Kolkata, India have the challenging task of moving fast from the 0-4 drubbing by Brazil and quickly fix things ahead of another important yet difficult FIFA international friendly against two-time world champions Uruguay here on Tuesday.
The enthusiasm of holding the 44th ranked Panama to a 1-1 draw at Bengaluru dissipated soon as Brazil gave India a reality check at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Saturday.
But head coach Khalid Jamil had found slivers of positives in India’s combination play, willingness to defend and counterattack, particularly in the first 25 minutes.
Even Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti had touched upon those aspects of the Indian team. But now, India will have to lean on those learnings against Uruguay, ranked 20th in the world.
Finding the back of the net or, improbable it may sound, holding the South Americans to a draw would actually feel like a win for a side ranked 138th in the world.
For that, India will be looking forward to Ryan Williams, who had scored the opener in their 1-1 draw against Panama. He has emerged as India’s biggest attacking option.
The Australian-born player of Indian-origin has repeatedly carried the ball at defenders and looked to create a chance.
His movement, along with Manvir Singh’s direct running and Sahal Abdul Samad’s combination play, helped India moments take the game to Brazil in the initial stages.
The trio of Lalengmawia Ralte, Anwar Ali and Sahal also showed that India could play through pressure instead of just clearing their lines.
India’s offside trap frustrated Brazil’s Pedro on several occasions, while Abhishek Singh Teckham and Anirudh Thapa provided important cover against Vinicius Junior.
Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu also stood up well in a one-on-one situation against the Real Madrid forward before letting in two easy goals.
They created openings against Brazil but failed to fire enough shots on target and against Uruguay they need an improvement in that department.
The defensive line has to be better synchronised over when to step forward or when to drop, while the midfield will have to protect the spaces between the full-backs and centre-backs and react quicker when the opposition switches play.
They will also need more support around Williams and Manvir to transform their promising build-up play into scoring opportunities.
Uruguay in transition
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That the La Celeste are arriving in Kolkata in a transitional phase will boost Jamil’s hopes.
They are beginning a new chapter after the departure of coach Marcelo Bielsa following their shock group-stage exit from the World Cup 2026. They failed to secure a single win in the FIFA showpiece.
The new coach Diego Forlan, the 2010 World Cup Golden Ball winner and their most celebrated footballer, began his tenure with a 1-3 defeat in Japan, but Uruguay responded strongly four days later with a 4-1 victory in South Korea.
Federico Valverde is absent after suffering a Grade-3 sprain on his left ankle during the Madrid derby last month, and Uruguay will miss the influential midfielder.
The Real Madrid captain has stayed back in Spain and is expected to be sidelined for a month.
That could make Uruguay less imposing in the midfield, but it will not necessarily make them easier to play against.
Their new-look side still has the physicality, technical quality and competitive edge often associated with the La Celeste.
Darwin Nunez, who plays in Saudi League, remains the key cog in the attack as his pace and movement will provide a demanding test for the likes of Anwar Ali and Akash Mishra.
Uruguay’s defence will be helmed by Ronald Araujo, the Liverpool centre-back who brings strength, pace and experience.
Lucas Torreira will also play a key role as the defensive midfielder. A key member of Galatasaray’s Turkish Super Lig-winning side last season, Torreira brings bite, positional discipline and experience in front of the back four.
India’s midfielders will have their task cutout to find ways of playing around him.
Squads
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India: Goalkeepers: Albino Gomes, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Som Kumar; Defenders: Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Akash Mishra, Anwar Ali, Bijoy Varghese, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Jay Gupta, Pramveer, Ricky Meetei Haobam; Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Farukh Choudhary, Lalengmawia Ralte, Macarton Nickson, Mohammed Sanan, Ricky Shabong, Sahal Abdul Samad; Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Ryan Williams, Vikram Partap Singh.
Uruguay: Goalkeepers: Santiago Mele, Cristopher Fiermarin, Ignacio de Arruabarrena, Sebastian Jaume, Thiago Cardozo; Defenders: Kevin Amaro, Jose Luis Rodriguez, Guillermo Varela, Nahitan Nandez, Santiago Mourino, Nicolas Marichal, Ronald Araujo, Alexander Barboza, Jose Maria Gimenez, Juan Rodriguez, Sebastian Boselli, Santiago Bueno, Sebastian Caceres, Mathias Olivera, Joaquin Piquerez, Lucas Olaza, Marcelo Saracchi, Juan Manuel Sanabria; Midfielders: Emiliano Martinez, Lucas Torreira, Rodrigo Bentancur, Facundo Bernal, Santiago Homenchenko, Agustin Canobbio, Matias Abaldo, Facundo Pellistri, Luciano Rodriguez, Maximiliano Araujo, Lucas Villalba, Brian Rodriguez, Rodrigo Zalazar, Diego Rossi, Giorgian de Arrascaeta;
Forwards: Martin Satriano, Agustin A. Martinez, Rodrigo Aguirre, Federico Vinas, Miguel Merentiel, Darwin Nunez, Alvaro Rodriguez.
Kickoff: 7.30pm
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