Sanjay Sen's name fills the air as Bagan overcome Mumbai 2-0

THAT IT WAS going to be a different night was clear from way before kick-off. As one walked from the railway station, past the small market towards the stadium, there was a palpable buzz in the air. A number of the shopowners were shutting down early to make; others were sitting outside to witness the spectacle of a one-way pedestrian traffic, sporting green and maroon, marching in unison with chants and songs.

Usually this crowd could be told apart by their trademark chant of "Amra Kara? Mohun Bagan." (Who are we? Mohun Bagan) But tonight they were often switching to a different name; a name that had transcended its personage to become synonymous with a team, a cause, and an identity. The Mariners walked and shouted, "Amra kara? Sanjay Sen! Jacchi kara? Sanjay Sen! Tumi Ami, Sanjay Sen." (Who are we? Sanjay Sen. Who goes there? Sanjay Sen. You and me, Sanjay Sen)

It's rare for a club whose fans take pride on its history and legacy to allow a person's name to co-opt its identity. But tonight was
different. As the fans filed in through the stadium's outer gates, there was no hustle to get to the stands and secure the best spots. Instead they walked patiently, lining up to receive the special item of the day; a laminated paper mask depicting the face of the name they were chanting. The fans put on the masks, creating the illusion of a gallery full of clones. Just before the kick-off, the air filled up with chants of 'Sanjay Sen' as the supporters marked their protest against a suspension they viewed as exaggerated and unfair. 

The man around whom all this had been weaved, Mohun Bagan head coach Sanjay Sen, was sitting patiently in the VIP gallery. As the game began, it seemed that the team had come prepared for the absence of their vocal, involved head coach at the touchline. The players were yelling at each other to correct their positions and mistakes way more than usual, and with a sense of purpose. When U-22 player Manish Bhargav missed a chance early on, he got an earful from Cornell Glen.

Their opponents, Mumbai FC, had come prepared. Coach Khalid Jamil was fortunate enough to have all his major players fit for this match. Taisuke was back.  Arata Izumi was back. Ashutosh Mehta was back. But their strategy wasn't that innovative. They were looking to play a defense-heavy game in hopes of tying Bagan down. Early on, when Pronay Halder was out to treat an injury and the home team were down to 10 men, Mumbai did sneak through a couple of good chances. Kozawa tried a
long-ranger that almost went in; but Debjit threw himself at the incoming ball and managed to palm it away.

Then near the half hour mark, Bagan replaced a  blundering Bhargav with their main man on the right wing; Katsumi Yusa. And the impact was immediate. Suddenly a floodgate of attacks opened up and minutes later, Jeje had managed to run into the Mumbai box and pass it to Katsumi who was running in from the right. Katsumi saw a momentary opening and took it, sending the ball into the net with an impeccable finish.

The gallery erupted. But Katsumi's work was still not done. He ran to the section of the gallery where Sanjay Sen was sitting. He bowed towards him, and gestured towards the ground; as if to say, you belong here with us, on the field. The protest against the suspension found a new voice, this time from a player. It was 1-0 to Mohun Bagan.

Katsumi continued being dangerous. He set up Glen with a great cross but the striker sent it wide. Then at the death of the first half Sony Norde created the chance of the match, fooling the entire Mumbai defense with a dream run to end up at the front of an empty goal. But he shot it wide.

As the second half began, Mohun Bagan were holding their own. But the flow of attack seemed to have lessened in the first few minutes. So near the hour mark, an off-form Cornell Glen made way for medio Souvik Chakraborty, leaving Jeje as the only target man. A minute later when Sony threatened to run past the Mumbai defensive line, Ashutosh Mehta fouled him and took the yellow. But his team were about to pay with more than that for that move.

Sony Norde took the free kick. And the right footer left everyone rooted to the ground, finding its way straight into the goal. Sony had made up for his miss in the first half, and Mohun Bagan were now firmly in the lead with a 2-0 advantage.

Mumbai tried to counter with a couple of long balls. Anwar Ali managed to get a header on target but Debjit Majumder was alert enough to stop it. Then Taisuke ran in with the ball, Luciano falling short of stopping him. But the finisher was poor and the ball went wide.

But by then it was too late. The home team held its own and played out the rest of the minutes to claim a convincing 2-0 victory that sent them to 25 points from 11 matches; 3 points clear at the top of the league table. Mumbai FC extended their winless streak; remaining 5th on the table with 12 points from 12 matches.

For Mohun Bagan, while the 3 points were immensely important, this match was about way more than that. It was the platform for the fans to make AIFF hear exactly what they think of their coach's punishment. And they did that. For the players, it was about making a statement that they were capable of carrying on in the title race even if their head coach was not present at the touchline. And they did it skilfully. Barring a couple of bad performances, everybody put in a great effort.

The final touch of the night came from Sony Norde. Receiving the Man of the Match award for his performance, he said,

"This award is for Sanjay Sen, our coach."

And he posed for pictures holding up a Sanjay Sen mask along with the trophy.