It is not always that you see an Indian national football team square off to five-time world champions Brazil on a football pitch. One instance of that happened last year in the BRICS Cup. The BRICS Cup was staged for the first time in 2016 and was hosted by India.
Although India Under-17s had a tournament to forget after finishing last among five teams in the BRICS Cup 2016, Komal Thatal’s goal for the Colts ensured that the tournament did not become a fading memory.
The 16-year-old scored against Brazil in a first-round game, thereby becoming the first and only Indian to score against Brazil. His goal created history for Indian football as it is still the only goal to be scored by any Indian team, junior and senior, against a Brazil national team, junior and senior.
Thatal, the number 10 and creative hub of India Colts, is a fan of Liverpool’s playmaker Philippe Coutinho and his goal against Brazil had Coutinho flavour written all over it.
It is well-established that Coutinho likes to cut inside and shoot from all sorts of distances with his favoured right foot, and Thatal almost produced a replica of a Coutinho goal when he equalised for India against Brazil Under-17s.
The Indian Colts were trailing 1-0 at the 18-minute mark when Thatal received the ball near the touchline on the left flank. The attacker then dribbled past Brazil’s right-back and backtracking right winger to create space while cutting inside before unleashing a shot that proved unstoppable for the young Brazilian goalkeeper Gabriel.
While that goal was India’s only goal at the BRICS Cup 2016, it turned out to be an iconic one in the grand scheme of things. Thatal created history with that goal and etched his name forever in the record books of Indian football. Not a bad start for a 16-year-old Indian footballer, suggesting that the future is bright for Indian football and in good hands.
Tomorrow, the 13th of May, marks seven months since Thatal’s moment of greatness.
