“We played good football”: East Bengal FC head coach Carles Cuadrat

New Delhi [India], July 30 (ANI): East Bengal FC head coach Carles Cuadrat expressed his delight with the way his side performed as they kicked off their Durand Cup 2024 journey with a comeback win against Indian Air Force FT.

The Red and Golds scored three goals, bouncing back in style in their opening game played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata and sealed a 3-1 win.

The Red and Gold Brigade displayed their offensive supremacy from the outset, creating numerous goal-scoring opportunities in the opening quarter. However, the Kolkata-based team conceded a goal against the run of play in the 19th minute.

Despite facing the initial setback, Cuadrat’s men maintained their attacking prowess, resulting in debutant David Lalhlalsanga scoring the equaliser. The Manipur-born forward could have scored a first-half hat-trick if he had managed to convert his other chances.

In the second half, the home side continued to press high and looked lethal in the opponent’s box. Another debutant, Dimitrios Diamantakos, and captain Saul Crespo further extended the lead as East Bengal FC registered a commanding start in the tournament.

After the match, head coach Cuadrat expressed his delight with the way his team performed. He also believes that there is room for improvement for his players.

“I think we played good football. It was a game where the opponent scored first. We created lots of chances. When you’re not scoring, maybe we can get anxious and desperate to score. But the players managed well to control the game and create chances. And finally, it was a question of time to score. I’m happy because I saw the players with a very professional attitude and doing the things that we’ve been practising,” Cuadrat said as quoted from ISL.

Cuadrat felt satisfied with his team as his players were successful in replicating the tactical aspects that they had been working on during the training sessions. However, the Spaniard underscored the importance of being in the best physical shape to play in a tournament.

“Of course, the physical areas need the most improvement at the moment because for some players, it has been 25 days of training, but for others, it has been only a week. So they have to improve their physicality,” he commented.

“But I’m happy because a lot of things that we’ve been practising in training about tactics, automatics, and movements are happening. It means they are focused on and paying attention to what we are proposing. And I think it was a good game,” he explained.

East Bengal FC have acquired the services of ISL 2023-24’s Golden Boot winner, Diamantakos. The Greek forward stepped up in his first game with the club and found his name on the scoresheet straight after coming off the bench in the second half. Another new signing, Madih Talal, also made his debut in the game and won the Player of the Match award for his decorated performance. Notably, the French playmaker notched two assists in the game.

Cuadrat had words of praise for the striking duo who made a difference against the Indian Air Force FT with their offensive versatility. Speaking in context, he said,

“I think they (Diamantakos and Talal) played really well, both of them. Of course, it was the first match of the tournament. Dimitrios (Diamantakos) is only training a week with us, so it’s difficult that he won some duels due to physical situations. But he shows everybody that he is a top scorer. He has played in two small moments and also scored in the friendly match. So, he is doing the job very well. And Talal is a creative player–a very good player. He has lots of intentions with the ball when he plays,” he explained.