Kolkata: Diamond Harbour FC (DHFC), remember the name. At a time when clubs in the Indian Super League (ISL) are saying they cannot continue, DHFC have shown that there is life beyond the top tier. A diamond that can be the third force from Bengal.
“We can be better but we cannot do more,” said coach Kibu Vicuna one day prior to the semi-final against East Bengal in the 134th Durand Cup. Even the Spaniard would have been surprised at how his team lived up his mantra.
Now, defending champions NorthEast United, 1-0 winners against Shillong Lajong in Tuesday’s semi-final, stand between them and a title in Asia’s oldest, and the world’s third oldest, tournament. Wednesday’s 2-1 win against all odds ensured that.
Forget being overawed in their first Durand Cup, forget being frightened by the reputation of their opponents who had convincingly beaten ISL champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the quarter-final, or the fact that they had only two foreigners less than half of East Bengal. Forget even the fact that their supporters would, by an optimistic estimate, be in the hundreds among the 18,960 that fetched up with loud hailers on a midweek evening at Salt Lake stadium.
DHFC absorbed the shock of letting in Anwar Ali’s equaliser one minute after Mikel Kortazar’s magnificent back-volley had them ahead, scored again from a melee through Jobby Justin and then held on as East Bengal threw the kitchen sink, nay the whole kitchen, at them.
Miguel Ferreira thudded the framework, Mohamad Bashim dragged his shot wide, Dimitrios Diamantikos failed to keep a free header on target once in each half as did Kevin Sibille just before half-time. Kortazar produced a goalline save in first half stoppage time. And when all was lost, there was Koottappuna Mirshad about whom we will come to in a bit.
Justin, whose career had grown at East Bengal, is getting a second wind at the club that was founded on April 15, 2022, also the Bengali New Year’s Day. Vicuna’s 4-3-3 formation hinged on the tracking back of his wide forwards and Justin and Halicharan Narzary did just that.
That East Bengal were forced into taking off Edmund Lalrindika and Lalchungnunga, who was on a booking, add solidity in midfield by introducing Jeakson Singh and getting Bashim in hours after he had flown back from USA after his father’s death, was proof of how effective DHFC were, especially in transitions. By half-time, Samuel Lalmuanpuia could have had a goal and an assist but his 23rd minute shot banged into the horizontal and his pass over Lalchungnunga was skied by Justin three minutes later.
And now about Mirshad, also a former East Bengal player. The goalie was surprised by the vicious curl and power of Ali’s shot from 40 yards but had saved one from the central defender in the 21st minute. He produced a double save in the move that had the Spaniard Kortazar, who put in a superb shift, clearing from the line. He also tipped over Sibille’s header and a powerful drive from Singh. That was in the 56th minute. Soon after, Vicuna made a triple change and the substitute struggled to get into the rhythm of the match.
It led to East Bengal asserting themselves but against the run of play, one of the substitutes, Girik Khosla won a free-kick. From distance, Paul Ramfangzuava swung the shot which Ali headed but only as far as Kortazar, the 26-year-old central defender from Ondarroa. As Prabhsukhan Gill went towards him, Kortazar back-volleyed into the bottom corner in the 66th minute.
Barely had DHFC had done celebrating, that Ali’s screamer levelled the issue in the 67th. DHFC organised themselves into a low block and kept repelling East Bengal. But when the opportunity arose, they would break into a counter-attack as Paul did, taking on a Justin pass and testing Gill. From the corner-kick, Luka Macjen kept the ball alive and Justin managed to stab home. He did not celebrate.
Macjen thought he had settled it with another counter-attack, set going by Justin but Wahengbam Angousana, another substitute, was off-side. No problem. DHFC showed they had the steel to hold on.
“We are here to stay,” Vicuna had said on Tuesday. Tired of being asked about East Bengal at the per-match press conference, he had also said: “We too are a good team.” A little over 24 hours later, the 53-year-old Spanish coach, who had won Mohun Bagan their last I-League in 2019-20, showed how right he was. In five years in India, he has yet to lose against East Bengal.
