East Bengal emulate Churchill Brothers in I-League history

KOLKATA: Only time will tell if East Bengal are able to end their long wait for the I-League crown. But Alejandro Menendez's side ended the year on a high, in search of the elusive of the crown.
With two wins and two draws, the red and gold brigade begins the New Year in pole position in the ongoing I-League. The unbeaten run also means that the team ended the year without losing any I-League match at home this year.
Early in the year, East Bengal played five matches of the 2018-2019 season, winning two and drawing three during the period from January 18 to February 2.
In doing so, East Bengal emulated Churchill Brothers' record when the Goa side ended the calendar year 2009, unbeaten.
Interestingly, East Bengal will resume their I-League campaign with an away trip to Churchill Brothers on Saturday. Inspirational playmaker Juan Meta maintained that the team was ready for the Churchill challenge.
"It's a long journey in the league and anything can happen. We are ready for another interesting test and will try to get a win against Churchill," the former Sporting Gijon player said after the team's practice on Monday.
Alejandro's side will also be boosted by the return of Jaime Santos after the Spaniard's suspension was lifted. Jaime was slapped with a provisional ban after the AIFF disciplinary committee found him guilty of kicking a ball boy at the end of the team's second-round match against Punjab FC in Ludhiana. He has already paid the fine and apologised to the ball boy, paving way for his availability for the match against Churchill.