2018 Indian Super Cup Final

The 2018 Indian Super Cup Final was a football match between East Bengal and Bengaluru, played on 20 April 2018, at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The match was a culmination of the 2018 Indian Super Cup, a knockout football tournament in India run by the All India Football Federation. This was the first edition of the Super Cup, the successor to the Federation Cup. Bengaluru won the tournament after defeating East Bengal 4–1. A brace from captain Sunil Chhetri and goals each from Rahul Bheke and Miku were enough for Bengaluru to get past East Bengal who scored once through Ansumana Kromah.

2018 AIFF Super Cup Final
Event2018 AIFF Super Cup
East Bengal Bengaluru
I-League ISL
1 4
Date20 April 2018
VenueKalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
RefereeC. R. Srikrishna (Tamil Nadu)
Attendance9,500
WeatherPartly cloudy
32 °C (90 °F)[1]

Both teams qualified for the tournament after finishing within the top six in both their respective leagues, the I-League and Indian Super League. Prior to this match, both East Bengal and Bengaluru only played each other in league matches when Bengaluru was part of the I-League.

The final was televised on Star Sports and online on Hotstar. The match took place at the Kalinga Stadium which had hosted every match of the tournament up till this match.

Road to the final

The Super Cup is a new annual Indian knock-out football competition that is open to all ten teams in the I-League and Indian Super League and is run by the All India Football Federation.[2] The tournament is a replacement for the Federation Cup, the previous domestic competition for Indian football.[2]

The top six teams in both leagues during their 2017–18 seasons automatically qualified for the competition.[2] The bottom four from each league had to go through a qualification stage.[2] East Bengal finished in fourth in the I-League and thus qualified directly for the Super Cup.[3] Bengaluru meanwhile finished in first during the Indian Super League but ended as runners-up after losing in the final.[4]

East Bengal
See also: 2017–18 East Bengal F.C. season

Prior to the 2018 Indian Super Cup, East Bengal had reached the final of the Federation Cup, India's previous top domestic cup competition, 16 times and won the tournament eight times. Most recently, East Bengal won the competition in 2012.[5] They began their Super Cup campaign on 5 April 2018 against Indian Super League side Mumbai City. Mumbai City took an early lead in the 22nd minute through Achille Emaná before Katsumi Yusa scored an equalizer for East Bengal four minutes later. East Bengal then took the lead in the 73rd minute through Mahmoud Amnah and went on to win the match 2–1.[6] In the quarter-final, the club took on fellow I-League side Aizawl. The match was a highly contested and was only won six minutes into second half stoppage time from a Laldanmawia Ralte penalty. East Bengal won 1–0.[7]

In the semi-finals, East Bengal again took on an Indian Super League when they faced off against Goa. Goa entered the match heavily depleted after losing three players through suspension in their last match while also not having some players due to injury.[8] With that the case, East Bengal managed to secure a 1–0 victory and confirm their place in the Super Cup Final with Dudu Omagbemi scoring in the 78th minute.[9]

Bengaluru
See also: 2017–18 Bengaluru FC season

Bengaluru had competed in the Federation Cup only four times as the club was only founded in 2013.[10] In those four appearances, the club managed to win the competition twice, in 2014–15 and the last edition of the tournament in 2016–17.[10] Bengaluru began their Super Cup campaign on 1 April 2018 against the Gokulam Kerala. Henry Kisekka began the scoring in the match for Gokulam Kerala in the 33rd minute. Bengaluru soon found an equalizer through Miku before Udanta Singh found the winner for the club two minutes into stoppage time.[11] The club then went to take on NEROCA in the quarter-finals on 13 April. Bengaluru captain Sunil Chhetri scored a hattrick as he helped his side secure a 3–1 victory over their I-League opponents.[12]

In the semi-finals, Bengaluru took on Mohun Bagan, the club they defeated in the Federation Cup final in 2017. During the match, Bengaluru found themselves down at halftime after Aser Pierrick Dipanda scored in the 42nd minute. However, second half saw Bengaluru respond with four goals, three from Miku and one from Chhetri, as they took a 4–1 lead. Dipanda then scored a second for Mohun Bagan in stoppage time but it was too late as Bengaluru won and clinched their spot in the final with a 4–2 victory.[13]

Pre-match

Venue
Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar

On 7 March 2018, it was announced by the All India Football Federation that the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha would host the entire Super Cup.[14] The venue had not previously hosted any edition of the Federation Cup.[15] In addition, none of the 20 teams that participated in the Super Cup were based in Bhubaneswar or the entire state of Odisha.[16] However, Jamshedpur, one of the Indian Super League clubs did play one match at the stadium towards the end of the 2017–18 ISL season.[14]

