Mohun Bagan enters final

By Suryanarayan

CHENNAI, AUG. 27 Convincing in its progress thus far, glamour team Mohun Bagan, Kolkata made light of the hurdles Mahindra United Mumbai placed while working out a 2-0 win and storm into the title round of the 24th Federation Cup football tournament at the floodlit Nehru stadium on Monday. This is the 14th occasion for Bagan to be in the final.

In many ways the contest failed to produce sparks. A key reason was the Mumbai team's inability to rise to the expected level thanks to the continuing ill-luck of growing sick list in the team. The team boasts of at least half a dozen India players but in effect nearly all were down. Jules Alberto in fact could not take the field at all in the tournament while Raman Vijayan and goalkeeper Virender Singh had to be content sitting on the bench so drained out were they.

Still as Mahindra Coach Harish Rao, who himself could hold himself steady only today after being down with a viral fever, said ``we played well despite not been able to utilise the services of our key players. Losing that way is okay. Then again losing to Mohun Bagan is not something to feel about'' he added. While the Bagan Coach, Subrata Bhattacharjee is not one to be carried away easily, thought ``winning is fine but we could improve. Besides I was curious to know how strong Mahindra will be with all those India players. They have good ball players no doubt'', he summed up.

From a spectator's point of view it was a dour struggle between one team wanting to touch its wonted form and the other, the Mumbai team, aiming to be a good opposition. With an attack that lacked thrust but only a defence where Bernard Oparanazie was outstanding Mahindra would have needed a big slice of luck to cut past the Bagan end. In fact for most part it never got a clear view of rival citadel to really pressure Bivash Ghosh. As Subrata said, ``we knew Mahindra's strategy of trying aerial balls but we had a sweeper Amauri Da Silva, the Brazilian to nip the danger''. And that in the final analysis numbed Mahindra's approach.

Much of the first session was spent in probing missions, mostly at Mahindra end. And as time ticked by and success eluding, tension in the players began to surface. Nigerian Abdul Lateef Seriki and Mahindra's Khalid Jamil had an eyeball to eyeball stare once while Bagan's Rennedy Singh and Venkatesh encounter went further resulting in each earning a yellow card booking. Nonetheless the tackles did not degenerate to aimless acts at least at that stage, instead five minutes from half time produced the goal-scoring moment of the match. A free kick from just outside the box saw Basudev Mondal tap the ball for the Brazilian spearhead Ramires Barreto to fire a right footer. The ball struck Khalid's leg, changed direction and in a flash beat the outstretched left hand of goalkeeper Naseem Akhtar.

The breather was good respite for Mahindra from the way the team tried to spring to hectic action. Surkumar Singh in particular looked adventurous though he never could make deep inroads, worse in frustration began to lose cool. It was not easy to break the wall Amauri, Hussain Mustafi, Dulal Biswas and Lolendra Singh raised each time Bagan defence was dared. But the story was different at the other end where despite Bernard's almost frenetic efforts, Barreto could pierce through, once even striking full blast to goalkeeper Naseem Akhtar straight.

But worse was to follow midway. Mahindra defender, the other Nigerian Habid A Adekunle, was down immobilised with an ankle injury. Referee Balu did not give it a serious look for by now many similar interruptions had begun. But Adekunle was truly injured and that meant one yawning gap for exploitation and as luck would have it for Mahindra, Bagan struck just then. Seriki did not score but placed it for James Singh to nail in the 66th minute. Substitutions followed but Mahindra Coach had limited options still it was curious move to send in Mohd. Umar Khan in the injury time for the player's intention seemed more on going for the player than the ball. The wild swing of his leg once at the goalkeeper Bivash and then at Amauri did not present a happy picture.

Mohun Bagan now meets Dempo Goa in the final on August 30 after two days rest.

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