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As the match rolled into the 93rd minute, visible frustration emerged on the faces of the anxious East Bengal FC fans in the stands on Saturday. Their club was heading towards yet another frustrating draw at home, this time against Hyderabad FC. But a slick turn from Saul Crespo drew Sahil Tavora into a clumsy foul, and the Red and Gold Brigade were gifted a free-kick in a promising situation.
Carles Cuadrat on the sidelines and the aficionados on the stands silently welcomed the slight glitter of hope. Raising the anticipation in the Salt Lake Stadium, Cleiton Silva, a man who knew a thing or two about scoring free-kick winners, stepped up to shoulder the responsibility. The Brazilian creamed the ball with a wave of his magic boot and the ball traveled up and above the defensive wall, kissed the underside of the crossbar, and nestled into the need.
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From the nadir, East Bengal had risen to march away with the three points, as Cleiton raced towards the gallery to embrace the jubilation of the fans. The stadium was left roaring as the scoreline read 2-1 to EBFC and the Nizams had their heads drop right away. The 36-year-old had managed to guide the Torchbearers to their first three points of the ISL 2023-24 season.
The jubilation and admiration weren't just limited to the ground, as fans took to social media to express the euphoria of witnessing a world-class strike.
Cleiton started on the bench in the opening tie against Jamshedpur, but tonight, Carles Cuadrat decided to give the veteran forward a run. Unsurprisingly, he didn't disappoint as he got on the scoresheet right away in the 10th minute, with a cheeky chip over Laxmikant Kattimani to level the scores.
The astounding free-kick ultimately capped off his night as he bagged the Man of the Match award.
East Bengal earn their first victory in ISL 2023-24
The Red and Gold Brigade did everything right in their previous tie, creating plenty of chances, except when it came to their finishing. Even on Saturday, the clash against Hyderabad FC seemed destined for a 1-1 draw. But the magical strike from Cleiton Silva secured the three points for East Bengal.
Head coach Carles Cuadrat will be hoping that the victory is the start of a rich spell for his side. The Torchbearers will next travel to Bengaluru FC, a club that has suffered two straight defeats. If the Kolkata Giants can build on the momentum, a positive result is very much expected.
