Indian Football is up for the challenge of U-17 World Cup
- In Current Affairs
- 08:08 AM, Jul 25, 2017
- Atish Bose
“WE ARE READY FOR THE WORLD CUP”. This is how in one line the first media interaction with India U-17 coach Luis Norton De Matos in New Delhi can be summed up. He was joined by two of his wards, Shubham Sarangi and Rahul K P.
The coach was exuberant with the progress made by the team and was confident of the lads and the team putting up a good show. Asked about the challenges he is facing to prepare the team for the mega event he drove home the point that indeed it’s a very big challenge and real difficult since in Europe even at U-17 level the players have got 10 years of experience in competitive football. In India it’s not the same. He also reiterated the fact that there are no quick fixes to suddenly produce a world class team.
On being asked about his approach vis-a-vis his predecessor, Matos was quite direct. According to him emotional intelligence plays a very important role since humans are resistant to change. He stated that he wants to be the leader of the group who will lead by example rather than barking instructions and keep the confidence level high. He also pointed out that the football school of thought are different in Germany and Portugal. Earlier the team was playing more direct football and now they are more into how to control the game. Keep the ball, reduce the space in the field. Lot of drill session goes into pass and reception.
Next he was asked the trickiest question – “do India stand a chance to even earn a draw?” Matos was again quite clear and direct. He admitted that the possibilities are small and there are very little chance of winning. But even if the percentage to win a match is 5%, he assured, the team is going to give 100% to achieve that 5%. The team will never play for a draw, but what will be on display will be a winning attitude. Matos also told the audience that he is working on all the aspect of the game and not focusing on any single aspect because all the aspects are interlinked. For him it is utmost important that the team keeps the concentration and focus for the 90 minutes.
The young guns were asked to draw comparison between Luis Matos and Nicolai Adam. Shubham described Matos as a good coach and human being who is guiding them both on and off the field. He also stated the both are different individuals and have different methods of coaching. Rahul added that the environment in dressing room is exceptional and whenever the team is together it’s a good experience. The boys were asked about one match which they remember most out of their exposure tour for the past six months both Rahul and Shubham chose the match played against Benfica which though they lost but got lot of praise from every quarter. Here Matos added that the works ethics and concentration shown by the boys are phenomenal.
When Matos was asked about his future plans and whether he would like to continue in India his answer was in affirmative. On being probed about the final touches he is putting in before the commencement of World Cup, Matos elaborated that the main focus is to play organised football irrespective of the opponent. Now India U-17 team is embarking on a journey to participate in a tournament involving Mexico, Chile and Colombia. This will give Matos a chance to judge the preparedness of the team. Matos also drove home the point that India being a hot and humid country won’t play much part in any teams’ performance since all the teams prepare very well in advance. He cited the example of Germany winning the world cup in Brazil.
He also welcomed the competition within the team for each position though he has his playing XI ready. Matos praised AIFF for providing good support staff and the help they have provided in shaping the team. He also said that it is important to share his knowledge with the Indian coaches. On being asked about his favoured tactical formation, he said he doesn’t believe in a particular formation. What is more important than tactical formation is to maintain concentration, put bodies behind the ball while attacking and bodies behind while defending. It is of utmost importance to recover the lost ball and wait for the right moment.
The boys were asked about their role models. Shubham showed the glimpses of a matured head on a young shoulder and though he named Sunil Chhetri but added that all the football players of the past are his ideals. Rahul named Cristiano Ronaldo as his favourite since he liked the way he can win matches alone. Matos signed off by inviting everyone to back the team and make the event a grand success.
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