FC Goa rubbed more salt into East Bengal’s wound, winning 3-2 in the ISL-XI match at the Salt Lake Stadium on Friday. This was East Bengal’s third loss on the trot and the picture does not look perfect for Spanish coach Carles Cuadrat.
Breaking away from his black fixation, Cuadrat looked smart in a white shirt and cream trousers, but the red and gold of East Bengal did not shine bright under the glare of the stadium.
Instead, East Bengal’s former Spanish player Borja Herrera walked away with all the accolades.
The 31-year-old midfielder, who scored ISL-XI’s first hat-trick, showed silken skills and received a rousing send-off from the rival supporters when taken off by coach Manolo Marquez in the 85th minute.
After the final whistle, Cuadrat, the darling of fans at the beginning of the year when East Bengal won the Super Cup, had to endure ‘go-back’ chants from some 12,000 fans who turned up at the stadium.
For East Bengal, Madih Talal pulled one back before the half-time after Borja made it 2-0 and subsitute David Lalhansanga gave hope of a draw with a regulation finish in the 85th minute. That was after FC Goa’s Carl McHugh was shown the red card for his second bookable offence.
Yet to log even a point after three matches, Cuadrat’s fate now hangs in the balance.
