Brazil defeat offers a lesson in handling world-class teams: India coach Jamil

The match against five-time World Cup winner Brazil appeared to have left the Indian camp with a sense of perspective, as head coach Khalid Jamil emphasised the importance of regular exposure to top-class opponents.

His comments suggested that games against teams such as Brazil can be valuable irrespective of the result — a 0-4 defeat at the Salt Lake Stadium in this case — because they exposed the Indian players to higher levels of speed, decision-making, concentration and pressure that are difficult to replicate in training.

The loss also highlighted the learning curve. India was competitive for periods, but against a team of Brazil’s quality, small lapses were immediately punished. 

“If you play with a good team, you make one mistake, and they will finish. For that, your concentration should be good, and you have to be alert all through the action,” Jamil said on Saturday.

The experience offered India a glimpse of the demands of international football at the highest level. Jamil also acknowledged the psychological challenge of facing Brazil.

“Before the match, there was pressure on the players. Definitely, 100%, because you are going to play against Brazil,” he said.

For Jamil, consistent game-time against such opposition can help players build self-belief. “They must have that belief. We need to play more matches like this,” he added, pointing towards a broader developmental philosophy.

Known for his nonchalant repartee, Jamil offered a wry response when asked to rate India’s performance on a scale of 10: “We have got zero points.” 

The remark underlined the immediate reality of the result, even as he found positives in India’s performance.

Jamil praised Lalengmawia Apuia and Anirudh Thapa in midfield while also highlighting the performances of attackers Ryan Williams, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Manvir Singh. “Overall, it was very good,” he said, before acknowledging the area for improvement: “So defensively, we should be a little stronger.”

Brazil’s celebrated coach Carlo Ancelotti also recognised India’s organisation and noted that his side had difficulty in breaking the Indian resolve initially. 

“India played their part well. They tried to play their game; they defended… were organised, and tried to play counter-attack. I think that they played a good game. We had difficulty opening the score, but the moment we opened the score with Estevao, we had more opportunity to control the game,” the renowned Italian manager emphasised.