East Bengal FC: Determined Despite Defeat

East Bengal FC head coach Carles Cuadrat praised his team's fighting spirit after a 0-1 loss against Bengaluru FC in the ISL opener. Despite maintaining higher ball possession and more shots, East Bengal failed to score. Cuadrat expressed satisfaction with the players' approach and highlighted the importance of young talent.

East Bengal FC head coach Carles Cuadrat praised his team's fighting spirit despite their narrow 0-1 defeat against Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) season opener at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. The match's decisive moment came in the 25th minute when Vinith Venkatesh netted a right-footed, precise shot for the Blues.

This is the fifth consecutive season East Bengal has failed to secure a victory in their opening fixture (D2, L3). Cuadrat's squad, known as the Red and Gold Brigade, held 55% ball possession and took 10 shots but could not score. Their forwards, including Dimitrios Diamantakos, Naorem Mahesh Singh, and Nandhakumar Sekar, struggled to beat Bengaluru FC's goalie Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and missed several opportunities. Their comeback hopes were further dashed when Lalchungnunga was sent off late in the game.

Despite the defeat, Cuadrat noted that his players relentlessly chased an equalizer. 'The team fought until the last minute, even with one player less,' he emphasized during the post-match press conference. The second half saw East Bengal carve out clear chances through Souvik Chakraborty and Cleiton Silva but fail to convert. Cuadrat remains optimistic about the season, expressing satisfaction with his squad's effort and strategy.

(With inputs from agencies.)