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What's the story?
In a bid to give the Indian U-17 team ample match practice, the team's head coach and the AIFF are making plans to organise a friendly this Sunday against Indonesia or Vietnam, according to a report in the Hindu.
Coach Luis Norton de Matos has often talked about the boys not having enough match practice as compared to the other teams in the competition and has hence decided to provide enough competitive games for the youngsters to be prepared for the mega event which begins exactly a month from today.
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After taking over the reigns in March, Matos has taken his troops for tournaments in Europe and Mexico. The competition in Mexico turned out to be a major learning curve for the young Indian Colts where they conceded nine goals in three matches; seven of them from set pieces.
The heart of the matter
Matos believes that the lack of international matches might hamper the country's chances in the group stage when the World Cup commences. The Portuguese veteran has given an example of the Mexican and the Colombian team whose kids are participating in competitions for the past 10 years. He also revealed that the United States of America U-17 team has played over 50 matches in the last two years.
The manager has also called on his team to stop being naive and erase simple mistakes like giving away the ball cheaply. He has pinpointed these issues on the lack of competitive football for the U-17 team.
What's next?
Indian U-17 side are currently training at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru and will be based in Delhi for the World Cup. The Blues will begin their campaign against the USA on the sixth of October at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Author's take
The manager is right to point out that a lack of competitive matches might rue India's already difficult road ahead in the World Cup. Matos has been extremely professional till now and has taken every possible measure to chisel the boys for the grand event. And the proposition to organise a friendly this Sunday is a step taken in the right direction. But is it too little too late?
