Oscar Bruzon hails East Bengal FC midfield dominance in win over Kerala Blasters FC

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], January 25 (ANI): East Bengal FC head coach Oscar Bruzon commended his side's tactical discipline and midfield dominance in their 2-1 victory over Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. The win brought relief after weeks of struggle for the Red and Gold Brigade.
The goals for East Bengal FC came through PV Vishnu in the 20th minute and Hijazi Maher in the 72nd minute. Despite Danish Farooq pulling one back for Kerala Blasters FC in the 84th minute, East Bengal FC held firm to secure the win.
Reflecting on the challenges of the season at the post-match press conference, Bruzon detailed the difficulties his team had faced in recent weeks and the significance of the victory.
"A lot of suffering in the last weeks. Football was not fair to us. We were competing well with some of the best clubs of the ISL, like FC Goa, Mohun Bagan SG, and Mumbai City FC. But we came here with empty pockets. So, today was an exercise of resistance. Good fighting spirit from the guys. But the most important is that the team was controlling the central area of the pitch," he said as quoted by the ISL official website.
"Except maybe for the first 10 minutes that we started a little bit shaky and sloppy. And the last 15 minutes when Kerala Blasters FC put all their resources up front. But overall, I think that the guys played a beautiful game. And yes, it's a big relief winning this game," he added detailing his team's performance.
The win comes as a breath of fresh air for East Bengal FC and they are in the 11th position with 17 points. Speaking about Vishnu's performances and his potential to break into the national team, Bruzon shared his thoughts candidly, he said, "I cannot hide that. Last week I had a conversation with the national team coach about this. He has to decide. But Vishnu is no doubt a contender to go there. He is one of the players more informed. Not only of our club but of the ISL. And we just need to keep supporting him."
Bruzon also highlighted the importance of midfield dominance in the victory, emphasizing the contributions of Naorem Mahesh Singh, he said, "I think that the key of this game was the central [midfield]... And for the most part of the game, controlling the central [midfield] was one of the secrets to create more chances and to win this game....Probably, the abilities of Mahesh can optimise a lot in these central or intermediate positions in the pockets in the midfield. And he was one of the players, as you say, linking and creating the most of the chances today for us."
On the broader challenges faced by East Bengal FC throughout the season, including injuries and defensive issues, Bruzon noted how his team managed to overcome these obstacles in this match.
"We cannot hide that we didn't have the decisions in our favour in most parts of the season...In a season that is very long, we hope that everything gets balanced. So, one of the things is, yes, the default. The second thing is the injuries of the team. And the third thing was the defending problems that we were having in the last weeks. I think that the three things that I just mentioned today, there was not a factor. And today, we have overcome the three of them," he said.
East Bengal FC will aim to carry this momentum into their upcoming ISL fixture as they face Mumbai City FC on January 31.
Looking ahead to their next game, Bruzon was cautious about the return of injured players.
"Provat Lakra, Mohamad Rakip, Saul Crespoand Anwar Ali, they are important players. And I have a lot of doubts that they are going to be there for the next game....Our team can be much, much up in the standings. I keep telling that we don't deserve to be there. The season is not going our way, but we have still seven or eight more games to show that East Bengal FC this year is willing to not be on the bottom of the table, but not close to the top positions," he concluded. (ANI)