundings. With the club’s merger with ATK set to take his job this summer, he looked like every other white collared professional on their notice period – less interested in office chitchat and focused doing the final project well.

That, in itself, is a big turnaround though. Only a few weeks ago, he was on the brink of getting the sack with Karim Bencherifa waiting on the fringes. Five wins in six matches since then has changed the perception about him and the fact that Bagan will play four of their last five matches in Kolkata, they now look miles ahead of others in the title race.

But all was not well for the Green and Maroons to be honest, especially in the last half an hour. It needs to be investigated whether the drastic drop in performance was due to complacency or tired legs after relentless high pressing. But East Bengal had a lot of half-chances and could have won it if they had a poacher upfront. The Red and Golds are being let down by the lack of match winners, and with further reinforcements not expected, will need better contributions from the weak links.

East Bengal’s chances mostly came from moments of individual brilliance while their opponents were more systematic in going forward. Vicuna vented out his disappointment after the match, which was on point because of their inability to convert dominance into goals. Alejandro, on the other hand, once again tried to cherrypick the positives, but with three consecutive defeats he can also sense time running out.

All that being said, the league is still only forty per cent over. East Bengal had overturned a three match losing streak last year and ended up missing the title by a solitary point and if they can replicate that again, the second derby in mid-March can become a championship six-pointer of sorts.

That will be a fitting tribute to the gravitas of the fixture before the giants walk into the glitzy world of ISL next season.