UPDATE: East Bengal beats Rangdajied United 2-1. Gurwinder and Malswamtulunga scored for East Bengal. Kim Yong scored for RUFC
SHILLONG: Fresh from their first ever victory in the Airtel I-League, Rangdajied United FC will take on Kolkatan giants Kingfisher East Bengal in a 13th round match at the JN Stadium here on Saturday.
After five losses and five draws, the Shillong club were finally able to break their duck with a 2-0 triumph over McDowell Mohun Bagan in Kolkata last Sunday.
However, their home fans will now want them to repeat that feat here and East Bengal have been nothing if not unpredictable this season.
The Red & Gold brigade have played just eight games so far, with a few deferrals as they were still involved in the AFC Cup at the start of the season.
They have won three, lost three and drawn two in an inconsistent early part to their campaign where they beat table-toppers Bengaluru FC, but then lost to Dempo and Salgaocar at home.
However, East Bengal will be returning to happy hunting grounds.
The Kolkatan outfit delivered a stunning 4-0 hammering to Shillong Lajong FC at the JN Stadium in early October, but were not able to carry that momentum forward.
One of the problems for the experienced Armando Colaco, who replaced Marcos Falopa as coach of KEB, is that his boys are carrying quite a few injuries. Quick turnaround times are also an issue, with only a few days in between matches for his players to recover.
Admitting the difficulties, Colaco still warned that his team should not be underestimated.
East Bengal are currently in the ninth place with 11 points, but have games in hand over their nearest rivals in the standings. Rangdajied, on the other hand, have made it to 12th spot, but are locked in a seesaw battle with bottom-placed Churchill Brothers, who have played one game less.
A win over a second legendary Kolkata outfit would provide a massive fillip to one of the two I-League qualifiers and on paper the Blues look good.
The players that they have taken on loan from IMG-R have proven to be a real boon, especially Subrata Paul under the bar, with the goalie keeping a clean sheet in the game against Bagan.
The performances of Gouramangi Singh, Tomba Singh and Manandeep Singh have also brought cheer to their coach Santosh Kashyap, who also praised North Korean striker Kim Song-Yong after the game against the Mariners.
Kashyap said he would love to finish in the top seven given that the gap between the clubs is actually very small in terms of points.
The RUFC coach is almost spoilt for choice when it comes to which players to field, with talented players like David Ngaihte spending most of the last match on the bench.
The visitors, therefore, have to be wary, but equally, Rangdajied cannot become overconfident as the most competitive season of the Airtel I-League, as Kashyap has said on several occasions, continues on its way.
