India vs Brazil — A battle for grit and survival in the shadow of Seleção in Kolkata

There was a noticeable lift in intensity among the Indian players in their pre-match training ahead of the Brazil game. | Photo Credit: KR DEEPAK

When India took the field a day before its high-profile match against Brazil, its open training session was unlike anything seen under previous coaches – the usual jog around the park, stretching and a team huddle.

Friday morning was action-packed: coach Khalid Jamil rolling the ball to the strikers to shoot, pointing to defenders to chase the ball, as the special matchball clattered against the boards on the sidelines with thuds, sometimes even scaring the photographers.

The intent was clear: India, irrespective of its ranking – 137 to Brazil’s fifth — would not cower because of reputation. Five-time world champion Brazil would take on India in their first-ever senior international match at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.

Brazil did not appear burdened by any sense of urgency ahead of the game. Perhaps, for a group of elite players accustomed to the highest levels of the game, the tactical fine-tuning often required to prise open close contests is not needed in quite the same measure here.

There is, after all, an enormous gulf between the two sides: a star-studded team of UEFA Champions League and Premier League winners facing the national team of a country which, not so long ago, struggled to get its topflight going.

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Casual rondos, keepy-uppies and stretching comprised the majority of its preparations in the 15-minute slot, while coach Carlo Ancelotti looked barely active. He arrived late, eyebrows even, before calling the team up for a huddle.

Perhaps it was tactical, for the media were quickly scurried away right at the end of the dedicated time. Perhaps Brazil’s actual training began on the 16th minute. But if there was some truth in the visitors’ warm-ups, it would be that the five-time world champion does not take this match seriously.

And why should they — a star-studded team of UEFA Champions League and Premier League winners looking to eke out a win against the national team of a country which struggled to have its top-flight going not so long ago?

Brazil’s floor is India’s ceiling. But when has football ever followed a script?

Brazil's Vinicius Jr. (2nd from Right) along with his teammates, warming up on the eve of the side’s match against India. | Photo Credit: KR DEEPAK

It will be this hope that could make or break India, which enters the game after a valiant 1-1 draw with Panama, a team ranked 94 places above it. But results are often book entries, and Jamil must already have his lineup ready, hoping to make hay while the sun shines.

Shadow of Constantine, soul of Jamil

Jamil, on most occasions, has been forced to make brick without straw, either due to injury or clubs digging their heels in over releasing players outside FIFA windows. The three-week national camp before the Panama game erased that impediment, and a working formation emerged, one that was often seen under Stephen Constantine as coach: two lines of four, and two strikers up front.

The combination of ball-playing centre-backs, Anwar Ali and Bijoy Varghese, means India can build out from the back, while Abhishek Singh Tekcham and Akash Mishra ensure the team doesn’t depend on hopeful diagonals.

Ashique Kuruniyan’s pace gives India a potent threat to stretch the defensive line, while Anirudh Thapa’s box-to-box enterprise could see him combine with Lalengmawia Ralte to form a double pivot.

India’s two most in-form strikers, Edmund Lalrindika and Ryan Williams, could finally make a start — Lalrindika has 12 goal contributions for East Bengal in the last two seasons, while Williams has two goals in three matches for India.

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The opponent, however, is Brazil – a team whose defence comprises Marquinhos, a double Champions League winner, and Gabriel Magalhaes, a Premier League champion, while the attack has prodigies like Endrick and Estevao, and the menacing Vinicius Junior.

The sheer quality on paper, despite Raphinha being ruled out with injury, is still frightening.

Here is where Jamil will be put through the wringer – a coach who has made a career out of underdog stories, be it Aizawl’s I-League title or Jamshedpur FC’s Super Cup final and an ISL semifinal finish. When the team has its backs against the wall, Jamil will have to dust off his old robes once more, even if it is to put up a decent fight.

Pushover for Ancelotti and Co.?

Brazil, despite being the clear favourite, is not a team without weaknesses. Its full-backs push up, and Ancelotti, since taking charge, has struggled to find a regular combination that can run front and back. In Brazil’s last six matches, it has conceded seven goals, two of which have come from quick transitions.

Ryan Williams will be India’s biggest goal threat. | Photo Credit: KR DEEPAK

India may barely outpass Brazil, but it could outrun some of their players for five seconds at a time. Full-backs and wide wingers — that’s where Jamil will have to place his bets.

Brazil played out a 1-1 draw and won 4-2 against Australia in its last two matches, giving coach Ancelotti enough options to rotate his squad. But India presents a different opportunity.

A weaker opponent could demand a clearer approach: either put the game to bed with a full-strength starting XI before bringing on the youngsters, or walk on the opposite path. Either way, the front-four will involve Vinicius Junior, Endrick, Estevao and Rayan, with Bruno Guimaraes anchoring the midfield.

Pedro Morisco could make a senior team debut, with him being particularly tested during training sessions on the eve of the match. With Ancelotti already fielding Hugo Souza and Otavio against Australia, the 22-year-old might finally try turning heads at the senior international level.

So would India — not by hoping for a miraculous win against Brazil, but by making it sweat, the way Panama had to. That alone could give the sport something the city is known for: Joy, at times when it is scarce in Indian football.