Originally, the entire tournament was set to take place in Kochi, Kerala.[14] On 4 March 2018, a couple weeks before the Super Cup qualifiers, Jamshedpur head coach Steve Coppell had told the media that all he knew about the tournament was that it would take place in Kochi.[17] However, when AIFF officials inspected the Kalinga Stadium during the Jamshedpur match in February, they were impressed with the facilities around the stadium.[14]

Analysis

Coming into this match, both sides looked at it as a chance to win some silverware after they both lucked out in their respective league campaigns.[18] Since Bengaluru had finished as runners-up during the Indian Super League, they were considered favorites. Albert Roca, the Bengaluru head coach, stressed before the match that their hunger and confidence would help them in this match: "The Super Cup final is another chance and we will be going into the game with the right amount of confidence. We've been consistent and have had a fantastic season so far. It would be nice to have a trophy for our efforts."[18] According to Goal.com, the club were expected to enter the match using a 3–5–2 formation, with key players Sunil Chhetri and Miku leading the attack.[19] Left back Nishu Kumar would be suspended for this match after gaining a red card in the previous match while defenders Rahul Bheke and Juanan were doubts to play.[19]

Khalid Jamil, the East Bengal head coach, said that his team must remain positive before the match and apprehensive of Bengaluru.[20] "It is the last match of the season. Bengaluru FC is a great team, no doubt. We cannot afford to make mistakes," he said.[20] East Bengal centerback, Eduardo Ferreira, meanwhile made some comments to the media as he was part of the Mohun Bagan side which took on Bengaluru in the final of the Federation Cup in 2017: "I know they have good players and a good coach. One of the best teams in the country. But we have to keep focus and play well. Last year's Fed Cup final is past. I am thinking about tomorrow's game. I want to give my best tomorrow."[20]

According to Goal.com, East Bengal were expected to enter the match using a 4–1–4–1 formation.[19] Midfielder Mohammed Rafique would be unavailable due to injury and striker Dudu Omagbemi was a doubt.[19]

Match

Summary

Prior to the match, it was announced that both Juanan and Rahul Bheke had passed fitness tests and were starting for Bengaluru.[21] For East Bengal, Dudu Omagbemi wasn't fit enough for the starting eleven but was on the bench.[21] Within the first minute of the match, Bengaluru had earned a corner kick before East Bengal were able to get their first attack at Bengaluru.[21] East Bengal's Ansumana Kromah was able to draw a foul outside the box and Bengaluru's Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and John Johnson were both given yellow cards.[21] Kromah would eventually find the opening goal of the match in the 27th minute. Sandhu made a mistake on a corner as Kromah scored off a bicycle kick.[22] The lead would only last for 12 minutes though as Bengaluru soon equalized through Rahul Bheke's header off a Víctor Pérez cross.[22] Finally, before halftime, East Bengal's Samad Ali Mallick was sent off after attempting to punch Subhasish Bose, reducing the club to 10 men.[22]

During the second half, East Bengal began putting the pressure on Bengaluru and scored a goal. Unfortunately, the goal scored by Kromah was judged to be offside after the Liberian striker attempted to put in a rebound after Sandhu saved a shot from Cavin Lobo.[22] A few minutes later, Sandhu comes up big for Bengaluru after saving a free kick shot from Mahmoud Amnah. Later, in the 69th minute, a foul in East Bengal's box resulted in the referee awarding Bengaluru a penalty which was scored by Sunil Chhetri.[22] Two minutes later, Bengaluru extended their lead when Miku scored his 20th goal in all competitions for the season.[22] Finally, in the first minute of stoppage time, Chhetri wrapped the game up for Bengaluru by heading home the club's fourth goal and sealing a 4–1 victory.[21]

Details
East Bengal1–4Bengaluru
Kromah  28' Report Bheke  39'
Chhetri  69' (pen.), 90+1'
Miku  71'
Attendance: 9,500
East Bengal
Bengaluru
GK1 Ubaid CK
DF4 Lalramchullova
DF14 Eduardo Ferreira
DF16 Gurwinder Singh
DF25 Samad Ali Mallick 61'
MF5 Khalid Aucho
MF6 Mahmoud Amnah
MF7 Cavin Lobo 52'
MF10 Katsumi Yusa
MF17 Laldanmawia Ralte 84'
FW40 Ansumana Kromah 89'
Substitutes:
DF3 Arnab Mondal
MF11 Gabriel Fernandes
GK12 Luis Barreto
FW22 Jobby Justin 84'
MF29 Deepak Kumar 52'
MF30 Brandon Vanlalremdika
FW44 Dudu Omagbemi 89'
Manager:
Khalid Jamil
GK1 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
DF2 Rahul Bheke
DF5 Juanan
DF6 John Johnson
DF15 Subhasish Bose
MF16 Erik Paartalu 61'
MF8 Lenny Rodrigues
MF21 Udanta Singh 90+1'
MF44 Víctor Pérez
FW11 Sunil Chhetri
FW7 Miku
Substitutes:
GK28 Lalthuammawia Ralte
DF10 Harmanjot Khabra
DF4 Zohmingliana Ralte
MF19 Toni Dovale 61'
MF17 Boithang Haokip 90+1'
FW25 Daniel Lalhlimpuia
FW18 Thongkhosiem Haokip
Manager:
Albert Roca

