Jamshedpur FC vs East Bengal
By A Correspondent
Kolkata: Substitute Rei Tachikawa produced a late stunner to help the Men of Steel seal a comeback victory in their first away match of the season in Indian Super League (ISL), as Jamshedpur FC defeated East Bengal FC 2–1 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Saturday.
In what turned out to be one of the most entertaining matches so far, the Men of Steel registered their third win in a row and showed remarkable character to overturn the deficit and defeat the Kolkata side in their own backyard.
Jamshedpur began brightly, pushing forward with intent from the opening minutes. Messi Bouli had the ball in the net early but was flagged offside. Soon after, Vincy Barretto burst down the right wing and tested the goalkeeper, who managed to parry his effort away.
The Men of Steel continued to knock on the door as Nikola Stojanovic tried his luck from outside the box with a powerful strike that was comfortably handled by the East Bengal keeper after a neat attacking build-up. With Sanan Mohammed and Vincy Barretto stretching the play on the flanks and Madih Talal linking the attack through the middle, Jamshedpur looked sharp in attack while remaining organised at the back.
However, the hosts struck in the 41st minute to take the lead, forcing Jamshedpur to regroup before the break.
The second half resumed with Jamshedpur showing urgency in search of an equaliser. Stephen Eze produced a crucial sliding clearance early in the half to deny a dangerous East Bengal pull-back, before almost turning scorer himself. From a free kick, Eze powered a header towards the far post only for the East Bengal goalkeeper to get fingertips to the ball and push it away.
The equaliser finally arrived soon after when Eze rose highest from a corner to head the ball into the net, bringing Jamshedpur level and setting up an intense final stretch.
With momentum on their side, the Men of Steel launched wave after wave of attacks. Madih Talal forced a diving save from the goalkeeper before Messi Bouli saw his angled attempt parried away. At the other end, goalkeeper Albino Gomes kept Jamshedpur in the contest with a strong punch to deny a close-range effort as the match turned into an end-to-end affair in Kolkata.
Jamshedpur maintained long spells of possession late in the match, patiently probing for an opening. The decisive moment arrived in the 87th minute when substitute Rei Tachikawa made his impact. After a slick exchange of passes, Sanan Mohammed found the Japanese midfielder, who curled a superb shot into the top far corner to give Jamshedpur the lead.
The visitors then held firm through seven minutes of added time to seal a memorable victory, completing a spirited comeback and continuing their impressive run of form in the league.
The Men of Steel will next face Inter Kashi at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on March 6, with kickoff scheduled for 7.30 PM.
Result: East Bengal 1 (Edmund Lalrindika 40’) lost to Jamshedpur FC 2 (Stephen Eze 61, Rei Tachikawa 87)
About the Author
