East Bengal and Mohun Bagan shared the spoils in the Bengal derby. The game was anti-climatic to a certain extent, given that it failed to deliver football of the highest calibre as expected ahead of the game.
Also Read: East Bengal 0 - 0 Mohun Bagan, 5 talking points
Mohun Bagan were the better side in the first-half but were largely restricted to pop shots and half-chances thanks to the brilliance of Ivan Bukenya and Gurwinder Singh. In the second half, both teams seemed to cancel each other out and ultimately led to the goalless draw.
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East Bengal Players
Rehenesh TP
The Kerala man was awarded the man of the match, and although I can think of two or three players who might have deserved the award more, the goalkeeper was solid and effective.
His headline save was when Sony Norde got a cross into the box, with Pritam Kotal poking git towards the goal. He took a kick from Daryl Duffy for his troubles, and kick-started the only fight in the game. Points for that.
Rating - 7
Rahul Bheke
Rahul had a very solid game, he made some important interceptions and defended against Sony Norde very well. Admittedly he was aided by the Haitians nonchalant approach to the game.
Offensively, didn’t add much to the East Bengal side, although he got a few hasty crosses into the box. But, well, you know that line about a fullback being a defender first.
Rating – 6.5
Ivan Bukenya
He has been the foreign signing of the season, hands down. Brilliant at the back, supreme in the air, decent on the ball and a menace in the opposition box.
On Sunday, he was again brilliant with his positioning and tackling. He kept both Jeje and Daryl Duffy quiet, a job easier said than done. But, his biggest contribution was to thwart Katsumi Yusa who had, for once, found some space around the six-yard box.
He was the man of the match for me.
Rating -9
Gurwinder Singh
Gurwinder has very surprisingly been a rock at the back for the Bengal side. With Arnab Mondal, Anwar Ali, and Ivan Bukenya as center backs, he would have been to most eyes the fourth choice center back.
Look at him now, running around, scaring people. Trevor Morgan has to be a brave man to drop the man.
Rating - 7
Narayan Das
Just like Rahul Bheke on the other side of the backline, he was very solid without affording anything but a misplaced cross now and then. His lack of concentration allowed Katsumi Yusa to go through on goal, good thing Ivan Bukenya is a beast at the back.
Also, the best left back in India by a margin.
Rating - 6.5
Nikhil Poojary
Nikhil Poojary’s rise has been considerable. With Ruidas in the team, most would have expected the Atletico de Kolkata winger to walk into the U-22 place. Then he went and had a wild night in Pune, and Trevor Morgan (who even fines himself), hasn’t given him another minute.
In that time, Poojary has blossomed. Fast, good close control, and strong on the ball. His final ball is still under construction, but he will only get better.
He was brilliant on Sunday. For a young player, the pressure and the crowd can get to you, but the man from Mumbai played out of his skin, attacking and defending with all his heart. The result? Sony Norde was taken off in the 84th minute. Job well done.
Rating -8
Mehtab Hossain
If you already didn’t know, this was Mehtab Hossain’s 54th derby. His experience was so evident the way he protected the backline and stopped counters with cheeky handballs.
He is one of those you hate if he plays for the opposition, but love to death if he is one of yours. Probably would have loved to see the ball a bit more, as Gurwinder and Ivan elected to clear the ball to the strikers with two opposition strikers lurking.
Rating - 7
Wedson Anselme
There has been a lot which has changed since that hattrick against Minerva Punjab. Wedson, almost never loses the ball and is the proper playmaker for East Bengal.
He showcased what he is all about when he slipped Willis behind the Mohun Bagan backline in the first half with a lovely through ball. Literally and figuratively, the tip of a diamond.
Rating - 8
Lalrindika Ralte
The East Bengal captain had a very average game. As consistent as he is (otherwise), he might have been lucky to stay on the pitch by the end of the game.
He unnecessarily started fight, and with the volatility of the game in the past, it is so not a good idea, especially if you are the captain. Rightly given a yellow card. Nothing spectacular, but not bad.
Rating -6
Willis Plaza
As good as his running his behind defences, he needs to finish his chances. He was put through on two occasions when he had arguably the best chances of the game.
The first one was a lovely curved run, and found brilliantly by Wedson and did well to hit the target. But, the next one via a lovely flick from Robin Singh was a sitter, and the forward should have buried it.
Rating -7
Robin Singh
Was the first man to be substituted, and that is often not the best of signs. He was anonymous for most of the game, but showed exactly what he is about when he flicked a header to Plaza. Has had better games, has had better derbies.
Rating - 5
Thongkhosiem Haokip
Came on for Robin Singh, was as influential as his predecessor. That means I don’t remember him getting a touch of the ball.
