Pratyusha Jana:
The historical IFA Shield kicked off with a rather easy 4-0 win for East Bengal FC. EBFC glided through the match with four foreigners against all the sons of soil. On Wednesday, East Bengal FC faced the Sreenidi Deccan Football Club, in Kalyani Stadium almost from the beginning of the match they showcased their attacking stance, so much so East Bengal’s goalkeeper Debjit Majumder was never tested throughout the match 90 minutes.
The 4-3-4 formation for EBFC never acknowledged any shot from SNFC throughout the debut match of IFA Shield.
The first remarkable attack from EBFC came only in the seventh minute however it was ruled off due to being offside. East Bengal’s attacking stance didn’t seem to be ruled down; rather in the 17th minute Miguel Ferreira, Hamid Ahadad , TH Bipin Singh attempted another strategic attack, while missing the goal.
Regardless, the first few saves East Bengal opened their scorebook at just 22 minutes into the game, as Hamid Ahadad’s foul led to a free kick by Miguel Ferreira while Adhil Faizal could save the first hit the second hit from Jay Gupta led to the opening net for the day.
TH Bipin Singh while not able to score any net brilliantly assisted two of the remarkable nets for EBFC.
East Bengal FC dominated the game with a convincing performance against Sreenidi Deccan. The second goal came through a brilliant cross from Bipin, which found Saul Crespo, who headed it home in the 38th minute.
In the second half, Sreenidi Deccan struggled to regain momentum, while East Bengal continued their attacking rhythm. Bipin once again played a crucial role, providing an assist that allowed Hamid Ahadad to find the net in the 46th minute.
The final goal for East Bengal FC came just five minutes later. From Crespo’s precise corner, Thounaojam Jeakson Singh rose above the defenders to head the ball in, sealing a dominant victory for EBFC by the 51st minute.
