The India national football team lost 0-4 to the Brazil national football team in their first-ever meeting on October 3.
The match was a friendly scheduled to be held at Salt Lake Stadium in Bidhannagar, India.
As significant as the scoreline was the difference in how Brazil retained possession and created chances in the opponent’s half.
3-Line Summary
1. India lost 0-4 to Brazil in their first-ever meeting
2. Brazil’s possession was 65.8%
3. The match cannot be fully understood from the shot count alone
Brazil Kept the Ball Longer and Threatened More Often
According to BBC match records, the final score was India 0-4 Brazil. Brazil held 65.8% possession, comfortably ahead of India’s 34.2%, and also recorded more shots, with 20 compared with India’s 9. Shots on target were 7 for Brazil and 3 for India.
In particular, touches inside the opponent’s penalty area were recorded as 29 for Brazil and 12 for India. This means Brazil did more than simply retain possession for a long time; it was a match in which Brazil continued attacking close to India’s goal. Brazil’s pass completion rate was 90.3%, while India’s was 83.6%.
India also won 6 corners, not far behind Brazil’s 8, and both teams attempted 12 crosses. However, successful passes in the opponent’s half stood at 156 for Brazil and 29 for India, a clear difference. The number to watch most closely in this match is this passing gap in the final area, rather than possession.
The First Meeting Was a Friendly Held in India
Sports Illustrated introduced the match as the first meeting between the two national teams. The venue was Salt Lake Stadium in Bidhannagar, India, and India was described as a team ranked 138th in the FIFA rankings, while Brazil was described as a team that had won the World Cup five times.
BBC records indicated that India, under manager Khalid Jamil, used a 4-2-3-1 formation, while Brazil, under manager Carlo Ancelotti, used a 4-3-3 formation. The formations themselves do not explain the result, but in the day’s records, Brazil held the advantage both in passes sent forward and in possession of the opponent’s half.
Before this match, Brazil had faced Australia twice, recording a 1-1 draw and a 4-2 win, while India played Brazil after drawing 1-1 with Panama, Sports Illustrated reported. Regardless of the outlook before the match, the confirmed result of this meeting was Brazil’s 4-0 victory.
Although it was a heavy defeat for India, the significance of the first meeting does not end with the result. The records show where India lost the ball against Brazil and where its attacking progression was interrupted. In that sense, the difference between 156 and 29 successful passes in the opponent’s half is a clearer image than the 0-4 scoreline.
References
Tags #IndiaBrazil #IndiaBrazilFootball #BrazilNationalFootballTeam #IndiaNationalFootballTeam #FootballFriendly #SaltLakeStadium #Bidhannagar #Brazil4-0 #CarloAncelotti #KhalidJamil #FootballMatchResult #BrazilPossession