Why Odisha FC clash can potentially be make-or-break for Cleiton Silva?

Cleiton Silva will look to impress to regain the confidence of the management.

East Bengal are hopeful of winning their third straight Indian Super League (ISL) match when they host Odisha FC at the Salt Lake Stadium (Kolkata) on Thursday (12 December). It might end up being a tricky game for Oscar Bruzon’s men because he’ll be missing some key players for the game.

Saul Crespo has been ruled out for a few weeks after picking up an injury in their recent win over Chennaiyin FC. Dimitrios Diamantakos might also be doubtful after his early substitution in the match. The potential lack of foreigners means that it might be time for the experienced Cleiton Silva to come and weave his magic.

The 37-year-old has had a forgettable season for the Red & Gold Brigade so far. He’s had zero goal contributions in 14 matches and just two shots on target in nine ISL matches.

With that being said, Cleiton looked positive in the second half against Chennaiyin and appears to have gained a lot of match sharpness under Bruzon.

Time is, however, running out for the experienced forward to prove his quality or potentially be replaced in the upcoming winter transfer window. The Odisha FC clash is extremely important for Cleiton and one that could potentially be the decider for his long-term future at East Bengal.

Patience running out on Cleiton Silva’s quality

Cleiton has been an admirable servant for East Bengal in recent years. He played a prominent role in their Super Cup win last season, scoring five goals in the competition and 13 goals across all tournaments. But his past heroics are no longer protecting him from criticism.

Silva has earned quite a lot of criticism this season for failing to reignite the ruthlessness in his game and looking lackluster in the final third. The 37-year-old realizes that the fans’ patience in him is now quickly running out and if he continues going goalless, the calls for him to be replaced will only get louder.

That is why he needs to come up big against Odisha FC to not only prove his doubters wrong but also buy some more time for him on Bruzon’s side.

Impressive goal record against Odisha FC

What helps Cleiton’s case of making a ‘comeback’ against Odisha FC is that he boasts a pretty decent record against them. The Brazilian forward has played against the Juggernauts 11 times (in the ISL and Super Cup), during his stint with Bengaluru FC and East Bengal. He has scored four goals against them in that tenure, with his most memorable outing coming in the Super Cup final last year when he scored a brilliant goal to power East Bengal’s victory.

Cleiton almost seems to gain a surge of positive energy when playing Odisha FC and taps into his impressive finishing and creative skills in the final third. Silva will go into the game at the back of a promising display against Chennaiyin FC and with some confidence on his side.

He’ll look to trick the experienced Odisha defenders with his smart movement, but most importantly needs to nail his finishing to finally get a goal and inspire his side to a big win.

Chance to prove himself as a big-game player

Even though Cleiton Silva might’ve experienced a slow start to the 2024-25 season, he came up big in prominent matches for East Bengal in the previous campaign. The Brazilian forward scored twice in their win over Mohun Bagan in the Super Cup, in the Super Cup final, as well as in wins over Bengaluru FC and NorthEast United last season. He has that tendency to be a bit more charged up for the more prominent games and needs to rediscover that ‘big game player’ inside himself.

Cleiton will look to use his energy in the right way, be it smartening up his pressing or timing his runs better in the box as well as nailing his final product more accurately. Cleiton needs to start positively impacting East Bengal’s attacking moves and be at the heart of big chances against Odisha FC, or this might end up be the final ‘big game’ in which he’s prominently featured for East Bengal.

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