East Bengal FC head coach Oscar Bruzon showered praise on his players as they secured a promising 2-0 victory against Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai in the Indian Super League (ISL) in Saturday’s opener.

Two second-half goals from PV Vishnu and Jeakson Singh saw the Red and Gold Brigade secure their second victory in the ongoing 2024-25 season which moved the upwards in the league standings.

This was the second time that the Kolkata-based club has managed to win consecutive games in the ISL and kept three back-to-back clean sheets, their second-longest such run in league history.

The East Bengal FC head coach commended his players’ all-around efforts against the Marina Machans in a high-intensity away fixture.

“I think we played well all throughout the game. Chennaiyin FC were playing a home game. They needed the points. We know that physically they are the top team in the ISL in terms of winning duels,” Bruzon said in the post-match press conference.

The Spaniard acknowledged Chennaiyin FC’s fighting spirit and physical attributes. However, Bruzon seemed pleased with his players who executed their tactics perfectly, resulting in a clinical victory.

“In terms of 50-50 duels, second balls, and long balls, I think that they were able to get into the pattern. So, the idea in the first stages of the game was holding them, being compact, and attacking them more in our own half because we knew that we cannot hold this for 90 minutes,” the head coach shared.

“So, I think that the key point of the game was that the team scoring the first goal would have the most chances to win the game, and this is exactly what we planned before the game,” Bruzon further added, highlighting Vishnu’s opener as the turning point of the match.

Owen Coyle's men generated a couple of attacking moves in the early stages of the game with Daniel Chima Chukwu and Connor Shields. But the resilient East Bengal FC defence line managed to thwart the opponent’s offensive threats and seemed more compact as the game unfolded.

Speaking in context, Bruzon remarked, “In the last stages of the first half, 10-15 minutes after the water break of the first half, I think our team was starting to move more forward and create more chances. And in the second half, I think that the tactical discipline of my players was brilliant.”

“We frustrated Chennaiyin FC with our compact shape, making them play on the wings, which is exactly what they don't want to do. They like to run, and they have a lot of their own situations in the center of the pitch, but that area, I think that today was completely under our control,” he explained.

Especially in the second half, the Red and Gold Brigade demonstrated their offensive prowess with Naorem Mahesh Singh, Cleiton Silva, and others creating several goalscoring opportunities. Bruzon heaped praise on his team’s attacking flair as he believed that they could have recorded a big-margin victory against Chennaiyin FC.

“In the second half, I think that we started playing very good counter-pressing. We won a lot of balls in the field gaps. Actually, I would say that the 2-0 is a short result,” he commented.

“Because, in the second half, we really created a lot of chances in these situations, winning the ball, going forward, coming and occupying equal spaces, and creating positive chances,” Bruzon signed off.

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East Bengal FCChennaiyin FC2024-2025Oscar Bruzon