FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 Matchday 9 Preview
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England and iraq meet in the game of the day.
With the group stage games of the FIFA U-17 World Cup almost over, Saturday will witness the third matchday of Group E and Group F in the cities of Guwahati and Kolkata. While there are teams in both the groups who have already acquired what it needs to advance to the next stage, the battle will be between the rest of the teams to grab their last chance to qualify. In the Group E, table toppers France will play against Honduras simultaneously when Japan takes on New Caledonia in Kolkata. In the Group F, leaders England will face Asian champions Iraq later in the evening, while South American side Chile will be facing Mexico in Guwahati on Saturday evening.
Match 4: England U-17 vs Iraq U-17
The English have already virtually secured a berth in the knockout stages of the tournament after winning their first two games in the group stage. The England side, which is filled with some of the brightest talents in English as well as world football are now daring to start against Asian champions Iraq on Saturday in Kolkata. The middle-eastern Asians have already proved how dangerous they can be in their last two games, and with the climate an advantage, it will be
England defeated CONCACAF giants Mexico 3-2 in their second group stage game on Wednesday and are looking forward to extending their winning spree against Iraq. The opponents, Iraq, on the other hand, had also defeated South American side Chile and are looking forward to booking a safe passage to the knockout rounds of the tournament on Saturday.
Team News
The Three Lions will be missing the services of fullback Timothy Eyoma against Iraq, which come as a big blow to the English defence. The Tottenham Hotspur youngster was shown a yellow card in the last matchday, which comes as the second one in as many games. Steve Cooper, the England head coach, is making a name for himself for his side’s brilliant defensive display and is expected to pick a suitable replacement for the right back. The England side is also expected to press hard and look for an early goal in the game, which could be the key against a counter-attacking side such as Iraq. With their berth in the knockout stages virtually confirmed and with Foden’s knock in the last game, England are also expected to make a few changes in their starting lineup, which might see Crystal Palace midfielder Nya Kirby starting against the Asian giants. Nonetheless, the English will be depending on the trio of Brewster-Okoi-Sancho to get the goals as well as on the leadership and defensive skills of skipper Latibeaudiere to get their third win in a row.
Iraq is also expected to make a few changes in their squad, most notably in their wide areas. Although the Iraqis defeated Chile in the last match, their poor display on the wings made them look vulnerable many times in the match. With now England as the opponents, who specializes in wing play, the Iraqis are expected to further strengthen their starting XI on Saturday. The Asians will rely on the brilliance of forward Mohammed Dawood to get the goals while on Mohammed Ridha and Muntadher Mohammed to intercept and defend against the English vanguard.
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Head to Head
Saturday will mark the first time these two teams meet each other.
Man to Watch
Rhian Brewster-England U-17: An out-and-out striker, Brewster’s gameplay might remind one of that of Manchester United young prodigy Marcus Rashford in his earlier days. The Liverpool youngster operates with pace in the front, which makes it harder for the opposition defenders to mark him, resulting in his sudden bursts of pace and goals. Brewster also excels in set pieces, one of which saw him finally breaking down the Mexican deadlock in the 39th minute on Saturday by scoring a goal.
Mohammed Dawood-Iraq U-17: One of the most lethal forwards in the tournament, Dawood has been making a name for himself for his attacking skills lately. The Al Naft SC forward depends heavily on his positional sense and his first touch, which results in him being in the right place in the right time to put the ball past the goalkeeper. Dawood also possesses a great amount of pace, which compliments his skills well against defensive sides as it did against in their last game against Chile. The Iraqi forward has already scored in both his country’s match and it will be interesting to see how he does against the English defenders in what could be termed as their own backyard in Kolkata.
Probable Lineups
England U-17: Curtis Anderson (GK), Steven Sessegnon, Marc Guehi, Jonathan Panzo, Joel Latibeaudiere, George McEachran, Nya Kirby, Rhian Brewster, Jadon Sancho, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Tashan Oakley-Boothe.
Iraq U-17: Ali Ibadi (GK), Maytham Jabbar, Muntadher Abdulsada, Muntadher Mohammed, Mohammed Dawood, Saif Khaled, Bassam Shakir, Abdulabbas Ayad, Mohammed Albaqer, Mohammed Ali, Mohammed Abdulraheem.
Broadcast
The match will be telecasted live on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD at 17:00 hours IST.
Other Matches
Match 2: Japan U-17 vs New Caledonia U-17
Kickoff
14th October, 17:00 IST.
VYBK Stadium, Kolkata.
Broadcast
The match will be telecasted live on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD at 17:00 hours IST.
Match 3: Mexico U-17 vs Chile U-17
Kickoff
14th October, 20:00 IST.
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Guwahati.
Broadcast
The match will be telecast live on Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 2 HD at 20:00 hours IST.
Match 4: France U-17 vs Honduras U-17
Kickoff
14th October, 20:00 IST.
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Guwahati.
[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]Broadcast
The match will be telecast live on Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 2 HD at 17:00 hours IST.
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