USA coach John Hackworth applauds atmosphere at JLN after victory over hosts
The USA coach also praised the composure of the Indian team against his side...
The Indian Colts started their U-17 World Cup campaign with a heartbreak last night as they were defeated by their American counterparts 3-0 in New Delhi. After the game, the USA coach John Hackworth appeared in a press conference to brief the reporters about the match and his experience.
In the first of many questions, the Americans’ gaffer was asked about his ratings of the Indian team’s performance, a delicate question which he handed rather perfectly. “Before I give them a rating, I thought they played really well and I’d give them all the credit,” he said. “Extremely organized, and difficult to break down,” Hackworth added.
He also mentioned that the atmosphere at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was one of the best he had ever experienced. “This is one of the best atmospheres I’ve seen in a FIFA U-17 World Cup. The Indians and FIFA must be proud for everything that tonight was,” the 47-year-old told reporters.
The former Carolina Dynamo player was then asked if the hosts had broken his lobs, another question which he handed well in front of the reporters.
Also Read
-
New Zealand and Turkey split the points as Paraguay edge Mali in Group B thriller
-
Brave India go down fighting to street-smart USA in FIFA U-17 World Cup bow
-
Top 5 Brazilian players to watch out for in FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017
“The atmosphere was amazing and they presented a tough game to us. With the PM coming out and shaking their hands, it was hard to break them,” he said before adding, “I give them credit for their organization and they remained composed throughout the game.”
The gameplay of the USA U-17 team indicated a certain hurry among the players and the coaches. Hackworth was faced with a question which asked him if he had planned to wrap up the game in the first 20 minutes.
“No. Not at all. Credit to India for pushing us behind them. Top performance,” the USA U-17 coach responded. However, Hackworth also warned that his team’s performance was not ideal and there is room for brighter display in the coming matches, “We can play much better, and our execution was not as great as we hoped.”
Despite all his kind words towards the hosts, Hackworth denied that India grew more into the game. “Our fitness is top notch. We’re little complacent at times with our passes at times, and we can play a lot better. Credit to India for giving us a hard time.”
“The goalkeeper (Dheeraj Singh) made several saves in the opening 20 minutes. He was exceptional on the night. If he wouldn’t have made those saves, the game would have opened up. One save was off Josh Sargent and he doesn’t miss many. In the second half, we made some tactical adjustment which allowed us more space to play. Durkin finished from a corner-kick and I must say that he doesn’t usually finish as well as he did today,” said coach Hackworth.
[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]John Hackworth was asked to choose one of the Indian players he liked watching in the evening. Much unexpectedly, the American U-17 coach chose the defensive pair of Anwar Ali and Jitendra Singh.
“Both their centre-backs. None of the balls were being put into the box,” he pointed out. “The goalkeeper was exceptional throughout. Blocking the game was great,” he finished.
- Who is Korou Singh? ISL's youngest assist provider & Kerala Blasters FC's prodigy
- FC Cincinnati vs New York City FC Prediction, lineups, betting tips & odds
- Malaysia announce squad for India friendly in November international break
- Real Madrid aim to revolve sporting project around Kylian Mbappe ahead of Vinicius Jr: Report
- Angers vs PSG Prediction, lineups, betting tips & odds
- Petr Kratky highlights this Mumbai City FC player's performance against Kerala Blasters
- Mohun Bagan not be fined by AFC after recognising their case as 'Event of Force Majeure'
- How much bonus did Vinicius Jr miss out on after losing Ballon d'Or 2024 award?
- Mats Hummels' girlfriend: Meet Nicola Cavanis, her job, Instagram & more
- Ballon d'Or 2024: List of all award winners
- Key talking points from England's November international break squad
- Top 10 most valuable U21 footballers in 2024
- Mikael Stahre highlights two 'key takeaways' from Kerala Blasters loss against Hyderabad FC
- ISL 2024-25: Full fixtures, schedule, results, standings & more
- Gerard Zaragoza outlines two factors that could determine the outcome of NorthEast United clash in ISL