East Bengal coach Bruzon says clean sheets important but prioritises chance creation after win against NorthEast

Despite the win, East Bengal stays bottom of the table with five points from eight outings, but Bruzon and his men will hope the win against NorthEast is a sign of better things to come.

Oscar Bruzon Head Coach of East Bengal FC during match 56 between East Bengal FC and NorthEast United FC of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season held at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, on November 29, 2024.. | Photo Credit: Focus Sports/ FSDL

It took eight games and a change in manager for East Bengal to register its first win of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season, but when it came, the prolonged wait made the victory all the sweeter for the players and the fans.

At the touchlines was one man who was a happy figure and had promised a renewed East Bengal side. Oscar Bruzon lived up to his promise and delivered.

It was always going to be a challenge for East Bengal, considering NorthEast United FC was unbeaten in its last five matches before their clash. However, a performance of grit and determination saw the Red and Gold Brigade clinch their first three points of the season with a 1-0 win.

“I just need to praise the players because they are understanding the idea very well. They are being compact and adjusting well to all moments of the game. If you see a team like NorthEast United FC that creates a big number of chances and scores a big number of goals, today they were totally neutralised,” Bruzon told the media during the post-match press conference.

“Apart from this crossbar attempt (from Ajaraie), and they had a shot from outside the first half, I don’t remember any open chances from them,” Bruzon stated during the post-match press conference,” the Spaniard added.

Not only had East Bengal clinched its first points of the season, but it also kept a clean sheet against NorthEast, the first team to do so against the Highlanders this season.

Appreciating his team’s tenacity to defend as a unit, Bruzon said, “It’s important to keep clean sheets. But yesterday, we were talking about it being an open game, and if the rival scores a goal, you just need to score two. It’s very important (keeping clean sheets), but it’s not the most important in football. The most important is creating more chances and capitalising on them.” he explained.

Despite the win, East Bengal stays bottom of the table with five points from eight outings, but Bruzon and his men will hope the win against NorthEast is a sign of better things to come.

The Red and Gold Brigade’s next match in the ISL is an away fixture against Chennaiyin FC on December 7.