Kolkata: Now that the carnival around Brazil’s visit to the City of Joy has moved on, perhaps it is time to talk as Uruguay await next.
For large parts of Saturday night, the 4-0 scoreline seemed almost incidental. Social media celebrated Sahal Abdul Samad nutmegging a Brazilian, while clips of India stitching together passes and working their way into the opposition box were shared with almost the enthusiasm reserved for goals.
Perhaps that was understandable. For a vast majority who expected even a half-baked Brazil — still putting together the pieces for another World Cup cycle — to run circles around India and maybe put 10 past them, those 20-odd minutes of competitive football were something of a revelation. India could play a little too.
Not everyone, however, was in the mood to celebrate, including India’s leading left-back Akash Mishra.
“After the game, I said that I am a very bad loser. Because we lost 4-0, I was not feeling well, and I feel all the boys felt the same,” he said during media interaction on Monday. “Some of the mistakes which we did were very casual.”
That is the attitude India will need when they return to the Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday to face world No. 20 Uruguay.
Uruguay, despite being two-time world champions and possessing a squad scattered across some of Europe’s leading leagues, have not generated any interest close to the frenzy Brazil did. And that should allow India to concentrate on what matters.
Uruguay have arrived with problems of their own as well. Their disappointing World Cup campaign and subsequent struggles have left them searching for a way forward, with their popular striker Diego Forlan now tasked with rediscovering some of the identity that once made La Celeste such formidable opponents.
Forlan’s coaching CV remains modest compared to his glittering playing career with the likes of Atletico Madrid and Manchester United but his stature back home is unquestionable. His latest assignment began with a 3-1 defeat to Japan before an impressive 4-1 victory over South Korea, where several pieces fell into place.
“We have really good quality players, different styles. A lot of players are playing in really good leagues,” Forlan said. “Our ideal is to play well because we have the players to do that, but you have to see each game differently. Sometimes the rival is better than you and you have to adapt and see how you can do better.”
Uruguay may themselves be in transition and are without a few leading names, but for India, even their so-called fringe players represent another considerable step up.
For Khalid Jamil’s men, therefore, the lesson from Brazil is straightforward: concentration cannot arrive in patches. India managed that superbly against Panama but Brazil punished virtually every lapse, with Gurpreet Singh Sandhu enduring a particularly difficult evening.
“We must start with good concentration from the first minute to 90 minutes. We must have that belief that, yes, we can get a good result,” Jamil said. “One mistake will cost us very badly. We have to be very careful because we are playing a good team, attacking-wise and defensively.”
Nobody expects India to suddenly beat a side of Uruguay’s pedigree but merely playing well for 20 minutes before accepting the scoreline should no longer feel enough after Panama result and those encouraging passages against Brazil.