India vs Brazil Player Ratings: Tekcham Abhishek & Thapa impress against Seleção
Brazil defeated India 0-4 at the Salt Lake Stadium.
A night that football fans across India had eagerly waited for had finally arrived at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, as five-time World Cup champions Brazil took on the Blue Tigers in a historic clash. And the encounter did not fail to live up to the excitement that built up ahead of the game.
Khalid Jamil made two changes to the side that secured an excellent result against Panama in the previous game. Vikram Partap Singh was replaced by Sahal Abdul Samad in attack, while Anirudh Thapa returned to the starting XI in place of Ricky Shabong.
Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, named a heavily rotated side, with only Vinicius Junior and Marquinhos among the more experienced Brazilian stars in the starting line-up. The likes of Gabriel Magalhães, Bruno Guimarães, Endrick and Rayan were left out as the head coach looked to test several new players.
India started the game brightly and did well to hold Brazil at bay for almost 30 minutes. However, two individual mistakes in the first half meant the Blue Tigers went into the half-time break trailing 0–2, following goals from Estêvão and Pedro.
Another individual error early in the second half saw India fall further behind, making it 0–3.
But that did not stop Khalid Jamil and his boys from fighting on with admirable determination, as they continued to push for at least one goal. India created several chances in attack and managed to register 10 shots on target but ultimately suffered a 0–4 defeat after a late goal from Samuel Lino completed his brace.
Let’s take a look at how the Indian players performed against Brazil, with each player rated on a scale of 1–10.
India Player Ratings
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Gurpreet Singh Sandhu – 3/10
It was not the best of nights for one of India’s finest goalkeepers. Gurpreet would be the first to admit that he should have done better on both the first and the second goal, as his weak saves saw the ball hit his hands before ending up in the back of the net.
He also had another howler when he produced a weak save to Estêvão’s shot, but Apuia made a crucial interception to prevent a goal.
Khalid Jamil hooked him off at half-time, making the bold decision to take off both the captain and the goalkeeper.
Akash Mishra – 5/10
Brazil’s opening goal came from the left flank, with the combined defensive efforts of Akash Mishra and Ashique Kuruniyan falling well below the required standard. Estêvão was given far too much space and time on the ball, and the Chelsea winger played a part in both goals Brazil scored in the first half, scoring once and providing an assist for the other.
Akash was taken off at half-time as Khalid Jamil felt the left flank was underperforming badly. East Bengal defender Jay Gupta came on to replace him.
Anwar Ali – 7/10
Despite India conceding three goals, Anwar Ali had a decent game, commanding the backline and making several crucial interceptions to prevent crosses and dangerous balls from reaching the box, as India spent much of the game defending in a low block.
Even against a Brazilian side that featured a lot of stars, Anwar was extremely composed on the ball and played out from the back quite comfortably.
However, Anwar was at fault for the second goal when India attempted to play a high line. Pedro brilliantly exploited the space behind Anwar and the rest of the defensive line to get through and score.
Bijoy Varghese – 6/10
Bijoy had a mixed game, as for large periods of his time on the pitch, he looked very solid. He was everywhere, making crucial blocks and winning both ground and aerial duels to keep Pedro relatively quiet. He also made several clearances but struggled with his ability on the ball.
It was Bijoy’s mistake that led to the third goal. His risky pass while attempting to play out from the back went straight to Samuel Lino, who made no mistake in finding the back of the net.
Tekcham Abhishek Singh – 8/10
After a shaky opening few minutes, during which he looked rusty and Vinicius Junior repeatedly got the better of him, Abhishek recovered well and settled into the game. He did not give Vinícius much space or many opportunities to shoot, while also maintaining a disciplined defensive line to catch the Real Madrid star offside.
He could not have done much to prevent the third goal, even though it came from his flank. Overall, Abhishek delivered another solid performance.
Apuia – 7/10
Throughout the game, particularly in the first half, India did not look completely overrun in the middle of the park, and much of the credit goes to Apuia and Anirudh Thapa. Although Apuia did not press high or aggressively hunt for the ball, he did his job by cutting off passing lanes and restricting the opposition midfielders’ options.
He made several important blocks and interceptions, one of which was a crucial last-ditch intervention to stop Danilo after Gurpreet’s fumble sent the ball straight towards the Brazilian midfielder.
Anirudh Thapa – 8/10
Coming into the starting line-up in place of Ricky Shabong in the middle of the park, Anirudh Thapa delivered an impressive performance. Whether it was stopping crosses or breaking down opposition attacks, Thapa did a brilliant job of making interceptions and disrupting Brazil’s build-up play. Some of his deliveries from corners were impressive as well.
Although he was not directly at fault for either goal, Thapa could have done better with his positioning for the first and third goals, as he failed to close down the opposition attackers quickly enough, allowing them the space to find the back of the net.
Ashique Kuruniyan – 4/10
Starting on the left wing, Ashique had the additional responsibility of helping Akash Mishra defensively. However, he struggled badly in that role. He should have closed down Estevao’s left-footed shooting angle for the first goal, while for the second, he allowed the Brazilian winger too much time and space to play a line-breaking pass.
In attack, although Ashique had opportunities to make a few runs, he was largely anonymous. He was taken off at half-time, with Khalid Jamil sending a strong message that players who fail to impress will be replaced.
