FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 Matchday 3 Preview

The first round of games concludes with action in Groups E and F.

As Sunday comes calling, the FIFA U-17 World Cup will enter the states of Assam and West Bengal. The Group E and Group F matches of the tournament will start with teams making their tilt for the title. In Group E, debutants New Caledonia start their World Cup campaign against European giants France, a game followed by another where Honduras will face Japan in the same group at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati.

As for the Group F, Chile will ply their trade against European powerhouse England, followed by the last match of the day where Asian champions Iraq meet North American stars Mexico.

Match 1: Chile U-17 vs England U-17

The opening match of Group F will see a classic European and Latin American showdown from the history books. The England team is packed with some of the biggest talents in world football right now, but the Latin American approach could work as an X-factor in the match on Sunday.

England have recently won the FIFA U-20 World Cup and have since risen as one of the favourites to win the FIFA U-17 World Cup as well. The Three Lions are looking forward to a perfect start to their U-17 World Cup campaign, with the Chileans also vowing not to go down without a fight in a game with a reputation to uphold.

Team News

A South American powerhouse themselves, the Chilean squad is all healthy and waiting for the nod of their coach Hernan Caputto to give their best against England. The La Rojita will be depending on the likes of Antonio Diaz, Ignacio Mesias and Pedro Campos to get the goals against a mighty English side. In the rearguard, the Chileans are having high hopes for Gaston Zuniga and Sebastian Valencia, both of whom have impressed donning the national colours before.

On the other hand, Steve Cooper’s boys in the England camp are also all well and looking forward to Sunday to begin their World Cup campaign. In a squad filled with future stars plying their trade at top clubs in England and Germany, the English are set to pin their hopes on Angel Gomes of Manchester United, Jaden Sancho of Borussia Dortmund and Rhian Brewster of Liverpool. Eyes will also be on the likes of Timothy Eyoma, Marc Guehi and Steven Sessegnon at the back.

Head to Head

Sunday will mark the first time these two teams meet each other.

England bring a strong team to the tournament

Man to Watch

Pedro Campos-Chile U-17: Originally a right winger, Campos can also play as a left winger or as a false #9. After impressive performances against Belgium, Poland and France in a European four-nation tournament, Campos has come up as the biggest hope for the South Americans in the FIFA U-17 World Cup. However, he didn't feature in the qualifying stages much due to an injury. Although, he did manage an assist.

Jadon Sancho-England U-17: After rather hectic negotiations between the Football Association (FA) and Borussia Dortmund, the £10m wonderkid joined up with the England squad late in the tour. Sancho had scored five goals in the summer’s European Championship, a tally which included goals in the quarterfinal and semifinal stages. The Dortmund starlet also won the Golden Player award in the tournament and might just be the missing link between England and U-17 World Cup glory.

Probable Lineups

England U-17: Curtis Anderson, Timothy Eyoma, Marc Guehi, Joel Latibeaudiere, Steven Sessegnon, Conor Gallagher, Angel Gomes, George McEachran, Rhian Brewster,  Philip Foden, Jadon Sancho.

Chile U-17: Julio Borquez, Gaston Zuniga, Matias Silva, Sebastian Valencia, Yerco Oyanedel, Maximiliano Guerrero, Mauricio Morales, Martin Lara, Branco Provoste , Ignacio Mesias, Pedro Campos.

Broadcast

The game will be Live on Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 2 HD from 5 pm. You can also watch it on the Sony Liv app and website. Furthermore, you can read a detailed report of the game on Khel Now shortly after fulltime.

Also Read

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Luis Norton de Matos post-USA press conference

New Zealand and Turkey split the points as Paraguay edge Mali in Group B thriller

Other Matches

Match 2: New Caledonia U-17 vs France U-17

Kickoff

8th October, 17:00 IST.

Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati.

Broadcast

The game will be Live on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD from 5 pm. You can also watch it on the Sony Liv app and website.

Match 3: Honduras U-17 vs Japan U-17

Kickoff

8th October, 20:00 IST.

Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati.

Broadcast

The game will be Live on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD from 8 pm. You can also watch it on the Sony Liv app and website.

Match 4: Iraq U-17 vs Mexico U-17

Kickoff

8th October, 20:00 IST.

Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata.

Broadcast

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The game will be Live on Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 2 HD from 8 pm. You can also watch it on the Sony Liv app and website. Furthermore, you can read a summary of the game on Khel Now shortly after fulltime.