ISL: Why have East Bengal lost both their opening games at the last minutes?

East Bengal succumbed to their second consecutive defeat in the ISL, with FC Goa winning 2-1 at the Salt Lake Stadium. The winning goal came from the final touch of the ball, after a free kick from Edu Bedia found the back of the net. 

The Red and Gold side put up a strong display for the majority of the game. A penalty awarded to them helped them stay 1-1 until the final second, when they ultimately conceded the second goal. 

What is going wrong for East Bengal? 

Even in their previous game against Kerala Blasters, East Bengal conceded two late goals after the 80th minute to break the deadlock at 1-1. 

The nature of the goal conceded yesterday was quite bizarre. Kamajit Singh totally misjudged the flight of the ball as it bounced over him into the corner. 

A lapse of concentration would be the primary reason behind the late goals conceded in both games. Since this is a new squad with a new coach, it can also be attributed to the change in the team and that there is a problem in cohesion. 

However, the loss in focus late in the game is the only plausible reasoning behind this. Particularly because throughout the game, East Bengal’s performance was quite solid. So, the team needs to be able to keep their composure and be more aggressive not only till the final whistle, but also to try and kill off games earlier.