Sahal Abdul Samad – 5/10
After a slow start in which he struggled to get on the ball, the Mohun Bagan creative midfielder gradually grew into the game and showcased his technical ability through quick one-touch passes and impressive dribbling. His combination play with Ryan Williams and Ashique Kuruniyan looked promising, although he occasionally held on to the ball for too long and gave possession away.
However, Sahal failed to make a decisive impact in the final third, falling short of the complete performance many had been hoping to see from him.
Ryan Williams – 8/10
Once again, Ryan Williams demonstrated why he stands out from the rest, emerging as India’s most dangerous attacking outlet throughout the game. Starting on the right wing, he also put in a considerable defensive shift before moving into a central role around the half-hour mark.
He had India’s best opportunities of the game, coming close to scoring on two occasions in the second half. His combination play with Manvir Singh, along with the contrasting runs the two make, is proving to be an effective attacking outlet for the Blue Tigers.
Manvir Singh – 7/10
Manvir Singh had one of the toughest jobs on the pitch, as he was required to compete for almost every long ball launched towards him. To his credit, he did a good job throughout the game and made life difficult for Marquinhos at the back.
The Mohun Bagan forward came close to scoring on a couple of occasions and delivered a brilliant cross for Ryan Williams, who nearly converted it with a volley. Although he failed to get on the scoresheet, Manvir played a decent role as India’s lone centre-forward.
Substitutes
Prabhsukhan Gill – 5/10
Coming on for Gurpreet Singh Sandhu at half-time, Gill could not have done much to prevent the third goal. However, he made a poor attempt to save the fourth goal, which he should have done better with. His distribution was on point, but he ultimately failed in his primary responsibility of keeping the ball out of the net.
Mohammed Sanan – 6/10
Sanan, who came on at half-time for Ashique Kuruniyan, had a decent game on the left wing. The former Jamshedpur FC winger showed a clear willingness to take on defenders, hold on to the ball and look for diagonal passes and crosses rather than simply making runs in behind but ultimately struggled to convert them into proper goal scoring opportunities.
He also put in a decent defensive shift, making several good defensive contributions and ensuring that he did not give the opposition too much space.
Jay Gupta – 6.5/10
Jay Gupta also came on at half-time after Akash Mishra struggled in the first half. He added some physicality to the left flank and offered a little more involvement in attack with his pace and ball progression.
However, he was caught out of position defensively on a couple of occasions, relying on Anwar Ali and Pramveer Singh to bail him out.
Edmund Lalrindika – 5/10
Deployed on the right wing, Edmund made a couple of forward runs in an attempt to create opportunities in attack. However, like several of his teammates, he failed to create a clear-cut chance or seriously trouble the opposition defenders and goalkeeper.
He was also at fault for the fourth goal, as he failed to track down Samuel Lino, giving the Brazilian attacker enough time and space to get his shot away.
Valpuia – 6/10
Valpuia failed to make a significant impact and could not match the level of performance delivered by Tekcham Abhishek Singh.
He was caught out of position defensively on a few occasions and offered little going forward. His passing and ability to progress the ball were also less effective than Abhishek’s but was solid defensively as always, making the best of his physical abilities.
Pramveer Singh – 7.5/10
Pramveer, who came on for Bijoy Varghese around the 70th minute, was eager to make his presence felt at the back.
The NorthEast United defender was proactive in his approach, stepping up the pitch and using his physicality to win possession back. He also showcased his technical ability by playing diagonal passes and helping progress the ball forward.
Mehtab Singh – 6/10
Coming on for the final ten minutes or so, Mehtab did not have too much to do. However, when called upon, he produced a brilliant block to stop Endrick’s left-footed curling effort on goal.
He also made a few more crucial interceptions to keep the ball out of the net, diverting Brazilian efforts behind for corners.
Farukh Choudhary – 6/10
Farukh, whom many fans jokingly refer to as Khalid Jamil’s favourite, had very little time to make an impact. He struggled to influence the game from a midfield role, which is not his natural position.
He could also have done better with his passing in certain situations, but the game was already decided by the time he came on.
Rahim Ali – 6/10
Rahim had little time to make an impact but faced the same challenge as Manvir Singh up front, having to compete against world-class Brazilian defenders to win long balls and hold up possession.
However, he was not presented with many opportunities to make a difference in the final third.
Louis Macarton – 5/10
Macarton did not have much time to make a lasting impact on the game but ended up making a significant defensive mistake for the fourth goal.
Samuel Lino’s shot was one that Macarton should have attempted to block, but his positioning in that phase of play let him down.
Vikram Partap Singh – 6/10
Vikram Partap had one notable opportunity to make an impact in attack, producing a brilliant run past a couple of Brazilian defenders.
However, his attempted cross was wayward, leaving everyone wondering whether it was meant to be a cross or simply a poorly executed shot.
What was the result of India vs Brazil?
Brazil defeated India 0-4 in the international friendly at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. Estevao, Pedro and Samuel Lino scored for Brazil. Lino scored twice.
Did India create chances against Brazil?
Yes. Apuia came close with a long-range effort in the sixth minute, while Manvir Singh had a good opportunity in the 54th minute but his shot went just over the near post.
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