FIFA U17 Women's World Cup: Key takeaways from India's performance in the 6th Torneo Tournament

The Indian U-17 women's football team struggled in the sixth Torneo Tournament in Italy, starting with a 0-7 loss to the hosts, followed by a 1-3 loss to Chile and a 0-2 loss to Mexico. With only three months left for India to gear up for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup at home, coach Thomas Dennerby will be eager to give his players as much match exposure as possible in order to overcome the problems that have arisen prior to the World Cup.

The players encountered a lot of room for improvement during the tournament, beginning with a 0-7 loss to hosts Italy. They gathered themselves and played much better in the 1-3 loss to Chile, and despite the loss, they played well against Mexico. Kajol scored the only goal for India in Italy against Chile. Some excellent chances were created against Mexico, but the finishing touch was lacking.

Anybody can comprehend the sense of urgency for this group of talented but inexperienced players. They play their first match of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup at home in just over three months. Besides, the players haven't had much match experience. The three matches in Italy demonstrated that, given the opportunity, these women can improve by leaps and bounds. It's just that coach Dennerby doesn't have much time left.

With the Torneo tournament ending in three consecutive defeats for India, we at The Bridge picked out some key takeaways from the stint.

Lack of finishing: Although India had many capable forwards in their lineup, including Lynda Serto Kom, Kajol, and Nitu Linda, they lacked finishing, which prevented them from scoring. While these young players have been prolific scorers on a personal level, their coordination has failed to develop due to a lack of games played together. The girls were affected by the uncoordinated gameplay, as opponents cleverly took advantage of any opportunity created between the players. The lack of cohesion between the midfield and forwards also significantly impacted because the teams lacked a proper supply line and transition.

Defensive worries: The team's defensive issues were exposed as the team conceded 12 goals in three games. Given the talent quotient of players like ARA FC's Naketa and skipper Astam Oraon, this appears to be a very poor outcome. However, the lack of cohesion and coordination that has principally resulted from not playing played a significant factor in the goals being conceded. With high-scoring opponents like Brazil and the United States scoring 33 and 58 goals in seven games, respectively, it will be difficult to keep the front in control lest the defence is powered. However, Shilky Devi's return to the tournament line would provide much-needed strength to the defending line.

Lack of time: All of the problems that the young Tigresses face are due to a lack of time. Due to the team's lack of games and international friendlies, the players lacked communication and coordination among themselves, resulting in gaps that could be exploited by capable opponents such as the United States, Brazil, and even Morocco. Although the organisation organised preparatory camps, a lack of competitive games resulted in a lack of mentality in the team. However, against Chile and Mexico, the team displayed some signs of strength. The flaws can be fixed given enough time, but with only three months until the FIFA U17 World Cup, time appears to be the most important factor affecting the performance and creating the difference.

Players to watch out for:

Despite the shortcomings, on a note of positivity, India has certain key players like Serto Lynda Kom and Hemnam Shilky Devi, who with their talents can add a lot of bolstering to the squad. Both the players were immensely impressive in the SAFF U18 Championships

Lynda Kom won the Golden Boot and the Most Valuable Player of the SAFF U-18 Women's Championship after scoring five goals in four matches. Lynda Kom, a native of Manipur's Khoirentak Khunou village, is one of many who struggled with societal gender norms in her youth. Lynda's family, the daughter of a farmer and a stationary shopkeeper, was not always aware of her chances in the beautiful game. While she would frequently run off to play with the boys at her village field, Lynda was often told to focus on academics in order to build a career. After a trial, the youngster was accepted into the SAI Academy, giving direction to her footballing dreams.

She quickly made a name for herself in junior football, representing India in the 2017 SAFF U-15 Championship and being scouted for the U-17 World Cup team in 2019. Lynda is a football fan who admires Cristiano Ronaldo and the effort he puts in to be the best on the field. Lynda, who takes the same approach to the game, believes in constant improvement. Lynda, on the other hand, needs to work on her 1v1 situations as well as her pace..

Shilky Devi, who is another important member of the team, and worn the armband for a number of junior international games, was born in the small village of Moirang in Manipur, began playing at a young age and has progressed through the SAI Academy in Imphal. Shilky, like many other female footballers in the country, has had to fight stereotypes that football is not a sport for women. Shilky came into the junior national team fold in 2017, playing for the U-15s, and eventually went on to captain the India U-17s in a couple of years. Shilky has progressed from striker to midfielder to defender in that time.

Shilky, on the other hand, made her senior debut against Brazil last year, gaining valuable experience from the rest of the team. The 16-year-old defender was one of 15 players under the age of 25 in the Indian squad led by Head Coach Thomas Dennerby at the AFC Asian Cup, bringing the squad's average age to 23.

India kicks off their World Cup campaign on October 11 against the formidable USA, followed by matches against Morocco and Brazil on October 14 and October 17. The Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar will host all of India's group matches.