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ISL: East Bengal India champions after 22 years
Goals from Ezzejjari and Rashid helped them come from behind to beat Inter Kashi in the final match on Thursday
Kolkata: In a setting so intimate that the fans could feel the players breathe, Mohamad Rashid climbed the railing to be with them after scoring the goal that ended 22 years of hurt for East Bengal. The first league title in a generation, the one that silenced the jeers this proud 105-year-old club had had to suffer, deserved nothing less. Thursday’s 2-1 win meant the time for commiserations is over. Let the celebrations begin.
And it did with fans pouring on to the pitch at Kishore Bharati Krirangan -- a stadium tucked inside a south Kolkata neighbourhood and surrounded by buildings on all sides whose roofs and balconies held those who couldn’t find seats on the stands.
The flares, mothballed since 2003-04 when East Bengal won the National Football League title under Subhas Bhowmick, were lit after Youssef Ezzejjari and Rashid’s goals fetched a 2-1 win against Inter Kashi and took East Bengal to 26 points from 13 matches.
You could see it all: hugs, tears, and strangers dancing cheek to cheek. Leg in a protective support, right back Mohamad Rakip limped on to pitch. Ezzejjari had stormed off at being taken off. Supporters carried him and Prabhsukhan Singh Gill on their shoulders after the final whistle. A thousand scars, one immortal crown, said a banner strung after the match ended. Red and yellow colours hung in the air and were smeared on faces, chants of “East Bengal, East Bengal” split the night.
Repeated requests to spectators to clear the pitch were ignored. The only concession they were willing to make was forming a circle around the podium meant for the presentation ceremony. Soon, that too became a platform for people to pose on. East Bengal skipper Souvik Chakrabarti was given the ISL12 trophy on the balcony nearly an hour after the match.
Regimes have changed but Kolkata and chaos at a major football event remain joined at the hip. This time though it was not disgust that got the people onto the pitch like it had last December when Lionel Messi visited. It was delight, maybe even delirium.
That East Bengal had to do it the hard way made the celebration more intense. A goal somehow and let the fun begin: this was what the 8112 supporters who had bought tickets to this Indian Super League (ISL) 12 game had hoped. It happened, but at the other end. Alfred Planas cushioned a line-breaking pass from central defender David Humanes into Gill’s goal in the 15th minute. So beautifully it was struck and so stunned was the crowd that all you heard was the sound of silence.
Inter Kashi had held Mohun Bagan Super Giant 0-0 to derail their chance of defending the title. Confident in keeping their defensive shape and dangerous on the break, Planas tested Gill again before Haobam Tomba Singh did. In a white shirt, arms windmilling, Inter Kashi’s interim coach Abhijit Mondal, who had scripted the draw against Mohun Bagan, gave instructions as East Bengal grew desperate.
Like they did to Mohun Bagan, Inter Kashi clipped East Bengal’s wing play especially on the left. Bipin Singh did manage to deliver crosses but it was getting too predictable. East Bengal gave Inter Kashi goalie Shubham Dhas a good workout from range without really testing him. A pass from Rakip fizzed across goal and Ezzejjari sliding under a Bipin delivery and hooking it over delayed the equaliser.
It came in the 49th minute after Anwar Ali’s long ball reached Ezzejjari because Dhas delayed leaving his line. Ezzejjari nutmegged the goalie and scored. It was Ali’s late reaction that had led to Planas scoring so the assist would have felt like redemption. By then with Rakip off, coach Oscar Bruzon had switched to a back three. He changed personnel again shifting Jeakson Singh to central defence and getting skipper Chakrabarti on in the 71st minute.
One minute later, Bipin finally found a defence-splitting delivery that Rashid poked in. Inter Kashi were running out gas and a rejuvenated East Bengal were not going to let anything else disrupt their title march. With that Bruzon joined a list of Spanish coaches who have ended long trophy droughts at elite clubs this week.
