FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup: India need new tactics to deal with Morocco threat

India will look quickly to move on from the USA shocker as they face off against Morocco in their second Group A game of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022 on Friday. Making their debut in the women’s World Cup, it was baptism by fire for India against the mighty USA in the opening encounter as they suffered an 8-0 defeat in front of a sizeable crowd at home in Bhubaneshwar.

India coach Thomas Dennerby had claimed before the opener that it will be difficult to score against India, but the Americans seemingly didn’t pay heed to the Swedish tactician. Did it expose the team’s preparations under the 2011 World Cup bronze-winning coach? Somewhat maybe. But what it surely did was give a grim reminder of how far behind we are from the benchmark in women’s football.

USA with four senior World Cup titles are the most dominant side in the world and the Indian side that was only assembled less than a year back for the FIFA assignment were caught short on pace and tactics.

“Yes, we know we weren’t good enough in front of them, their speed, high pressing tactics — everything was so strong,” said India captain Astam Oraon after the USA defeat.

India vs Morocco: Live streaming details

In that context, the next game against Morocco is going to be another uphill task for the home side. Morocco like India are also playing their first women’s World Cup but unlike India, who qualified for the tournament as hosts, the Atlas Lionesses secured a spot by winning the African qualifying tournament. The Morocco senior team has also qualified for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Gearing up ⚙️⚙️ for tomorrow 💪🏼💪🏼#U17WWC 🏆 #BackTheBlue 💙 #ShePower 👧 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/BcDBi21HJo

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) October 13, 2022

But if there’s one side in India’s group that, at least on paper, could give the home side a sniff, it’s this Moroccan side. The final member of Group A is heavyweights Brazil who won 1-0 against Morocco in their opener after registering 17 shots on target. Both India and Morocco are without a point in the World Cup so far after their first matches. Qualification to the quarter-finals, for which a top-two finish is a must in the group, may not be possible for India, but the Friday encounter is surely their best bet to add more glory to their debut World Cup campaign.

“We have a good chance against Morocco tomorrow. If we can show the right attitude, we can score and get some points. We need to fight it out – we have no other option left,” coach Dennerby said ahead of the game.

“We have a team that can definitely handle the speed but football is not all about running or the number of sprints the girls take. It is also about taking the right decisions at the right moment. That was the biggest problem we faced against the USA in our early game — the girls need to put their hundred per cent on the pitch.”

Along with the right attitude, India will also need the right tactics. The narrow low block against the Americans spelled disaster. The zonal marking didn’t help either. The lack of press allowed the USA players to dictate the tempo and create a streak of opportunities. India also had very little of the ball as a result of their gameplay and could hardly give their forwards a chance.

Against Morocco, a more expansive setup must benefit India. There’s risk in that tactic but there’s more to gain as well. With teams having a physical advantage over India, scoring on counterattacks looks impossible. India’s efforts must be on stitching passes and finding their forwards in danger areas.

Teams

India: Monalisha Devi Moirangthem, Melody Chanu Keisham, Anjali Munda, Astam Oraon, Naketa, Purnima Kumari, Varshika, Shilky Devi Hemam, Babina Devi Lisham, Nitu Linda, Shailja, Shubhangi Singh, Anita Kumari, Lynda Kom Serto, Neha, Rejiya Devi Laishram, Shelia Devi Loktongbam, Kajol Hubert Dsouza, Lavanya Upadhyay, Sudha Ankita Tirkey.

Morocco: Derbali Louisa, Said Hajar, Boussatta Dania, Benassou Nadia, Karami Hiba, Aich Lina, Laksiri Kenza, El Assaoui Wissal, Masnaoui Samya, Cherif Djennah, El Madani Doha, Titah Wissal, Mrabti Dania, Tayebi Kamilia, Elmestour Houda, Maamry Ameerah, Zouhir Yasmine, Basser Ambre, El Hamzaoui Mina, El Ghazouani Fatima, El Hannachi Iman.

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