Today is Friday, today is East Bengal vs Mohan Bagan in Indian Super Cup, 2024.It is not possible to say whether it is correct for the heat of such high voltage derby. But this time in Bhubaneswar it is a responsibility to keep any winter clothes on the body. While the neighboring state of Bengal has become monotonous with rain and cold currents, the weather in Bhubaneswar has gone as cold as Mumbai. Fiercely hot.
4000 tickets have been fixed for Mohun Bagan at the 12000 Kalinga Stadium. Ditto for East Bengal. Some of the surplus tickets are being sold at the local level, while the rest are being given to high-ranking bureaucrats at the government level. As a result, demand for tickets has already built up for supporters of the two leaders, which will increase on Friday morning on the day of the match. Because the supporters of the two chiefs from Calcutta will take possession of Bhubaneswar from morning. And the talk that has been going on for the past few seasons around the two leaders, before this derby of the Super Cup, the old situation has suddenly changed. I mean the red and yellow fans are starting to think about this match and they are not far behind, maybe they are in the driver’s seat this time.
The team that was struggling to save the last place in the Indian Super League for the last three seasons, changed by the touch of the magic wand called Carlos Cuardato, is now challenging Mohun Bagan. At least it seems so after the press conference of the two leaders this morning.
Bhubaneswar is also called the temple city of India. There are more than 500 temples located in just one city. And none of that is new. Built between the sixth and eleventh centuries. When the history of Bhubaneswar began during the time of the Nanda emperors of Magadha, the name of the city was not Bhubaneswar. was, ‘Ekmra Kanan’. What happens when translated into Bengali, mango forest. That mango forest has changed and Bhubaneswar is now called a modern sports arena, but it will not be an exaggeration. Inside the complex of Kalinga Stadium is the modern minded ‘Indoor Athletics Ground’. Which is currently the largest in South Asia. There is also a modern quality ‘Science Center’ made by Odisha government jointly with Abhinav Brinda. How much more! Either East Bengal or Mohun Bagan are going to write a new history at this Kalinga Stadium on Friday. Before the match, at least this time no one can say that their team will win.
There are seven footballers. Injury. Change the coach. A hat-trick of defeats in the ISL. As bad a time as a bottom-of-the-form team can get, that’s exactly what’s happening around Mohun Bagan. On the other hand, East Bengal is gradually turning around with Cuardrato’s hand. What is more important than that, East Bengal will go to the semi-finals of the Super Cup if they keep the derby on Friday, and Mohan Bagan must win to go to the last four. As a result, the pressure surrounding the Super Cup derby is more than that of Cuardrato, but more of Clifford. Because, due to technical problems, Habas will not be able to sit in the dugout on the day of the derby. So the fight is not between the two Spanish coaches. Rather an Indian coach against a foreign coach. And Cuadrato was so busy with their defensive organization in practice, it will not be very easy to penetrate the red and yellow defense of Hugo-Booms on Friday. Clayton, Dimitri Ra, went to the field to prepare for the derby at the same time. The distance between the East Bengal-Mohan Bagan practice ground of the two teams is about twenty minutes by car. But if we judge the strength and situation at the moment, this difference between the two parties will probably be a little more.