India U-17s end Spain tour with loss against Atletico Madrid U-18s

The Blue Cubs concluded their Spain chapter with a defeat.

The Indian U-17 boys lost 0-4 to Atletico Madrid U-18 on Friday, May 12, 2023, in their last training match of the exposure trip to Spain.

The home side scored two quick goals (Omar 37’, Alex 45’) in the first half and two more by Emilio (54’, 57’) in the second half clinched the issue in their favour.

The first half began on an even note as both teams tried to assert their superiority in the midfield. But it was Atletico, who slowly gained the upper hand. A couple of corners were earned by the Atletico boys, but the Indian defenders remained on guard to keep the rivals away from scoring.

The first opportunity for the Blue Colts came in the 35th minute when Korou’s header was easily collected by custodian Luismi.

The floodgates opened after that as Omar and Alex scored in the 37th and 45th minutes, respectively, to give the winners a comfortable lead. In the second session, Atletico picked up right from where they left off in the first half, as Emilio struck twice to further widen the gap.

For India, Guite failed to tap the ball home in the 60th minute as his powerful shot hit the crossbar. Bibiano Fernandes made several changes in the second half, and India pressed hard but missed a few good chances. 

 India played five preparatory games in Spain before Friday’s match. The results of the other matches were: Against Atletico de Madrid U-17s (4-1), CD Leganes U-18s (0-2), Atletico de Madrid U-16s (2-1), Real Madrid U-17s (3-3), and Getafe U-18 (1-3). 

The Blue Colts will travel next to Germany on May 16, 2023, to have their next preparatory camp for the upcoming AFC U-17 Asian Cup in Thailand, to be held in June 2023. 

Starting XI: Sahil (GK) (Pranav 66’), Dhanajit Ashangbam, Surajkumar Singh (Balkaran 76’), Mukul Panwar (Pramveer 65’), Malemngamba Thokchom (Faizan 65’), Danny Meitei (Omang 65’), Gurnaj Singh (Prachit 65’), Lalpekhlua (Gogocha 65’), Vanlalpeka Guite (Akash 65’), Korou Singh (Lemmet 65’), Rohen Singh (Gangte 56’).