East Bengal’s Disheartening Loss to Odisha Amidst Poor Refereeing and Injuries

Sayak Banerjee / 13-12-2024

East Bengal’s bid for a third consecutive win in the ISL ended in disappointment as they were defeated 2-1 by Odisha FC. Despite taking an early lead, the Red and Yellow brigade failed to hold onto their advantage, and a series of mistakes, including questionable goalkeeping from Prabhsukhan Gill, allowed Odisha to capitalize and secure the win.

The match started on a sour note with Jikson receiving a yellow card early on, and a second one later, leading to his red card in the 43rd minute. Matters worsened when Madih Talal joined the growing list of injured players. However, East Bengal fought valiantly, with Chunnungar scoring their lone goal in the 53rd minute. But just two minutes later, Odisha responded through Jerry, equalizing at 1-1.

Odisha’s continuous pressure paid off in the 81st minute when Hugo Boumos scored from Diego Mauricio’s pass, putting them ahead 2-1. After the game, East Bengal official Debabrata Sarkar voiced frustrations over poor refereeing, claiming the team had failed to recruit quality officials. Despite these setbacks, East Bengal’s resilience continues to shine through.