Uruguay’s clinical finishing and relentless attack handed India a heavy 6–1 defeat as the Blue Tigers ended their international friendly series in Kolkata.

Kolkata, October 6: India end their international friendly series with a massive 6–1 defeat against Uruguay, as India failed to defend the dreams of thousands of Indian football admirers. The two-time World Champions left India after an explosive attacking display, ending their third meeting with India on Tuesday evening at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.

Apart from the result, the only notable change was the inclement weather that interrupted the match, while Pramveer and Edmund were starts in the first eleven.

At the start of the match, the Blue Tigers showed attacking intensity and launched attack after attack. Within seven minutes, Anwar Ali attempted a shot from the edge of the box, which flew just over the crossbar.

In the ninth minute, from another quick attack, Edmund found himself one-on-one inside the box but failed to finish. The danger continued as, a minute later, Ryan Williams’ cross came into the box from the left, but before Manvir could create a threat, Thiago Cardozo collected it.

However, those missed chances were punished quickly as Uruguay took the lead. In the 10th minute, during a goalbound move, Pramveer brought down Sebastian Vinas, resulting in a penalty. Former Liverpool FC forward Darwin Nunez made no mistake from the spot to put Uruguay ahead.

But the much-awaited moment came in the 22nd minute when India broke their deadlock. From a counter-attack, Ryan Williams ran through the middle and attempted a long-range shot, which the goalkeeper could only fist away. The rebound fell to Anirudh Thapa, who made no mistake and put the ball into the net, bringing India back into the game.

Anirudh Thapa after scoring against Uruguay

However, after the equaliser, the match was stopped due to lightning and inclement weather. After almost 30 minutes, as per the rules, the match resumed, and Uruguay immediately picked up the rhythm. In the 29th minute, the only Indian-origin player in the La Celeste team, Maximiliano Araujo, put Uruguay back in front at 2–1.

In the 37th minute, Darwin Nunez almost found his second of the night after a quick attack, but his one-on-one effort was deflected by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

However, the goals kept coming for La Celeste. In the 53rd minute, Rodrigo Zalazar made it 3–1 for Uruguay. From the left edge of the box, Zalazar’s effort towards the near post left Gurpreet left watching as the ball found the back of the net.

Within two minutes, Ryan Williams tried from distance but narrowly missed the target. Despite India’s attempts, Uruguay continued to make their opportunities count, with Maximiliano Araujo scoring his second in the 58th minute to make it 4–1.

Around the 60th minute, Apuia came close to reducing the deficit as his long-range effort just brushed the crossbar. Sanan also tried his luck with a shot on target, but the goalkeeper remained alert to deny him.

Uruguay then added a fifth in the 71st minute. Facundo Pellistri received the ball on the right side of the box before placing a square pass for Sanabria, who made no mistake from close range.

Khalid Jamil made his final change in the 78th minute, bringing Albino Gomes on in place of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. But Uruguay were not done yet. In the 86th minute, Aguirre found the net with an effort from the edge of the box to complete Uruguay’s six-goal haul and seal a 6–1 victory.

The result brought India’s international friendly series to a difficult end. The Blue Tigers showed attacking intent and had their moments, especially in the opening stages, but Uruguay’s clinical finishing and ability to punish mistakes ultimately made the difference. For India, the focus now shifts to taking lessons from the experience and building towards the challenges ahead.