The Hero I-League season has just and tomorrow East Bengal will be hosting defending champions Bengaluru FC in the first big cracker of the season.
Not the New Boys anymore:
Few years ago, and whenever someone would say the words “big team”, immediately two names would come to mind. East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. But now the scenario has completely changed thanks to the arrival of Bengaluru FC. We now officially have another powerhouse. A force to reckon with.
The Bengaluru team has grown in leaps and bounds and so has their fan base. The club which was founded just 3 years ago has managed to win everything available in the Indian platform. 2 times I league Champions, 1 time Federation Cup winners, runners-up in the AFC Cup. And their hunger knows no bounds.
And they are backed by some of the most passionate fans in the whole of India. Bengaluru will be heading to Kolkata with all the power they can gather. They will be hoping to get all three points from this match to further secure their top spot in the league.
History on their side:
East Bengal on the other hand, had a comparatively slow start to their season, managing only a draw. But the red and gold brigade have been gathering momentum as they move along. In their previous match, they broke the Churchill jinx and beat them handsomely by 2-0.
They are a club who have been promising a lot for the past couple of seasons. But are delivering next to nothing. But their fans have been patient. Which is a bit unexpected from a Kolkata crowd. But it goes on to show the level of confidence that they have on their team.
East Bengal have brought back Trevor Morgan as their coach, under whom the club saw a golden period in the near past. And Morgan has backing from the fans as well. This is probably a double-edged sword for him. As he knows that he has the backing of the fans. But he also must deliver. Not just good games, but trophies.
Ask any footballer who has played in Kolkata and he will tell you that the Kolkata supporters are very dicey to understand. They can treat you like God one moment and can turn on you the very next if you go through a purple past.
But then, they are probably the most passionate bunch of fans you will ever come across. And Bengaluru will definitely have that in mind. They will know very well that the crowd at the Barasat Stadium can play virtually like an extra man.
East Bengal and Bengaluru are two very distinct teams. One has a rich vein of history backing them up while another has just been collecting trophy after trophy. But one thing they have in common and is the passion and love for the game.
We at Football Fan would like to wish both the teams, ALL THE BEST. May the best team win.
And most importantly may you guys. Entertain us.