Rating - 5
Mohun Bagan Players
Debit Majumder
So now is my chance to explain why Rehenesh wasn’t the man of the match. He had Bukenya who probably played better than him for East Bengal, but apart from that, he was not even the best goalkeeper in the game.
Savejit as he is affectionately known among the Green and Maroon brigade. He took the pressure of the backline, coming to catch the balls into the box multiple times, something which was considered to be a weakness in his game.
The best save though was when he came out to thwart Willis Plaza from Robin Singh’s flick-on. The Mohun Bagan number 1 tends to turn up for big games, and that is a very good habit to have.
Rating – 8.5
Pritam Kotal
The Indian international had a very average game considering his high standards. He had the chance of the game (for Mohun Bagan) fall to him when he was up for a corner. If given the choice, I would assume that he would happily have had any other Mohun Bagan player to take the opportunity, and probably score.
Rating – 6.5
Anas Edathodika
In a season, which has so far been marred by injuries to defenders for Mohun Bagan, Anas has been the only constant. The Kerala man has been brilliant all throughout the season, and so was he against the duo of Willis Plaza and Robin Singh.
If anyone in India deserves a National team call-up, after the ISL season he had, and now in the I-League, the Delhi Dynamos man deserves it inside out.
Rating – 8
Eduardo Ferreira
Having been missing from most of the season, Mohun Bagan’s star foreign signing had question marks written all over him. But, he showed in the derby, why Mohun Bagan paid the money to get the Brazilian.
On Sunday, he was smart on the ball and did the whole no-nonsense thing very well. Also, he has what very few centre-backs seem to do in the I-League, the ability to pick out a pass.
Rating - 7.5
Subhasish Bose
He has definitely been the find of the season for the Fed Cup champions, who were crying out for a U-22 player who would get into the team on merit. Tall, strong, and with a cultured left foot, Subhasish is the perfect foil for Sony Norde on the left (when he decides to turn up).
What Sanjoy Sen will like is, after the first game, where he was sent off for two bookable offences, he has curbed that side of his game totally.
Rating - 7
Souvik Chakraborty
There is no doubt about the fact, that Souvik and Pronay are the best central midfielders available to Sanjoy Sen, how much ever the team lines up when the manager decides to rotate the squad.
Souvik showed exactly why that is the case, smart on the ball, he used his versatility to stop and start attacks. He had this wonderful run inside the East Bengal box when he went past three defenders and tried sidefooting home. If he caught that properly, that would have gone down the history books as best ever derby goals.
Rating - 7
Pronay Halder
The midfield enforcer for the Green and Maroon Brigade is such an important player to have in the squad. He is snappy, quick, and has excellent vision.
He was the trying to run down Wedson, and apart from a couple of turns round the corner, he thwarted the Haitian pretty well. As I am sure, he would point to, East Bengal didn’t score.
Rating - 7
Katsumi Yusa
This has been sort of an unusual season for the Japanese playmaker. Whether that is due to the long and gruelling ISL season he had or is due to playing on the right, only the management and the player himself can answer that question.
But, on during the derby, he once again underperformed. Mohun Bagan fans would have been expecting him to come back to his natural best after a Man of the match performance against Aizawl at the Rabindra Sarobar, but not to be.
He had that one big chance where he found the ball at his feet from a slightly acute angle and was thwarted quickly by Ivan Bukenya. Dare I say, a Katsumi Yusa in form would have buried that.
Rating - 6
Jeje Lalpekhlua
Jeje’s touches on the ball were at a premium, and the AIFF Footballer of the year 2016, had no clear-cut chances to finish, something which he thrives on. Apart from a slightly speculative effort, his contribution to the game was minimalistic.
Rating – 5
Sony Norde
The Mohun Bagan team, has been undoubtedly been built around Sony Norde. When he plays well and is completely fit, he is as unstoppable in the I-League as anyone else.
Although credit goes to Rahul Bheke for keeping the wide man in check, it was not just him. Sony underperformed like no one else, apart from one cross with which he picked out Pritam Kotal in the box, he contributed as much as Debjit to the attacking play.
He hardly got into sprints, or even looked to take on Bheke or Poojary, something unlike him. Being the nice guy I am, I will count this to be after injury blues.
Rating - 5
Daryl Duffy
Daryl Duff was undoubtedly the best forward going player for the away team. He made good runs, dropped deep and tried to occupy the center half. But, he never got the chance to do what he does best. Finish off a chance.
Rating – 6.5
Balwant Singh
Came on for Jeje for the last ten minutes. Chased down long balls, and if not for Ivan Bukenya, could have scored twice.
Rating - 6
Prabir Das
Ran around a lot. A lot of heart and all that.
Rating - NA
