Brazil vs India: Manisha Kalyan scores but Indian women's team go down 6-1 against the Selecao

India eves went down 6-1 against hosts Brazil in the opening match of the Torneio Internacional de Futebol Feminino on Friday morning at the Arena da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil.

Ary scored a brace for the hosts while Debinha, Giovana Queiroz, Kerolin and Geyse were on target for Brazil. For the visiting side, young forward Manisha Kalyan scored the solitary goal in the eighth minute of the match.

Despite the lopsided nature of the scoreline, it was a creditable performance from the Indian eves against a team ranked in top 10 of women's football.

It took only 52 seconds for the Brazilians to find the back of the net as Debinha scored past India custodian Aditi Chauhan. But the Blue Tigresses responded quickly through Manisha Kalyan.

A quick counter-attack from India's half saw a lofted ball find Pyari Xaxa at the middle of the pitch. Pyari guided the ball with her chest towards Kalyan who made a run down the left flank. The Gokulam Kerala forward advanced unchecked with the ball and pulled the trigger from the edge of the box to find the back of the net.

However, the Brazilians, ranked seventh in the world, responded soon. In the 36th minute, Giovana scored a second goal for the hosts to restore their lead. The two teams headed to the break with a 2-1 scoreline in Brazil's favour.

Brazil scored the third and fourth goals (52' and 54') in quick succession in the second half within a span of two minutes which opened the floodgates. The Selecao then scored the fifth and sixth goals in the 76th and 81st minute to complete the win over Thomas Dennerby's girls.

The match also marked legendary Brazilian midfielder Formiga's retirement. A legendary name in women's football, Formiga appeared in seven World Cups and seven Olympics for Brazil before calling curtains on an impressive 26-years-long career with this win over India.

What are the positives for Indian women from the Brazil game?

Indian women's team, preparing for the 2022 Women's Asian Cup, can take a lot of heart from this performances against a former world champion. India are ranked 57th in the world while Brazil are seventh, to put the gulf in quality between the two sides in perspective.

The fact that India managed to score a goal against this Brazil side is in itself a positive and Dennerby's team will be proud of their first half performance where they took the fight to Brazil. Only in the second half, Brazil's quality overwhelmed the Indians.

What next for Indian women's team?

India eves next face Chile in their second match on November 28 while Brazil face Venezuela on the same day.