Pictures by Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency.
Mohun Bagan 0 Punjab FC 0
(Mohun Bagan wins tiebreaker 4-3)
Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency: On Sunday, the Shield semi-final match between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Punjab FC at Kishore Bharati Krirangan ended in a goalless draw after 120 minutes of painful football. The green maroon army entered the Shield final with a 4-3 win in the tiebreaker, relying on the trust of goalkeeper Vishal Kaith. In the tiebreaker, Punjab's sizer took the third and Vishal Yadav's shot, Bharsa Kaith paved the way for victory under the Bagan goal. So, even though Dragic's shot was saved by Punjab goalkeeper Mujith Sabir for Bagan, Miguel was not under extra pressure when he came to take the fifth penalty shot. He scored a goal to ensure the team's entry into the final. Mohun Bagan's remaining goal scorers were Rahul Beke, Subhasish Basu, Alberto. The successful goal scorers in the tiebreaker for Punjab were Messi Bauli, Ashbir Singh and Rishikant. Last year's Shield champion Mohun Bagan has a chance to win the trophy again. Their opponents in the final are the winners of East Bengal and North East. However, if they play like this, it will be difficult to win in the final. At the same time, they are not ready to play in the ISL.
Despite losing to Srinidhi Deccan by a large margin in the group league match, Mohun Bagan had to be content with a 1-1 draw against North East. There, Punjab FC dominated the two group league matches and entered the semi-finals. Which included the match won against East Bengal. Naturally, before facing Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the first semi-final of the Shield, it was natural for the Punjab team's footballers to be more confident. Punjab started the game on the Kishore Bharati Sports Complex with a lively attitude. With Messi Bauli and Alfred Moya up front.
Understanding that, Bagan coach Panagiotis Dimperis (Panos) wanted to increase the pressure on Punjab by keeping the defense in a 4-2-3-1 formation, adding variety to the attack from the beginning, putting Dragic and Lee Harry Erwin on the wings with Liston. He gave Samir Zelkovic the responsibility of operating from the back. Bagan was repeatedly attacking, but the finisher to score goals was not in sight. Bagan's footballers were repeatedly blocked by reaching the front of the goal. Mohun Bagan coach Panos North East said after the match that he was unhappy with the numerous goals missed by the footballers. However, once the team starts scoring, it will not stop. But when will the rain of goals start? However, Mohun Bagan could have scored in the 8th minute. A Punjab defender fouled Bagan's Ashish Rai just outside the box. The ball went off and landed at the feet of Lee Erwin in the middle of the box. When he went to take a shot, he was tripped and thrown by another Punjab defender. Referee Bimalendu Mondal blew the foul whistle. However, it was unclear why he did not award a penalty to Bagan, but ordered a free kick considering the foul committed by Ashish Rai outside the box? If Erwin had scored, would the referee have canceled it? In the 9th minute, Erwin's free kick, taken from the head of the box, hit the goalkeeper Arshdeep's hand and hit the crossbar, saving Punjab.
However, the loss of the goal was more than the loss for Bagan. Ashish Rai's injury was quite serious. From the press box, it seemed like a major injury to his knee. He could not even stand up. Ashish was carried off the field by the shoulders of Mohun Bagan's doctor and physio. He could not enter the field again. Ashish had just gotten fit and started playing on the field, but this injury could set him back a lot at the beginning of the season. Mohun Bagan Super Giant's first match in the ISL will be against North East on October 12 at the Guwahati ground. There are doubts about when Ashish will be fit and enter the field in the green and maroon jersey. However, if Abhishek, who is in the national team, returns, Ashish's lack of playing ability will be filled.
Later, the Bagan Brigade increased the attack and kept Punjab under pressure. They created a goal opportunity in the 38th minute. Chhangte took a swift volley with his left foot after Zelkovic's low ball from the left, floating his body empty. Punjab goalkeeper Arshdeep was more active in taking possession of the ball and saving the team from falling behind.
Liston's form was so bad that Bagan coach Panos did not keep him on the field after the break. He replaced him with Miguel. But even then, the green and maroon footballers could not open the goal. Instead, Punjab footballers held the opponent down. In defense, Alberto alone kept the Bagan fortress like a Kumbh and did not concede a goal.
In the 86th minute, Miguel's free kick slipped through the hands of Punjab's replacement goalkeeper Mujith Sabir and went into the net, but the referee disallowed the goal due to offside. The match went into extra time. Since neither team could score in the 120th minute, the match went into a tiebreaker. In the end, the boring football was settled. They met Mohun Bagan, the finalists of the Shield. It is difficult to say how relieved the Bagan camp was to reach the final. With McLaren out due to injury, the look of the Bagan team that was seen in the semi-finals may have to be advertised by coach Panos to find a goal scorer in the final.
Mohun Bagan: Vishal, Ashish (Abhishek), Alberto, Becky, Shuvashis, Chante (Sion), Deepak, Zelkovic (Alex), Liston (Miguel), Dragic, Erwin (Suhel).