Hero of the Match:
Sunil Chhetri (Bengaluru)[23]

Assistant referees:
Antony Abraham
Sumanta Dutta
Fourth official:
Santosh Kumar

Match rules

Post-match

During the post-match press conference, Bengaluru head coach Albert Roca praised his team and said that they were the most consistent side during the entire season.[24] Roca also expressed his happiness in winning the tournament for the fans while praising how his team reacted to being a goal down, "I am very happy for the supporters. This is the success we were looking forward to. Today we showed that my team has been the most consistent team this season."[24] The club would soon resume their season five days later when they took on New Radiant of the Maldives in the AFC Cup.[25]

Khalid Jamil after the match meanwhile praised his side, "Talking about this game, everybody worked very hard. I give all the credit to boys. They started well. The score wasn’t in our favour. No complaint from my side."[26] Jamil was also very critical of the refereeing performance during the match, especially during Samad Ali Mallick's red card and Ansumana Kromah's disallowed goal. "Kromah’s goal, I don’t think it was offside. The result could have been different if Kromah's goal was not disallowed. Samad Ali’s red card was harsh, it could have been a yellow card. But I was far away and I couldn’t see properly."[26] Six days later, on 26 April, it was announced by East Bengal that Jamil had been sacked by the club.[27]

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References
  1. "Weather History for Bhubaneswhar". Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  2. Saharoy, Shilarze (12 March 2018). "Chennaiyin to face Aizawl in Super Cup on March 31". Times of India. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  3. Parasar, Swapnaneel (26 April 2018). "East Bengal sack Khalid Jamil, Subhash Bhowmick to continue as Technical Director". Goal.com. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  4. Noronha, Anselm (20 March 2018). "Albert Roca: Bengaluru FC's season is not over". Goal.com. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  5. "East Bengal are Federation Cup Champions". Western India Football Association. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  6. "East Bengal beat Mumbai City FC 2-1 to enter Super Cup quarters". Times of India. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  7. Bhattacharya, Nilesh (8 April 2018). "Super Cup: East Bengal beat Aizawl FC to seal semi-final berth". Times of India. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  8. "FC Goa thrash Jamshedpur FC in Super Cup; game sees six red cards". Hindustan Times. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  9. "East Bengal through to Super Cup final after 1-0 win over FC Goa". Hindustan Times. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  10. "As it happened: Bengaluru FC win Federation Cup". ESPN. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  11. "Bengaluru FC beat Gokulam Kerala FC to advance to Super Cup quarterfinals". Hindustan Times. 1 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  12. "Chhetri hat-trick sets up Bengaluru's 3-1 win over Neroca". Times of India. 13 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  13. "Bengaluru FC beat Mohun Bagan to set up Super Cup final vs East Bengal". Hindustan Times. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  14. Dias, Anil (7 March 2018). "Bhubaneswar to host first Super Cup". Times of India. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  15. "Federation Cup Winners". RSSSF.
  16. "Super Cup". Soccerway.
  17. "Jamshedpur FC's Steve Coppell – Super Cup is a nonsense". Goal.com. 4 March 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  18. "Bengaluru FC eye redemption in final against East Bengal (Preview)". Business Standard. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  19. "East Bengal vs Bengaluru FC - TV channel, stream, kick-off time & match preview". Goal.com. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  20. "East Bengal's Khalid Jamil: Subhash Bhowmick is helping us a lot". Goal.com. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  21. Anad, Anish (20 April 2018). "Super Cup 2018 Highlights, Bengaluru FC vs East Bengal: Blues clinch their 5th trophy with 4-1 win". FirstPost. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  22. "Bengaluru FC thrash East Bengal 4-1 to lift inaugural Super Cup trophy". Indian Express. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  23. "Hero of the Match". Indian Football.
  24. "Bengaluru FC coach Alberto Roca describes his team as most consistent side in domestic circuit". FirstPost. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  25. "Bengaluru FC look to stretch lead as New Radiant keep chase going". Bengaluru Football Club. 24 April 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  26. Banerjee, Ritabrata (20 April 2018). "Khalid Jamil - Nobody supports East Bengal". Goal.com. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  27. Parasar, Swapnaneel (26 April 2018). "East Bengal sack Khalid Jamil, Subhash Bhowmick to continue as Technical Director". Goal.com. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
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