by Abhishek Gujral

Well, its been a quite a month for Indian football! East Bengal has done more than just conquer South-East Asia - it has won over numerous sceptics, and has quite literally given a new lease of life to Indian football. Yes, it's indeed time for cautious optimism - hopefully East Bengal's success will serve as a wake up call to other Indian clubs to get their act together. If the Calcutta giants can prove that they are a force to be reckoned with in Asia, so can other sides - there is plenty of talent out there, it just needs a little direction and guidance.

Well for the moment, let us all enjoy the victory. By winning the LG ASEAN Club Championships, East Bengal has made millions of fans across the country feel proud again. The extent of celebrations was such, that one could actually see Mohun Bagan fans celebrate the victory! Now that is as rare a sight as you will ever see! While the victory is no doubt a joint effort, there is one man who perhaps deserves more credit than anyone else - the East Bengal coach, Subhas Bhowmick. Right from arranging five star accommodations for his players to hiring a fitness expert from South Africa - Bhowmick ensured his players get nothing but the best for pre-season training. Even more importantly, he has shown fierce determination - his hallmark as a player - and has dared to dream. Even before the team left for Indonesia, he made it clear that they were all aiming for a victory - nothing else would do. Bold statements, these. As a passionate fan of Indian football, I salute Bhowmick - we need more men who share the same vision, if Indian football has to get where it rightly deserves.

Right, now on to the tournament itself. Consisting of the champion sides of the ASEAN nations, special invitees East Bengal were always going to be up against it. A narrow 0-1 loss to Asian Champions League finalists BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand was followed by a 6-0 rout of Army FC from the Philippines. In the quarters, East Bengal disposed of the Indonesian side Persita Tangerang - playing at their home ground - 2-1. A good result, and by now a certain Baichung Bhutia had already hammered seven goals in the tournament, and was no doubt going to be the key for the Indian champions. Sure enough, he scored again in the semi-finals, as East Bengal edged Indonesian champions Petrokimia Putra 8-7 in the penalty shootout, after a 1-1 deadlock in regulation time. The match saw the Indians mess up several chances, but the important thing was that they were in the finals, where none other than BEC Tero awaited them, once again. The Thai champions were overwhelming favourites, having beaten the likes of Kashima Antlers of Japan, Shanghai Shenshua of China and Taejon Citizen of South Korea en route the Champions League finals. But our heroes had other plans - they played the match of their lives to humble BEC Tero 3-1. A historic moment for Indian football.

The tournament clearly proved Bhowmick's tactical brilliance as a coach. He made several important decisions, and the move to bring Bijen Singh on in the quarters was a masterpiece, as he scored soon after. The tournament also saw the emergence of a number of stars - here is a quick overview of how our boys performed.

• Sandip Nandy - The goalkeeper had a fantastic tournament, and except for the semis, showed admirable composure. It was also refreshing to see an Indian goalkeeper so comfortable in the air - should win his first cap for the country soon.

• Muttath Suresh - The lanky left back from Kerela excelled as a sweeper, and is one to watch in the coming years.

• Deepak Kumar Mondal - His usual brilliant self throughout the tournament, and clearly proved once again that he is the best center back in the country. Worked hard throughout, and kept things simple.

• Mahesh Gawli - His needless sending off in the semis spoiled what would have been a brilliant outing for Gawli. Nonetheless, he showed signs of maturing, and should serve India for years to come.

• Debjit Ghosh - Very unfortunate to get injured and miss the latter half of the tournament. Was played as a defensive midfielder, and did a reasonable job - although is no doubt more comfortable as a center back.

• Irungbam Surkumar Singh - Probably the find of the tournament for East Bengal. Has put his injury concerns behind, and made some incisive runs on the right flank, showing tremendous speed and technique. Needs to work on his crossing, and also needs to be a little more composed in pressure situations. Should develop into the best right wing back in the country at this rate.

• Douglas da Silva dos Santos - This powerhouse Brazilian defender has played a stellar role for East Bengal right through. Douglas has limited abilities as a footballer, but his sheer physical presence ensures that he will always succeed in Asia. Won everything in the air, worked hard and showed admirable commitment.

• Suley Musah - This long serving Ghanaian, named as skipper this season, also used his physical strength to good effect. Used primarily as a defensive midfielder like Douglas, Musah did well and made some telling tackles - however he must improve his speed.

• Sasthi Duley - To be honest, I did not rate him before this tournament - but all credit to Duley. Probably the most hard working player in the country - works his socks off, runs after everything, and always helps out with tackles. Duley has learnt from his mistakes in the past, and could emerge into a key player not only for club, but also for country.

• Alvito Ronaldo Correia D'Cunha - This skilful midfielder was brilliant at times, but tends to disappear from the game at times. Needs to develop his consistency, and can develop into the best attacking midfielder in the country.

• Baichung Bhutia - Well, what does one say? All I can say is, he's back! Bhutia is showing the kind of form that he is capable of after a long gap at club level - he is clearly going to be the key for East Bengal right through the season.

• Shylo Malswam Tulunga - This pacey winger was perhaps the biggest disappointment for East Bengal. On his day he can be absolutely lethal, making brilliant runs on the right flank. However, he just seemed a bit off color - no doubt a temporary dip in form.

• Mutum Bijen Singh - Scored an absolutely priceless goal in the quarters, but was largely ineffective otherwise. Bijen has the natural gift of blistering pace, but needs to work on his game.

• Mike Okoro - Was taken off injured soon after making his first appearance in the semis. However, scored a brilliant goal in the finals. Looked somewhat rusty, but should form a devastating pair with Bhutia when in top fitness.

Amidst all the euphoria, there is yet another reason to be optimistic - the impressive performance of the National U-18 squad at the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland. An impressive victory over Ukrainian Dynamo Kiev in the group stage was clearly the highlight of this outing. It is interesting to note that the squad is mainly made up of Tata Football Academy trainees. Good news no doubt for the likes of TFA coach Ranjan Chowdhury, but other academies like Sesa Football Academy need to pull up their shoes and produce more quality youngsters, to spur on some healthy competition for places. All said and done, a memorable month indeed for the Indian football fan!