Talking Points: Did Johnny Acosta’s suspension affect the balance of East Bengal’s defence?

The Red and Gold Brigade dropped points for the second consecutive game.

East Bengal took on Aizawl FC at the Salt Lake Stadium on Monday in what was their last home game for the season. However, like their previous match against Churchill Brothers, the home side fell to a goal from the away side: this time it came from the boots of Leonce Dodoz in the first half. The Red and Gold Brigade equalized in the second 45, thanks to a fantastic header from Enrique Esqueda but they failed to find a winner and dropped two points for the second match in a row.

Here is what we learned from the game:

5. Would East Bengal have done better if Alejandro Menendez had been appointed earlier?

The football season in Kolkata begins in August, but current East Bengal manager Alejandro Menendez took over the reins of the club from September. He could not oversee his team’s pre-season preparations and also missed their opening set of games in the Calcutta Football League.

Given how astute his tactics and substitutions have been during the I-League campaign, it seems likely that Menendez could have worked wonders if he had sufficient time to prepare for the long-drawn season. He could certainly have found a better replacement for Rakshit Dagar, who had another disappointing outing on Monday and was lucky to get away with another blatant mistake.

4. Are Aizawl FC free from relegation fears now?

Aizawl have been East Bengal's Achilees heel for quite some time and they proved that once again. They have flattered to deceive this season, but against the Kolkata club, they stood their ground and delivered a fantastic performance. Employing a deep bloc and using the counter-attack to good effect, the likes of Richard Kassaga in defence, Alfred Jaryan in midfield and Dodoz in attack worked tirelessly to clinch one point.

With 15 points from 17 games, they are one clear of Gokulam Kerala and four ahead of Shillong Lajong, who are at the bottom of the table. While mathematically they could still go down, it seems unlikely that they will do so this season.

3. Did Johnny Acosta’s suspension affect the balance of East Bengal’s defence?

Johnny Acosta and Borja Gomez’s partnership at centre-back has been the pillar on which East Bengal’s season has been built, but the former had to sit out against Aizawl. It was because the Costa Rican defender had accrued four yellow cards, so he was suspended and Menendez had no option but to play Salam Ranjan Singh in his place.

From the first minute, East Bengal’s defence looked a bit imbalanced due to this change and there was an exasperating lack of communication between the players. On several other occasions, the breakdown of communication between Gomez, goalkeeper Dagar and Salam Ranjan was visible, but Aizawl failed to capitalize on the same. It was arguably the worst possible game for Acosta to miss and the home side paid the price for that.

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2. Was Kassim Aidara’s poor show the cause of East Bengal’s dismal performance?

Kassim Aidara has been one of East Bengal’s most improved players this season. His passing and control of the game’s tempo are critical to how the Red and Gold Brigade play, but he was hounded and harried throughout the game by either Fanai or Lalrinchhana.

As such, Aidara found it difficult to pick his passes and had almost next to zero influence on East Bengal’s attack. It was a smart move by Aizawl coach Stanley Rozario to nullify the metronome in the midfield and thus, disturb the home side’s free-flowing, possession-based football.

1. Are East Bengal out of the I-League title race now?

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Mathematically, no. If East Bengal win their next three games and Chennai City drop points from their remaining two fixtures, the Kolkata side could still claim the title.

However, the Red and Gold Brigade will be facing Minerva Punjab, Real Kashmir and Gokulam Kerala, all away, so it is hard to imagine that such a scenario would play out. In all likelihood, their title dreams have been shattered once again in the last stretch of the I-League.