Dream Sports Championship: Kolkata Leg witnesses Penalty shootout drama as East Bengal qualify for National Final

The Dream Sports Championship,  a pan-India U-17 football tournament which started on 1st April in Kolkata ended with a marathon game between East Bengal and United Sports Club. East Bengal FC defeated United Sports Club in a 9-8 marathon penalty after the game was drawn at 1-1 after full time.

The Kolkata Leg of the tournament saw many young players from five leading teams showcase their skills and talents. East Bengal topped Group A after dominating performances from the Red and Gold Brigade including a massive 7-0 victory over Ariadaha Sporting Club.

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Meanwhile, United Sports Club came to the final after topping the group B. They defeated Bidhannagar Municipal Sports Academy on penalties in the final group game.

East Bengal drew the first blood in the final match as Ajay Sahani scored for them, continuing his form from the group stage. The first half ended with a 1-0 advantage to East Bengal as United kept on looking for the equaliser.

But, it was Sanib Orow who pulled things off as he equalised in the 77th minute for United Sports Club in the second half.

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At the end of the final 90 minutes, the game was drawn 1-1 and the game had to be decided with a penalty shootout. East Bengal goalkeeper Deep Barman gave them a great start as United missed their two opening penalties. However, United goalkeeper Debraj Sarkar took the game to sudden death with a brilliant save.

East Bengal coach Barun Sengupta pulled off a surprise when he replaced goalkeeper Deep with defender Prajjal Saha. This move seemed to throw United SC off their game and they missed their final penalty, handing the victory to their opponents. 

My players gave their 100%: East Bengal coach

“My players gave their 100% from the very beginning and played according to the plans perfectly. It was an honour to play in the Dream Sports Championship. Not only in Bengal, this tournament will benefit all upcoming U17 footballers across the country. Huge appreciation for organising this tournament.” opined Barun Sengupta, who was the coach of East Bengal.

“We entered the field thinking that we will be champions because that is the legacy of East Bengal. It was a brilliant effort, even by the United Sports Club. In 2023, we played just four matches. But we played as many matches in this tournament in the Dream Sports Championship, which is a step in the right direction. A lot of players lose their chance to play professionally because of a lack of infrastructure so I hope this tournament continues well into the future,” said Haru Roy, skipper of the winning team East Bengal.