East Bengal Kicks Off Super Cup Campaign with a Hard-Fought Victory

Sayak Bandyopadhyay, Bhubaneswar / 9/1/24

East Bengal clinched a 3-2 victory against Hyderabad FC at Odisha’s Kalinga Stadium. From the onset, East Bengal launched frequent attacks. In the 8th minute, Nand Kumar Shekar’s shot hit the post, and Clayton Silva squandered Borja Herrera’s setup in the 10th minute. Carlos Cuadrat, the East Bengal coach, emphasized the importance of scoring early, a goal realized in the 33rd minute when Clayton Silva netted a brilliant volley from a Mohammad Rakib assist, putting East Bengal ahead 1-0.

However, Hyderabad FC quickly regained their footing, and in the 45th minute, a goal from Ramlun Chunga Hmar, assisted by Mohammed Rafi, leveled the score. The first half concluded at 1-1.

At the start of the second half, coach Carlos Cuadrat substituted Gurisirat Gill with Sol Crespo, a key midfielder. In the 53rd minute, Manoj Mohammed fouled Borja Herrera just outside the box, earning East Bengal a free-kick. Clayton Silva’s spectacular right-footed free-kick mirrored his ISL goal against Hyderabad FC, putting East Bengal ahead 2-1.
East Bengal nearly extended their lead to 3-1 in the 73rd minute when Borja Herrera’s powerful left-footed free-kick hit the second post. In the 79th minute, Shouvik Chakraborty fouled Hyderabad’s first scorer, Hmar, in the box. Referee Harish Kundu awarded a penalty, which Nim Dorjee successfully converted to equalize.

Just a minute after Hyderabad’s equalizer, East Bengal earned a corner, and from Borja Herrera’s delivery, Sol Crespo headed the ball in, putting East Bengal back in the lead at 3-2. Despite Hyderabad’s relentless attacks during the six minutes of added time, East Bengal held on to their lead. The match ended 3-2, with Hyderabad’s young team giving East Bengal a run for their money throughout the game.