East Bengal FC defeated NorthEast United FC 5-0 at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium last night to earn their greatest-ever Indian Super League (ISL) win.
All good things take time, and ever since head coach Carles Cuadrat took over in the summer, the Red & Gold Brigade appeared to have faith in the system being used.
It everything seemed perfect for East Bengal FC at first, with a solid start to the season and a runners-up spot in the Durand Cup. That purple patch, though, quickly ran into trouble as the club lost a string of close draws and dropped to the bottom half of the standings.
Before this encounter with the Highlanders, East Bengal FC had gone more than two months without winning a league game. But in this particular match, things got better!
The home team was perfect in their build-up and clinical in their finishing, starting with a fantastic long-range goal by Borja Herrera in the 14th minute and continuing with a beautiful brace by Cleiton Silva. Nevertheless, Nandhakumar Sekar’s two goals as a substitute tonight took center stage.
Great international coaches usually emphasize how crucial it is to develop homegrown talent in concert with producing results on the pitch to leave a lasting impression on the club.
Although Nandhakumar has always been a gifted player, Cuadrat has influenced his energy and precision this season. Although he received help from Naorem Mahesh Singh in both of his goals this season, it was again Singh who ultimately set up Nandhakumar’s two goals in this game.
That was due to a minor positional move made by Mahesh, who took on a broader role and produced precise crosses that Nandhakumar touched in at the 62nd and 81st minutes, respectively.
Nandhakumar’s movements close to the goal were almost inevitable; he detected goal-scoring possibilities early on and converted them with impressive efficiency. Furthermore, he provided an assist for Silva’s second goal, making the Brazilian joint top scorer (7) against NorthEast United FC with league heavyweights Sunil Chhetri, Marcelinho, and Mohun Bagan Super Giant standout Liston Colaco. He had earlier opened his score for the evening by nodding in a cross by Mandar Rao Dessai in the 24th minute.
Nandhakumar completed one of the most remarkable performances this season by any player coming off the bench with two goals, one assist, three crosses, and two goal-scoring opportunities.
On December 9, East Bengal FC will play host to Punjab FC, while the following day, NorthEast United FC will play Hyderabad FC in Guwahati.