"It's all on paper" - Thomas Dennerby not bogged down by India being underdogs in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2022

India will start their maiden campaign in the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup on Tuesday, October 11, against the United States. The host nation will go into the group-stage encounter as the underdog, but head coach Thomas Dennerby is undeterred by those tags.

The Swedish gaffer, in the pre-match press conference on Monday, stressed that the Young Tigresses will look to score an early goal and put their opponents under pressure.

"The USA will come as the favorite but it's all on paper. Our focus is on our game plan. If we have our best day and score an early goal, it will be good for us," Dennerby stated.

He added:

"We have a team that we know can defend very well. Tomorrow, one thing that everyone should be able to see is how hard it will be to score against us. If we utilize the chances we create, we can come away with points."

Playing in front of fans will give India a massive boost in these matches. As things stand, the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar is already sold out for the first game against the USA, and tickets for the other two games are quickly selling out too.

However, the 63-year-old opined that although the home crowd will push them, matters will ultimately be decided by what happens on the pitch. He continued:

"Home advantage is always there. Some girls can feel a little pressure if they see a large crowd in the stadium. However, it's on the pitch that everything will be decided and the outcome of the match will be determined."

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"All the players are feeling strong physically and mentally" - India U-17 women's team skipper Astam Oraon

Captain Astam Oraon, who was also present at the press-conference, spoke about the team's excitement levels ahead of the opening fixture of the age-group World Cup.

"The team is excited to play against the USA and finally get the tournament started after training together for 6-7 months. Tomorrow is the day when we have to leave everything on the field. Our full focus is on the matches ahead and nothing else matters to us," the defender said.

The United States haven't had the best of outings in the age-group tournament. The last time they progressed to the knockout stages was back in 2008, when they finished as runner-up.

But the USA registered seven straight victories at the CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship. Hence, India will have an uphill task on Tuesday when they lock horns with the USA.