After 180 minutes of soccer, India’s probabilities of going previous the group stage of the U-17 Ladies’s World Cup are over. The hosts misplaced 3-0 towards Morocco within the battle of debutants on Friday on the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. With no factors from two video games, India can not mathematically qualify for the knockouts with yet another recreation to go.
Whereas their massive 8-0 loss to the USA within the opening match was comprehensible, India have solely themselves guilty for the loss to Morocco. Although they fought brilliantly, two errors, each within the second half, value them the sport and their probabilities within the match.
It was an enormous second for Morocco too, who bought their first-ever win in a FIFA Ladies’s World Cup.
A goal-laden day within the #U17WWC! ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/6Pmefat3io
— FIFA Ladies’s World Cup (@FIFAWWC) October 14, 2022
India coach Thomas Dennerby had stated forward of this match that his workforce “have to combat it out and don’t have any different possibility left”. And that’s precisely what India did.
In opposition to USA, India regarded nervous and misplaced. They had been tactically and bodily overpowered. It appeared like they learnt their lesson shortly. In opposition to Morocco, they stood sturdy, defended courageously, and had been capable of hassle Morocco with their assaults, one thing which they completely lacked of their opening recreation.
Morocco, who had misplaced to Brazil by only a solitary objective of their opening match, had been the favourites going into the sport. It was their defensive recreation that troubled the fancied Brazilian assault and India knew that they must give you one thing extraordinary to attain.
Dennerby made three adjustments to the beginning XI, together with bringing on goalkeeper Melody Keisham, and it appeared to work. With Nitu Linda and Kajol D’souza combining properly in midfield, India managed to create a number of strikes that troubled the Moroccan protection, nevertheless it was the ultimate ball for striker Neha that was missing.
India loved a great 40 per cent possession within the first half an hour of the match and it appeared every thing was going to plan for Dennerby’s facet. To maintain themselves alive within the match, India wanted at the very least some extent. When the primary half ended goalless, the expectations rose. Might India actually handle to get their first level at a FIFA occasion?
Any hope of that was crushed six minutes after the break. Within the chaos that ensued after a Morocco nook, India defender Naketa, whereas making an attempt to dam a shot and clear the hazard, touched the ball along with her outstretched hand. The referee instantly blew her whistle and pointed on the spot.
Morocco striker Doha El Madani made no mistake along with her penalty, and although Melody guessed the route accurately, the shot was too highly effective and out of her attain.
Piling on stress
India didn’t sit again. They performed with extra gumption. The Moroccan protection regarded even shakier as India piled on the stress.
And simply as India regarded probably the most threatening, Morocco doubled the lead, taking advantage of a mistake from Melody.
The African nation thwarted an Indian assault and began a counter of their very own within the 61st minute. Melody fumbled whereas making an attempt to gather a simple cross from the fitting.
Moroccan skipper Yasmine Zouhir, who performs for French facet AS Saint-Etienne, was ready within the heart and slotted the ball house with a robust left-footer to double her workforce’s rating.
Regardless of being two objectives down, India didn’t surrender. Striker Anita Kumari had the very best probability to tug one again within the 83rd minute after she timed her run completely on the left flank to obtain a by way of ball and go one-on-one with goalkeeper Wissal Tittah. Anita selected to hit it within the first submit however Tittah guessed accurately and despatched it out for the nook.
Anita’s shot was India’s solely shot on track within the two video games at this match. With time operating out, India regarded famished. All of the work they put in over the previous 10 months with publicity journeys to Norway, Italy, and Spain, and coaching camps at Jamshedpur and Bhubaneswar was happening the drain. They tried to placed on a courageous face, however you can see they’d misplaced hope.
Cherif Djennah added insult to harm within the first minute of stoppage time, simply going previous the Indian protection and slotting it previous Melody.
India face Brazil of their ultimate group tie on Monday, and whereas qualification is out of the query, they’d hope to at the very least get a objective towards the South American giants.