Kolkata, Oct. 4 -- Kolkata keeps its footballing royalty in a private museum of memory. Pele arrived with the New York Cosmos in 1977 and found a Mohun Bagan side stubborn enough to hold them to a 2-2 draw at Eden Gardens.

Diego Maradona came twice and was received less like a visiting footballer than a returning monarch. Lionel Messi played his first match as Argentina captain at the Salt Lake Stadium in 2011. Each visit passed from event into folklore.

Saturday gave the city something different. Brazil did not come merely to be seen. They came to play India, as per the AIFF website.

For 90 minutes, admiration had to be suspended. Vinicius Junior was no longer a face on a television screen but a forward to be tracked, crowded out and ...