Kolkata giants East Bengal will take on defending champions FC Goa in the Super Cup final on Sunday at the Fatorda Stadium. The Red and Golds registered an emphatic 3-1 win over Punjab FC in the first semi-final, while the home side got the better of Mumbai City 2-1 in the second. For East Bengal, it will be their second final of the season after failing to win the IFA Shield against arch-rivals Mohun Bagan earlier. The team will, however, miss Head Coach Oscar Bruzon on the sidelines after he was shown a red card for dissent towards the match officials.
Former East Bengal player Alvito D’Counha feels Bruzon’s absence will be a setback for the Red and Golds.
“Definitely it will be a big blow for East Bengal to miss Oscar Bruzon. It is now up to the players to give their best and win the final for the coach. It was certainly unnecessary at that stage when your team was leading on the stroke of half-time. With Oscar, it has happened before as well, failing to control his emotions,” Alvito told Revsportz.
Commenting on East Bengal’s performance in the semi-final against Punjab FC, Alvito said, “They played like a cohesive unit. Each player understood the importance of the semi-final after failing to win the Durand Cup and IFA Shield. The players now need to give their 200 per cent to win the Super Cup for their coach.”
It had been a challenge for Oscar Bruzon to keep the team in shape for the knock-out stages after a long break.
According to Alvito, “The team never looked like they were returning after a long lay-off. Oscar should be credited for keeping the players focused for the semi-final. The players looked fit and played disciplined football. They are playing well and the best part is that the management have recruited some quality foreigners this season.”
He added, “Mohammed Rashid once again dominated in midfield. Miguel Figueira is also proving to be a vital cog in the team. He wasn’t on the scoresheet but was instrumental in at least two of the goals East Bengal scored against Punjab.”
Asked about the weaknesses in Bruzon’s side, Alvito said, “Hiroshi needs to pull up his socks. The team cannot rely on the midfielders for goals in every match. The absence of Hamid was felt in the semi-final. Hopefully he will be available for the final.”
Finally, speaking about East Bengal’s opponents for Sunday’s final, Alvito said, “It will be an advantage for FC Goa to be playing in front of their home fans. They will have the local support. For East Bengal, they will have nothing to lose.”
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