Brazil Legends defeat India All Stars in a magical display of football

Chennai: In a thrilling showcase of football, Brazil Legends and India All Stars battled it out at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Sunday, rekindling the magic of the beautiful game that was lost in time. Though Brazil won the match 2-1, the mesmerising skills of legends Ronaldinho and Rivaldo left the fans in awe, creating moments that could be cherished for a long time. 

Viola and Ricardo Oliveira scored for Brazil, while Bibiano Fernandes found the net for India, with the yellow-clad Chennai crowd cheering for every goal and move on the field.

The match was organised by the Football Plus Soccer Academy in collaboration with the Brazil Soccer Academy. 

Brazil were in control of the match right from the whistle. They maintained possession, giving the fans a glimpse of the legendary Brazilian samba football. Every time Ronaldinho touched the ball, the crowd cheered, eager to witness the magical flair that captivated the world in his prime.

In the fifth minute of the game, Rivaldo's shot almost found the top corner, but Indian goalkeeper Subhasish Roy Chowdhary was quick to react. The former Mohun Bagan star got a fingertip on the ball, enough to push it away, denying the Barcelona legend his first goal in the subcontinent. 

Brazil were awarded a free kick in the 10th minute, with Ronaldinho and Rivaldo gearing up to take it. Ronaldinho took the shot, but Chowdhary again stood firm, thwarting the former world champion's attempt to take the lead. 

Brazil were moving down the left wing, but the Indian defence held firm. Rivaldo's attempt to take a shot was denied by an excellent tackle from Deepak Mondal.

A good chance for India came in the 32nd minute when Nallappan Mohanraj converted a counter attack to a shot on target. But Heurelho Gomes denied the former Indian player a goal. 

India were relentless and unleashed a flurry of counterattacks. Alvito Dcunha attempted a shot, but the former Premier League goalkeeper showed his class with a brilliant save. India's efforts culminated in a free kick just before halftime in the 36th minute. I M Vijayan stepped up to take the shot, but his powerful kick sailed off target, and both teams went into the break with a goalless first half.

The second half saw Indian players in the defence mode with continuous pressing and attack from the Brazilian side. In the 43rd minute, Brazil's attempts were rewarded as substitute Viola tapped in a simple goal to give Brazil the lead. 

But Brazil's joy was short lived as India returned the favour in the next minute. Bibiano Fernandes skillfully bypassed Brazilian goal keeper Gomes to equalise. The score was 1-1. 

Brazil pressed hard for a winner, but India denied them the goal until the 61st minute. Viola scored another tap-in, but the linesman’s flag quickly ruled him offside. Two minutes later, Ricardo Oliveira took a shot from the six-yard box and found the back of the net, sealing the game for Brazil 2-1. 

The Brazil team was captained by their iconic star, Ronaldinho, and included several legends of the game. Alongside Ronaldinho, the squad featured Rivaldo, Gilberto Silva, Edmilson, Kleberson, Giovanni, Ricardo Oliveira, Cacapa, Camanducaia, Elivelton, Paulo Sergio, Viola, Jorginho, Amaral, Lucio, Alexandre Ferro, and Dunga.

The Indian side was led by the legendary I M Vijayan, one of India’s most iconic footballers. The squad included talented players such as Climax Lawrence, Shanmugan Venkatesh, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Karanjit Singh, Nallappan Mohanraj, Subhasish Roy Chowdhury, Arnab Mondal, Dharamaraj Ravanan, Pradeep NP, Bibiano Fernandes, Mahesh Gawali, Alvito Dcunha, and Mehtab Hossain.