A historic international football friendly match was played between India and Brazil at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The visiting team defeated India 0-4. Indian players faced Brazil bravely in the beginning. Apart from maintaining a defensive strategy, he also adopted an aggressive stance whenever he got the opportunity.
India remained firmly in the match for the first half hour. Brazil was prevented from scoring for about 27 minutes. On the 28th minute, Estevao Willian made a sharp shot. Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu tried to stop it. But did not get success. The mood of the match changed completely after half time. Samuel Lino scored two goals. Goals from Estevao Willian and Pedro gave Brazil an unassailable lead.
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The audience arrived less than expected
It was expected that a large number of people would witness the historic match, but most of the chairs in the stadium remained empty. This was the biggest football match to be held in India. Initially the stadium would have been crowded with around 30 thousand spectators. However later the number increased.
Generally, Mohun Bagan-East Bengal derby matches gather a crowd of around 50 thousand at Salt Lake Stadium. Last year, when Lionel Messi also reached here, the entire stadium was filled. The Brazilian team did not receive the same welcome as expected.
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Many tickets were available on the official 'District App' even two and a half hours before the start of the match. The crowd outside the stadium was limited and there was not the usual influx of supporters heading towards the spectators' galleries. Some spectators reached the stadium wearing Brazilian jerseys and some with Indian flags. Another ministerial match will be played between India and Uruguay on October 6. The Uruguayan team has been world champion twice.