For Mohun Bagan Super Giant, dangerous news got here earlier than kick-off. Worse was to comply with. Inside two minutes they had been trailing 1-2 from main 1-0 after which Odisha FC scored once more. 3-1 ultimately grew to become 5-2 and after their second successive defeat, Mohun Bagan’s hopes of advancing from Group D of AFC Cup had been torn to ribbons. This time at a stage sooner than the previous two seasons after they had made the inter-zonal play-off after successful the group.
Through targets from Roy Krishna (30), Diego Mauricio (32), Cy Goddard (41), Aniket Jadhav (90+2) and Isak Vanlalruatfela (90+5) after Hugo Boumous’s seventeenth minute strike, Odisha FC, newbies at this degree and winners of the Super Cup, reside. They had begun 2023 AFC Cup with two defeats together with a 0-4 loss to Mohun Bagan.
Kiyan Nassiri’s 63rd minute header wasn’t sufficient to drag Mohun Bagan again and now, if Odisha FC beat Bashundhara Kings, who got here from behind to win 2-1 at residence in opposition to Maziya Sports and Recreation earlier within the night, they may advance. This was the third time within the final two years and the primary beneath Juan Ferrando that Mohun Bagan had shipped 5 or extra.
Since the merger of ATK with Mohun Bagan, a union between ISL and I-League champions, in 2020, principal proprietor Sanjiv Goenka had acknowledged that his goal was to win in India earlier than increasing the membership’s affect in Asia. As ATK Mohun Bagan, they performed an ISL last and gained it final season beating Bengaluru FC on penalties. That night time in Goa, ATK Mohun Bagan grew to become Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Mohun Bagan buttressed a star-studded roster with Anirudh Thapa, Anwar Ali, Jason Cummins and Armando. Their file within the AFC Cup? 0-6 to FC Nasaf in 2021, 1-3 to Kuala Lumpur in 2022 and now this.
Till two video games in the past, issues had been going swimmingly for Mohun Bagan. But their incapability to guard the lead in three successive video games meant they’re now third within the group on seven factors, two behind Odisha FC. Going into the house tie in opposition to present leaders Bashundhara Kings, Mohun Bagan had been on high of the group after two wins. But twice they couldn’t maintain on to the lead and the staff from Bangladesh compelled a 2-2 attract Bhubaneswar, the match being moved from Kolkata due to Durga Puja. This was adopted by one other comeback by Bashundhara, this time successful 2-1 in Dhaka after trailing via Liston Colaco’s aim.
It was Colaco who had stored Mohun Bagan’s hopes alive on Monday. This reversal might price coach Juan Ferrando his job however he deserves credit score for bringing Colaco again to close his greatest after a poor 2022-23. Seventeen minutes in, Colaco took Subhasish Bose’s cross deep in his half whereas hugging the left touchline. He dribbled previous two gamers and drove infield and located Asish Rai at the same time as he was pushed from behind. Rai swung from proper to left and Odisha FC’s central defender Narender Gahlot headed it into the trail of Hugo Boumous. Hugo Boss, a tifo had been unveiled earlier than kick-off at Salt Lake stadium. Boumous reduce inside and fired Mohun Bagan forward.
Boumous discovered Cummings, who performed within the 2022 World Cup, quickly after on the break however the Australian ahead’s cross was intercepted. Mohun Bagan had been in management despite the fact that they hadn’t actually examined Amrinder Singh.
The equaliser got here from a affected person probe on Mohun Bagan’s left aspect and after Rai’s headed clearance to Jerry Mawihmmingthanga’s header fell kindly for Krishna to stab residence. A former Mohun Bagan participant, Krishna didn’t rejoice after scoring. Two minutes later, it was 2-1 from a set-piece routine so nicely labored that it might have been a hat-tip to the late Terry Venables whose groups had been identified for being cheeky from free-kicks.
Ahmed Jahou discovered Krishna who had escaped the eye of Mohun Bagan’s defence and he performed sq. for Maurico to faucet residence. Mohun Bagan’s incapability to fall again in time led to Mauricio discovering Goddard and the Japanese ahead scored after sending Glan Martins chasing down the fallacious alley.
Needing three targets to remain alive, Mohun Bagan launched Nassiri and the younger ahead scored with a smashing header. Colaco and Sahal Abdul Samad banged into the horizontal and as Mohun Bagan stored pushing up, they left sufficient area for Odisha to sucker punch twice.
Source web site: www.hindustantimes.com
