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East
Bengal scripted history on Saturday by becoming the first
Indian club to win any Asian level football tournament when
they demolished Thailand's BEC Terro Sasana 3-1 in the final
of the LG ASEAN Cup in Jakarta.
The
victory was even sweeter because BEC Terro is the champion
club of Asia and had defeated East Bengal in the first league
match of the tournament 1-0.
Burly
Nigerian Mike Okoro opened the scoring for the red-gold
brigade in the 30th minute, while Baichung Bhutia increased
the tally in the 52nd minute before Alvito D'Cunha completed
the rout in the 78th minute.
The
lone goal for BEC Terro came in the 55th minute, through
mid-fielder Anaikongopan.
Following
this triumph, the Indian National Football League champions
have played 93 matches against foreign teams, winning 44
and losing 27, with 22 games ending in stalemate. They have
scored 153 goals while conceding 100 from opponents.
Bhutia
emerged the highest scorer of the tournament with nine goals.
Bhutia,
who was declared the 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 backfoot
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 foot shot.
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
with more of action in East Bengal's half, the Kolkatans
came back with some intelligent bout of passing.
Soon
East Bengal went into the lead through a snap goal that
totally caught the Thais off guard in the 28th minute. Lurking
near the rival danger area, Okoro latched on to a guided
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.
Returning
from an injury and repaying coach Subash Bhowmich's faith
in him, Okoro then ran to the sidelines and did a Bebeto
style cradling. Soon the other players including Douglas,
Bhutia, Alvito D'Cunha, skipper Suley Musah and Sashti Duley
joined him in the celebration.
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 were desperate to equalise before
halftime and Nigerian Adu Sunday Omojola threatened twice
but was crowded out by the alert East 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,
who had other ideas, spoiled all their plans putting East
Bengal 2-0 ahead three minutes into the half.
Five
minutes later the Kolkatan outfit got a fine opportunity
to increase the lead when Douglas put Bijen Singh through,
but the Manipur lad's effort went just wide.
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 scored
beating East Bengal custodian Sandip Nandy in the 58th minute.
The
Thais, who upset Asia's star clubs en route to the AFC Champions
league final, were now really on the boil and tried to even
the contest.
Chaiman
came close in the very next minute, but after surviving
the onslaught for the next ten minutes Alvito left his indelible
stamp on the final scoring with a thundering rightfooter
from just outside the box.
Receiving
the ball on his left leg, following a quick sally by Surkumar
through the right, he quickly changed the ball to his favourite
foot and blasted home giving no chance to goalkeeper Phansa
Meesattham.
Courtesy:
www.rediff.com, July 27, 2003
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