Before the gripping contest last night, there was an 11-point difference between East Bengal and Punjab FC. However, East Bengal head coach Oscar Bruzon confidently stated during the pre-match press conference that tactically there’s hardly any difference between the two sides. The Spanish tactician didn’t fail to back up his words, as on Tuesday he and his boys lit up the Yuva Bharati Krirangan with a remarkable comeback victory that will be etched in the club’s history for many reasons.
Despite being without their attacking lynchpin, Mahdi Talal, captain, Saul Crespo, and in-form striker, Dimitrios Diamantakos—who were all unavailable due to injuries, and versatile midfielder Jeakson Singh, who in turn was suspended following a red card in the previous game against Odisha FC, Oscar managed to bring the best out of his limited resources. East Bengal, after going 2-0 down in the first half, staged a resounding 4-2 win.
After the match, it became clear that Oscar’s halftime motivational speech played a crucial role in the turnaround. He emphasised the importance of winning this game, particularly for the fans. As Oscar said, “The reality is that I elevated the tone at halftime because it’s a shame to play a game at home with all the supporters, and they didn’t even shout at us. They just understood that we are maybe facing adversity.”
What followed was a transformed East Bengal in the second half. Hijazi Maher reduced the deficit with a header from Cleiton Silva’s free kick just a minute into the second half. Then came Oscar’s trump card: PV Vishnu, who stepped onto the pitch in place of Naorem Mahesh Singh. The young prodigy made an immediate impact, scoring from close range to bring East Bengal level, and later, capping off his night with an astute assist for David Lalhlansanga’s goal.
In Oscar’s words, East Bengal lacked mentality, courage, and self-belief in the first half. “The problem was not tactical, nor was it about missing the foreigners. It was a problem of belief, courage, and attitude. After such a bad first half, I need to praise my players because, in the second half, they played like lions in every action.”
One of the hallmarks of Oscar’s stint so far has been his ability to bring the best out of players who were struggling for form. Last night, Cleiton Silva rose to the occasion to help his team mount a comeback. Maher, whose confidence had been low for some time, is slowly regaining his form under Oscar’s guidance.
In this match, East Bengal had to field a makeshift midfielder in Anwar Ali, paired with Souvik Chakrabarti. The duo lacked the edge in the midfield during the first half. However, after Punjab’s key defender, Ivan Novoselec, went off due to injury in the second half, East Bengal capitalised on the opportunity. The team utilised the wings effectively and kept penetrating from the flanks.
The substitutes who came off the bench injected fresh energy and acted as the impetus for the team. Punjab’s woes worsened after their defender Khaiminthang Lhungdim was sent off following a second yellow card.
Oscar reflected on the performance, saying, “I’m happy that I could make the substitutions. We could count on some of the local boys who’ve been practicing with us in recent weeks. Today, I think it’s a beautiful story of a comeback by East Bengal, in line with the history of our club.”
Oscar is also optimistic about Diamantakos returning in the next game, though the return of Crespo remains uncertain. What’s certain, however, is that under the Spaniard, this East Bengal team has shown that they never give up.