Jubilant Bengal players with the trophy in Guwahati, on Monday. Picture by Santosh Ghosh

Guwahati: Before this Santosh Trophy, Branco Cardozo’s claim to fame was his ‘one-on-one’ with Bayern Munich’s Brazilian defender Breno.

On that 2008 May evening, a young Branco, just out of the Tata Football Academy and signed by Mohun Bagan, retaliated to a Breno lunge. He got the marching orders and since then he faded into obscurity.

There were injuries, lack of motivation, inconsistency and of course cold shoulder by some of the coaches he played under. “A shirker, just like Lalwmpuiya,” one of his former coaches had said once.

But this Santosh Trophy may well change everything about how we see the 24-year-old Branco.

On Monday, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Bengal retained the Santosh Trophy — this was their 31st Santosh Trophy title win — beating Manipur 2-1 in the final and much of the credit goes to this god-fearing Goan striker. Branco scored one, helped Budiram Tudu get the other and had luck been on his side, he could have got two more. Manipur pulled one back through Nabachandra Singh.

Branco was in full flow in front of a crowd rooting for Manipur, teasing and taunting the rival defence with his runs and creating space for Tudu to have a go at the rival defence. “All because of the Almighty,” a sweating Branco said after the match. He had a knee jerk which forced Shabbir Ali to pull him out in the 89th minute and so his left leg had an ice pack. “Can’t join them. It’s paining too badly,” he said pointing to his teammates who were by then in party mood.

Throughout the tournament, Branco has been in top form — he got five goals including a hattrick — and when the ‘big match’ came, he did not flinch. Headline grabbing performance from a player who almost became a footnote.

Manipur on Monday did not have any clue against Bengal till the hour mark. Branco, in tandem with Tudu, gave a harrowing time and also got an able ally in Francis Xavier. The frail-looking midfielder playing wide on the right was also in his elements as he kept the Manipur defence on the tenterhooks by cutting in. It was too much for the technically inept Manipur side. Bengal were all over their rivals. There were delightful one-twos, lovely body feints and dangerous deliveries from the flanks.

Then Francis injured his knee and had to be replaced. Manipur sensed they had a chance. Tiken Singh, who till then was playing in the midfield, was pushed upfront and suddenly the Bengal defence started showing signs of pressure.

After Manipur had reduced the margin, Naseem Akhtar denied Thomas Singh a sure goal. Thomas’s goal-bound shot got a wicked-deflection off Suman Dey, but the wrong-footed Naseem somehow managed to put his left foot on the ball’s path and averted the danger. “I don’t know how I did it. Don’t ask me,” a smiling Naseem said after the match.

Now about the goals. The first came in the 20th minute. Francis floated in a measured cross and Branco showed his class. A full volley with the outside of his right foot crashed into the far corner giving the Manipur goalkeeper hardly a chance to move.

Two minutes into the second-half, it was Branco once again. This time he was the assist. Leaving his marker for dead, Branco darted into the rival box and laid it to Tudu to do the needful.

For Manipur’s goal, left-back Suman would have to take the blame. Suman was ambling when Tiken got past him and when his cross was met by a smart tap-in by Nabachandra Singh.

There were some dangerous throw-ins by Thomas, but somehow Bengal managed to stay alive.

When referee Ratheesh Kumar blew the final whistle, it was party time in the Bengal bench. It was two in a row for Shabbir Ali and his team.

TEAMS

Bengal: Naseem Akhtar; Gupreet Singh, Anupam Sarkar, Safar Sardar, Suman Dey; Francis Xavier (Surabuddin Mullick 63), Gautam Kujur, Santosh Oraon, Snehasish Datta; Branco Cardozo (Abhinava Bagh 89), Budiram Tudu (Bikash Narjary 83).

Manipur: Prem Singh, Ratan Singh (Thomas Singh 55), Hemanta Singh, K Naoba Singh, Reagan Singh, Santosh Singh, Ajit Singh, Tiken Singh, Nabachandra Singh, Nilakumar Singh, Meihingai Kamei.

Referee: Ratheesh Kumar