Uruguay Outclass Plucky India 6-1 In Salt Lake Friendly
Uruguay defeated India 6-1 in a friendly at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, with India showing promise early before the visitors dominated the second half.
South American heavyweights Uruguay turned on the style in the second half to hand India a sobering 6-1 defeat in an international friendly before an expectant crowd at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) on Tuesday evening.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, the Blue Tigers enjoyed a spirited opening half-hour, matching the two-time World champions for intensity and drawing level after conceding early. However, Marcelo Bielsa’s side ruthlessly exploited defensive fatigue and gaps following the restart, striking four times in the second half to display the gulf in quality between the two sides.
Uruguay drew first blood in the 12th minute when Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez stepped up to convert calmly from the penalty spot after an infringement in the Indian box. Unfazed by the early setback, India responded with intent, pressing high and capitalizing on a turnover. In the 22nd minute, midfielder Anirudh Thapa sent the home crowd into raptures, latching onto a loose ball in the final third and slotting a clinical equalizer past the Uruguayan custodian.
India's parity was brief. In the 28th minute, winger Maximiliano Araújo restored La Celeste’s advantage with a razor-sharp finish from an acute angle. A brief weather interruption due to nearby lightning threatened to break the momentum, but Uruguay returned with renewed focus, heading into the halftime tunnel with a 2-1 lead.
The second half belonged entirely to the visitors. Uruguay introduced fresh legs, bringing on experienced midfielder Lucas Torreira to boss the midfield transitions. The floodgates opened in the 53rd minute when Rodrigo Zalazar capitalized on a defensive lapse to make it 3-1.
Just six minutes later, Araújo notched his second of the night with a thunderous effort into the roof of the net, effectively extinguishing Indian hopes of a comeback.
As Indian legs tired against Uruguay’s relentless high-pressing machine, Juan Manuel Sanabria curled in a sublime fifth in the 71st minute before substitute Rodrigo Aguirre capped off the routing with an 86th-minute strike to seal a comprehensive 6-1 victory.
While the margin of defeat underlines the steep developmental climb remaining for Indian football against top-tier global opposition, the gritty first-half display and Thapa’s memorable strike provided bright takeaways in an otherwise tough night at the Salt Lake Stadium.