Defensive lapses result in East Bengal's 2-1 loss to FC Goa

In the first home match of the ISL 2022-23 season, East Bengal was thrashed by FC Goa by a margin of 2-1. Edu Bedia and Brandon Fernandez were on target for the Gaurs while Cleiton Silva scored the solitary goal for the Red and Gold brigade.

East Bengal FC this season is not at the best of their form. Defensive lapses are hurting their chances in every game. Sumeet Passi and Tuhin Das looked a bit rusty on the field. Also, slow movements by Cleiton Silva and VP Suhair upfront were creating problems during the counterattacks.

FC Goa on the other hand played slow and steady football on the field. The likes of Edu Bedia and Iker Guarrotxena created problems with the set pieces. Newbie Noah Sadaoui made an instant impact after being introduced into the field.

The first goal was due to the lack of communication between Sumeet Passi and Ivan Gonzalez. Sumeet Passi was completely clueless during the the same. His sloppy movements were creating a lot of space between the center back and the side back. FC Goa pounced from that free space and took the lead in the first half. Moreover, he made several inaccurate passes inside the penalty box that could have increased the lead for FC Goa in the first half.

Ivan Gonzalez also had a disappointing performance in today's match. He failed to intercept the ball during the 1st goal. He committed a lot of fouls in dangerous positions that could have created trouble for the team. Overall it's a match that Ivan Gonzalez will want to forget.

The introduction of Naorem Mahesh Singh during the second half added some flavor to the East Bengal attack. East Bengal received a penalty due to a horror tackle by Dheeraj Singh on VP Suhair. Cleiton Silva finished the Penalty in a cool and composed manner.

The second goal of FC Goa was due to poor communication between the goalkeeper and the defenders. Edu Bedia delivered a free kick that nobody intercepted and as a result, it finished into the goal. Kamaljit Singh, though made several crucial saves, had an average game against FC Goa. His poor outing was one of the main causes behind the second goal.

After getting the equalizer, Constantine's defensive approach toward the game will surely be questioned. The ultra-defensive strategy of East Bengal after the 80 minute-mark allowed FC Goa to build up the play from the midfield which led to the goal-giving set piece.