The Asian Cup was speculated to be, in Thomas Dennerby’s phrases, the purpose the place ladies’s soccer would take off in India. However Covid-19 delivered a kick within the enamel. What couldn’t occur in January might subsequent month when India hosts the under-17 ladies’s World Cup.
“A variety of younger ladies will get to know soccer is a very good sport; it’s the right sport for women,” mentioned Dennerby, the India under-17 coach. With the sagacity of 1 related to the game since 1977, as participant after which coach together with Sweden and Nigeria’s nationwide ladies’s groups, Dennerby defined why. “A woman can have the identical imaginative and prescient, the identical studying of the sport as a boy. Soccer just isn’t that bodily, the tackles allowed are shoulder tackles and ladies can deal with these. It’s a technical sport, checks endurance and agility and ladies can do all that in addition to boys.”
Within the ladies’s recreation, “there’s much less hitting” and other people like that too, he mentioned, referencing the European championships in July to make the purpose. “There may be one other factor good about soccer: if you’re slightly weaker however have a very good day, you’ll have an opportunity.”
It’s what Augsburg instructed themselves earlier than internet hosting Bayern Munich, Brentford in opposition to Manchester United and Rajasthan United once they met ATK Mohun Bagan. It’s what Dennerby’s staff shall be telling itself once they meet USA in Bhubaneswar on October 11. Morocco on October 14. And Brazil three days later.
Dennerby mentioned the women have been working exhausting over the previous six months, averaging 10-12 periods per week. The staff is enjoying at the next tempo and final week gained 4-0 in opposition to Odisha FC, who will play within the Indian Ladies’s League (IWL) this time period.
If not on the degree of the USA, “who’re at all times robust and have highest health degree”,
India are very shut, mentioned Dennerby. “What I’ve seen from movies of Brazil is that they’re a very good staff with quite a lot of extraordinarily good gamers upfront however slightly weak in defence, so… In fact they’re good groups however we’re a very good staff too. And we’re going to combat for our lives.”
Following the attract June, Dennerby had mentioned it will be sensational if India made the quarter-finals. Earlier than the squad left for Spain on Saturday, the 63-year-old Swede mentioned in a Zoom name from Bhubaneswar: “We’re in a tricky group. What we’re speaking about is how we are able to have our greatest recreation ever in opposition to USA. After that we’ll know slightly bit higher, our possibilities in opposition to Morocco.
“Ought to we lose the primary recreation, if we deal with the second recreation, there’s nonetheless an opportunity going into the ultimate recreation in opposition to Brazil. We are going to take it step-by-step.”
And they should take their possibilities. It’s an space that wanted work, Dennerby mentioned throughout a tour of Europe in the summertime. “Since then, we now have been working exhausting on the ultimate move, ending from totally different angles, totally different distance, low crosses and excessive crosses. In the previous couple of video games we, possibly, utilised one out of three possibilities. (Within the World Cup), possibly we are going to get two possibilities every half. To be sharp in these essential moments is essential,” he mentioned.
That Europe tour was additionally when assistant coach Alex Ambrose was despatched residence following allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour with a participant. “That story is out of the squad a very long time. The women are tremendous skilled and we now have had good assist to take care of the state of affairs,” mentioned Dennerby.
As a result of it gives a chance for video games, this journey is vital. “Most of those ladies don’t have the expertise of enjoying vital video games,” he mentioned. Whereas on tour, Dennerby will identify his World Cup squad on September 30. “We’re travelling with 23 gamers and from them, 21 shall be on the World Cup as we have to ship the squad to FIFA on October 1.”
It might have been higher if India didn’t journey so near a contest—former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia has mentioned as a lot—however Dennerby mentioned they might do little if no staff needed to come back. “They’ll come nearer to the World Cup (beginning on October 11) and FIFA guidelines prohibit video games after October 5.”
If India exit from the group, their World Cup shall be over on October 17. The extent the women are enjoying now, Dennerby mentioned they might match any IWL staff. “However the vital factor is to maintain on coaching after World Cup. In the event you return to coaching two-three occasions per week, it can have a foul affect. We have to maintain these ladies. The Indian Arrows (growth staff run by the Indian federation) additionally has quite a lot of good ladies and we now have good gamers within the senior staff. These three generations along with a very good long-term plan might take India to the ladies’s World Cup in 2027.”