India prepare for a historic first-ever clash against Uruguay as the Blue Tigers look to turn their Brazil lessons into action at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
Kolkata, October 5: India and Uruguay have completed their final practice ahead of tomorrow’s international friendly clash at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. From 7:30 PM, the ball will start rolling as both teams are set to create another historic meeting, with the two national teams facing each other for the first time.
For all the players, this is a task to test each other on the ground for the first time. But for the Uruguay head coach, India and Indian soil are not new at all, as Diego Forlan played here and left his mark before leaving Mumbai City FC.
Before coming to India, Uruguay faced Japan and South Korea, where they lost 3–1 to Japan and won their last clash against South Korea 4–1 on September 28. On this, the coach stated that for those two games, the preparation time was very limited before testing the opponents. But before facing India, La Celeste have prepared well.
“We played against a great national team like Japan. And then we had four days after a really difficult game against Korea. We had more time for the players to rest, know each other and work a little bit more.
You know, Korea is really tough, playing in their country against them. The way they play, their combination, their quick players, a lot of players playing in really good, important teams in Europe. And now we have this game against India where we have more days to work.” said Diego Forlan.
After a determined performance and a 1–1 draw against Panama, the Blue Tigers fell short against world giants Brazil as they lost 4–0 on October 3. Though several missed chances, a lack of concentration and defensive lapses affected the result, the outcome was massive.
However, the effort was not limited to the starting XI. Whether coming from the bench or starting the game, the Indian players tried to make their presence felt against Brazil. Manvir Singh and Ryan Williams looked to create something in attack, Abhishek Tekcham stood strong against Vinicius Jr., Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta, Akash Mishra, Mehtab Singh tried to defend, while Edmund Lalrindika, Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan and Sahal Abdul Samad also gave their all whenever they got their opportunity. The 4–0 defeat may not have reflected their efforts, but the Blue Tigers walked away with valuable learnings and are now ready to put them into action against Uruguay.
And before the last test Khalid Jamil said India must stay focused against a strong Uruguay side, as even one mistake could prove costly. He stressed the need to be careful in all aspects, especially against Uruguay’s experienced players and one of the best coaches.
“One mistake will cost us very badly. So, we have to be very careful not to take this match lightly at all. Because we are playing with a good team, attacking wise, and defensively, we have good experienced players. As I said, their coach also is one of the best coaches. So, we have to be careful from all aspects.” said khalid Jamil.
India are set to face a Uruguay side carrying plenty of World Cup experience. From Santiago Mele between the posts to Ronald Araujo, Jose Maria Gimenez, Guillermo Varela, Sebastian Caceres, Santiago Bueno, Mathias Olivera and Joaquin Piquerez in defence, the La Celeste squad has several players who have already experienced football’s biggest stage and very recently.
The experience continues in midfield with Rodrigo Bentancur, Emiliano Martinez, Agustin Canobbio, Facundo Pellistri, Maximiliano Araujo, Brian Rodriguez, Rodrigo Zalazar and Giorgian de Arrascaeta, while Rodrigo Aguirre, Federico Vinas and Darwin Nunez add further international experience up front. In total, almost 19 players from the Uruguay squad have featured at the FIFA World Cup, making tomorrow’s historic meeting an even bigger test for the Blue Tigers.
Nevertheless, Diego Forlan admitted that Uruguay are taking the challenge seriously. They are not looking at the rankings or the opponent before stepping onto the pitch. For La Celeste, every opponent is treated the same and every match comes with its own challenge.
The goalkeeping department has also become one of the talking points for India ahead of the Uruguay clash. After the Brazil game, where a couple of mistakes from Gurpreet Singh Sandhu proved costly, and in the starting of the second half Prabsukhan Gill made his debut. The Blue Tigers will be hoping for a more confident performance between the posts.
Against a strong Uruguay side, there will be little room for such mistakes. With another big test waiting at the VYBK India’s goalkeeper will have a crucial role to play in keeping the team in the game, as they have the ability in the bench as Albino Gomes, Som Kumar are sitting.
Sleepless nights, a draw, a defeat, learning and testing — the Blue Tigers have gone through a roller-coaster over the last few days. But there is little time to look back, as another tough challenge awaits. Despite everything, India are prepared to step onto the pitch and take on the two-time world champions Uruguay, ready to fight in any situation and make the most of another big test on home soil.
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