Sunday, Jul 27, 2003
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Thailand's Bec Tero club player, Datsakorn Thonglao (centre), fights for the ball with Wuttiya Yongant (left) and Suleh Musah of East Bengal during the final of the ASEAN LG Cup Tournament in Jakarta on Saturday. East Bengal won 3-1, becoming the first Indian club to win any Asian-level football tournament.
The hard-earned victory against the Asian Champions League finalists made East Bengal richer by $50,000. It was sweet revenge for the Indians who had lost 0-1 to the Thais in the league phase. Leading by a 28th-minute Mike Okoro goal at the break, East Bengal stretched its lead to 2-0 with `golden boot award winner' Baichung Bhutia taking his tournament tally to nine in the 48th minute. Alvito D'Cunha sealed the issue in the 69th minute after the Thais tried to come back through a goal by Panai Kongpaphan in the 58th minute. Bhutia, who was declared man of the match, continued with his rich form and ended the tournament on a high with his solo second goal, which put the Thais firmly on the back foot even as they were trying hard to nullify Okoro's strike. On a quick counter attack, Bhutia snatched the ball from Thai defender Thanongsak Pajakkta after a one-to-one battle. He went inside the box, pulled the goalkeeper out of position, and regaining his step after a slip, found the net with a firm right-footer. The Geloran Senayan stadium once again turned out to be a lucky venue for Indian soccer, where India had won the Jakarta Asian Games gold medal in 1962. The two teams began with a couple of raids on either end with Therdsak Chaiman, most valuable player of the tournament, and Okoro caught in the offside trap in the early minutes of the match. Even as Sasana looked like taking control with greater possession, the Kolkatans came back with some intelligent bout of passing which unsettled the Thais. East Bengal went into the lead through a snap goal which totally caught the Thais off guard in the 28th minute. Lurking near the rival danger area, Okoro latched on to a through pass from the centre circle by Brazilian Douglas de Silva. Wriggling for space between the rival defenders, Okoro, starting only his second match of the tournament, found the target with a powerful right footer that crashed into the net. With their tails up East Bengal mounted further pressure but efforts by Surkumar Singh, Alvito and Duley did not bear fruit. At the other end, Sasana was desperate to equalise before half-time and Nigerian Adu Sunday Omojola threatened twice but was crowded out by the alert Bengal defenders. In the first half injury time, Anuchai Katpongsri really threatened with a quick move, which the Indian team averted by conceding a corner kick. Rattled, the Thais began the second session determined to make amends and immediately went in search of the equaliser. But Bhutia spoiled all their plans putting East Bengal 2-0 ahead three minutes into the half. The Thais were now fighting with their backs to the wall and replaced Omojola with Wuttiya Yongant. The move paid off quickly as the substitute combined with Kongpaphan to pull his team back into the match with 32 minutes of play left. The two played a brilliant one-two before Kongpaphan beat East Bengal custodian Sandip Nandy in the 58th minute. Alvito left his stamp on the final scoring with a thundering right-footer from just outside the box. Receiving the ball on his left leg, following a quick sally by Surkumar through the right, he quickly switched the ball to his favourite foot and blasted home giving no chance to 'keeper Phansa Meesattham. PTI
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