Sangbad Kolkata: India’s 0-4 defeat to Brazil at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan may not have come as a major surprise against one of the world’s strongest footballing nations. However, the performance of goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu emerged as one of the biggest talking points after two costly first-half errors helped Brazil establish a commanding lead.
Had those two mistakes not occurred, India could have gone into the half-time break without conceding a goal. Brazil eventually added two more goals after the interval to complete a 4-0 victory, but India showed enough determination against a star-studded Brazilian side to offer some positives ahead of their next match.
Before kick-off, Gurpreet was seen wiping his eyes with his gloves on two occasions. Whether he was overwhelmed by the occasion of facing Brazil in front of a packed Yuva Bharati crowd is difficult to say. Once the match began, however, his performance lacked the confidence expected from an experienced goalkeeper, with several questions raised over his decision-making and attempts to keep out the Brazilian attacks.
Gurpreet made an encouraging start by saving an early effort from Vinicius Junior. The save drew loud applause from the crowd and appeared to give the Indian goalkeeper an opportunity to settle into the game.
But the momentum did not last.
In the 28th minute, Brazil took the lead through Estevao. The Brazilian winger received the ball on the right side of the penalty area and had enough time to take a powerful left-footed shot. There was no major complication in the effort and the ball appeared to be within Gurpreet’s reach. Instead of pushing it away, the goalkeeper allowed the shot to slip underneath his hands and into the net.
Brazil doubled their advantage in the 42nd minute, with Gurpreet again at the centre of the incident. Estevao produced an excellent pass for Pedro inside the box, giving the forward enough time to take his shot. Gurpreet came off his line and attempted to block the effort with his leg, but the ball struck his right glove and changed direction before finding the back of the net.
Two goals from situations that appeared manageable put India in a difficult position before half-time.
Brazil came close to scoring a third shortly afterwards. A Vinicius shot struck Gurpreet and began moving towards the goal, while Danilo was arriving behind the goalkeeper. Gurpreet did not move directly towards the ball and instead instructed Apuia to clear it. The Indian defender managed to get the ball away just in time, preventing what could have been another goal before the interval.
The concerns surrounding Gurpreet’s consistency have also emerged from India’s recent matches. Against Panama, he had moved well away from his goal line during an attack, allowing Omar Valencia to take advantage with a long-range effort. Another difficult night against Brazil has now intensified the debate over India’s goalkeeping options.
Coach Khalid Jamil replaced Gurpreet at half-time, bringing Prabhsukhan Gill on for the second half. By then, however, Brazil had already taken firm control of the match.
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti had not taken the Indian challenge lightly when selecting his starting XI. Vinicius Junior and captain Marquinhos were joined by experienced players such as Danilo and Douglas Santos. Despite the quality of Brazil’s line-up, India defended with discipline for long periods in the opening stages and tried to threaten on the counter-attack.
Ancelotti made several changes after the break, introducing Bruno Guimaraes, Douglas Luiz and Samuel Lino. Lino eventually scored twice to complete Brazil’s emphatic victory.
The third goal arrived in the 58th minute after Brazil won possession from Vijay Varghese. Lino produced a powerful long-range effort that found the net, giving India an even steeper mountain to climb.
India did create opportunities of their own. In the 64th minute, Ryan Williams found space inside the Brazilian penalty area after escaping his marker. He took his chance, but Brazilian goalkeeper Mauro produced a good save.
Three minutes later, India created another promising opening. Ryan released Manvir Singh before making a run towards the right side of the box. Manvir returned the ball towards Ryan, who attempted to shoot on the move, but his effort went narrowly wide of the post.
Ryan, Manvir, Vijay Varghese and Abhishek Singh were among the Indian players who continued to battle despite the scoreline. Abhishek, in particular, worked hard to contain Vinicius. The Brazilian star repeatedly attempted to use his pace and dribbling ability to escape his marker, but Abhishek continued to chase him and refused to give up even after being beaten on some occasions.
Brazil’s approach also demonstrated the seriousness with which they treated the fixture. With Vinicius and Marquinhos in the starting line-up, Ancelotti also fielded Danilo and Douglas Santos, both of whom have played at the highest level. In the early stages, apart from an initial Vinicius attack, Brazil did not appear overwhelmingly dominant, while India remained committed to defending and looked for opportunities to break forward.
India’s biggest problem was their lack of efficiency in the final third. Against a defence of Brazil’s quality, chances have to be created and converted with greater precision. India managed to produce a few openings but could not turn them into goals.
Brazil completed the scoring in stoppage time when Lino struck again. His effort went underneath Prabhsukhan Gill and into the net to make it 4-0.
The result was a heavy defeat for India, but the performance was not without positives. Against a team with a vastly superior ranking and a squad packed with international experience, India showed courage, defensive commitment and a willingness to compete.
For Khalid Jamil’s side, the focus now shifts to the next challenge. India will face Uruguay on October 6, and the priority will be to eliminate the individual errors that proved so costly against Brazil while carrying forward the fighting spirit shown at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan.
Two Costly Gurpreet Errors Compound India’s 0-4 Defeat to Brazil, But Fighting Spirit Earns Praise
