Mohun Bagan vs SC Delhi | Match Won - League Lost | Review

byRichik Nag -

Everybody loves upsets in sports.

The dominant team winning all the time is less appealing than a Leicester story to tell your grand kids, or one from Porto. Or closer home, Chennai City winning the I-League.

These are seasons that define football! The dominant and legacy teams are out-performed and overthrown from their usual standards.

Despite East Bengal winning the League Trophy after 22 years, a truncated format led to them lifting the ISL Cup instead of the ISL Shield, after they finished first ahead only on goal difference than the second-placed Defending Double Champions, Mohun Bagan.

Let's begin with the team for the night. For a must-win game Lobera went with Vishal in goal, Mehtab, Aldred and Bose as a back three, Thapa and Sahal in the midfield. Liston and Manvir on the flanks with Jamie and Dimi up top.



With some players almost certain to lose their place from the squad next season, this match was a redemption for many. Both MB and EB's matches went ahead simultaneously, a final match tradition of most leagues, that has been recently introduced to the ISL.

Bagan began on the aggressive front, as expected. To top things off, Inter Kashi even took the lead in the other game. But Bagan could not let their fate be decided by another team. They needed a win to seal their own fate.

But, it wasn't easy. SC Delhi have shown throughout the season that they are a resolute team of youngsters who can be very difficult to deal with. And their resolve was evident.

The best chance of the first half came from Manvir, and later from Cummings. Within a gap of 5 minutes, first Manvir in the 39th minute and then Cummings in the 41st and 45th minutes missed one-on-one situations. Bagan had the chance to score 3 goals but couldn't capitalise on even one. The half ended in a close encounter with both sides locked at zero all at the half.





The second half began with a touch of brilliance from Sahal Abdul Samad. He dribbled past almost the entire the defense of Delhi, but forgot he had to take a shot and produced a very weak effort that wasn't even on target. Minutes later, Manvir too came close again but this time, he hit the bar with a header.

When Bagan could not make their chances count, Delhi did. Clarence Fernandes struck in the 61st minute through a looping header over Kaith, that not only silenced the crowd but it showed the reality of the season for the Mariners. Disappointing, but not unexpected.

The goal opened the flood gates with both teams trying to score in an end-to-end encounter. Bagan thought they had levelled with Jamie but he was called offside in the 81st minute attempt. Robson came close in the 88th minute too, but his curler went horribly wide.

Bagan finally found their luck in the 90th minute. Manvir finally connected his head to a Liston Colaco low cross from the right wing and the ball ended up in the net. The game levelled but no one was really happy.

In the dying minutes of the game, another cross was floated by Liston, this time from the left wing. Manvir headed it towards goal but Maclaren couldn't get the final touch. A minute later, Liston's cross from right wing missed everyone before Maclaren connected with his left foot and slotted it past the keeper into the back of the net. The final whistle blew and Mohun Bagan secured 3 points. Yes, Bagan won but yet, they lost as Inter Kashi lost 2-1 to East Bengal FC. The Mariners come second in the final ISL Table, separated by just goal difference from the first.

Some questions arise after a season like this. A team with so many big names, a high pay roll, which continuously breaks records in the transfer market. Who takes the blame? The players? Maybe, because they are the ones out there. Some of them, with all due respect to their past achievements in Green-and-Maroon, are just not at it anymore. Bagan should not be held hostage by the mirage of the nostalgia of these once-great players. You can ask the Bagan management too, why recruit these players, year after year? Where's the youth project we were promised? Why do Bagan intentionally keep inflating player prices in the market, knowing very well that none of the current crop of domestic players deserve that much? And most importantly, who's making the team-building decisions? One person cannot oversee football and cricket franchises, both at the same time. Or else, an Ed Woodward era might be looming over Mohun Bagan.

As for the players and coaches, most of them have served Bagan well in the past, bringing trophies and glory for our Mother Club. But, it's time for a re-vamp, that starts with bidding farewell to many of the current players.

Nostalgia is a very dangerous thing. It blinds those with love and hope in their hearts. A team like Bagan is about winning and performing. The colours come with high expectations that only the best deserve to represent! The current squad sadly never played like Champions this season!



With Asia out of the picture next year, will Bagan go for an all-out transfer window, or be conservative with their resources given the current economy of Indian football? The transfer markets are already buzzing.

Lastly, to all the fans of East Bengal, congratulations for winning the league. The club has been through a lot. A healthy rivalry is needed to keep football alive in this country. Looking forward to Mohun Bagan giving them a fight for the title next year. 

Follow MBFT on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Telegram, Whatsapp & Google News to stay updated with all the Mohun Bagan & Indian Football related News & Updates. Jai Hind Jai Bharat! Joy Mohun Bagan!
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Richik Nag

Hello and welcome to my blog! I look forward to sharing my views with you. So do support by following my blog and sharing your valuable feedback. Follow me on Instagram; @rikzerka007

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