India suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat at the hands of a strong Uruguay side in an international friendly football match played at the historic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Uruguay dominated proceedings from the start. Darwin Núñez converted a penalty in the 11th minute to give the visitors an early lead. India responded well in front of their home supporters when Anirudh Thapa scored a brilliant equaliser in the 21st minute to make it 1-1, briefly electrifying the stadium.
The joy was short-lived. Maximiliano Araújo restored Uruguay’s lead in the 27th minute, and the score remained 2-1 at half-time. After the break, Uruguay stepped up the pressure and dismantled India’s defence with a flurry of goals.
Rodrigo Zalazar scored in the 52nd minute, Araújo netted his second in the 58th, Juan Manuel Sanabria added another in the 70th, and Rodrigo Aguirre completed the scoring in the 85th minute to seal a comprehensive 6-1 victory.
Statistically, Uruguay controlled 58% of possession and registered nine shots on target. India managed 14 attempts but only five were on target. Analysts noted that the match against a world-class side offered important lessons for the Indian team.
The game was interrupted by thunderstorms and lightning when the score was level at 1-1. Play resumed after a delay of nearly 34 minutes.This follows India’s recent friendly loss to Brazil, also in Kolkata. Despite ticket prices being slashed by up to 90% and free passes being distributed for the Uruguay match, the stadium remained largely empty.
India Suffer Heavy 6-1 Defeat to Uruguay in International Friendly at Salt Lake Stadium
