Hello and welcome to the highlights of
India's clash against Thailand in the U-17 Women's Football Tournament in Mumbai. I'm
Lavanya , thanks for joining me through this game this evening.
That's all we have from the Mumbai Football Arena. Until the final, goodbye and goodnight, folks!
Full time:
India manages a thrilling way right at the death, courtesy heroics from Kritina Devi and an unfortunate error from Thai keeper Pwarisa, who had an otherwise brilliant game. Keeping the stoppage time drama aside, this was a closely contested game with both sides going at each other at an even pace. Dennerby will be very happy with his strikers today, seeing the pace and intensity they managed to keep up. Better finishing will mean more goals for a side that deserves fruition for its efforts. Thailand was no less, but lacked the sting in its strikeline that India managed to have on display today. It's defense though was spot on and very remarkably changed strategy to counter Dennerby's girls at the other end. All in all - a great evening of football and bottomline: India proceeds to the final of the tri-nation tournament, and will meet Sweden on Thursday.
Update: it may have been an error, but the goal has officially been credited to Kritina Devi. An effort by her was spilled by the keeper, thereby making its way into the goal.
The Indian teams walks towards the stands. A viking clap awaits the victorious team. Vande Mataram, says the crowd.
The final goes off and what a win for the girls. An unfortunate error by Pwarisa gives India three points and a spot in the final of the tri-nation series. India will meet Sweden in the final on Thursday.
90+4' Under a minute to go
and Sumati Kumari is fouled and the result: a free kick to India. Aveka Singh will take the free kick. No harm done. The ball goes wide of the far post on the left.
90+1' Free kick for Thailand. Yellow to Aveka.
Thawanrat takes the shot, clears the wall and finds Manju straight ahead by the goal. Signs of desperation here from Thailand.
Five minutes added time here in the second half.
90' WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?
The Thai keeper makes a fatal error. A attempt to collect the ball from the far left fumbles from her hands into the goal into the left. The Indian girls are ecstatic and the crowd is on its feet and why shouldn't they be?
OWN GOAL. Pwarisa the culprit.
89'
Janista steals the ball and run down but Hemam runs down right behind her and a good defensive tackle ensures she can do no harm.
Daisy and Sai Sankhe have gone the aerial way for their efforts. Under a minute left in regulation time.
Under 10 minutes to go. India and Thailand need to convert the opportunities they are creating.
85' Sai Sankhe has an opportunity here from a corner, but her shot goes above the top of the post.
84'
Janista has the ball now and kicks it down from the left straight at the goal Manju is no where to be seen, but the ball just about misses the far post.
83' India brings in Aveka Singh.
Frontline changes for India, but no goal in sight. And we'e seen a foul as well, giving Thailand a free kick in a dangerous position. The ball though finds itself going straight into Manju's arms. On the counter, Thailand tries again but the Indian defense knows what to do. The ball finds itself kicked across the field to the Thai half and Aveka and Sumati are not able to convert a good run in.
Thailand has had a sudden flurry of injuries here in Mumbai. And it's Nualanong this time.
Thailand is being cautious. We're going to see a substitution here. In comes Oumapron.
79'
Janyaporn runs down with the ball on the right but a compatriot comes in the way. Janista blocks her and the ball grazes the side of the net on the outside.
Substitution (THA): Kanpitcha comes in for Kantisa. The latter seem to have picked up an injury and is stretchered off. Also, Suchavadee out, in comes Janyaporn Phuman
74'
Daisy runs down the right and makes a pivotal cross to the left, to Sumati. The goalkeeper and the defenders are behind the Indian duo, Sumati has a clear shot at the goal and she slots it in. Her hands go up, as does the line ref's flag. OFFSIDE!
73' Substitution (IND): Jyoti comes off, leaving India will three defenders. Sai Sankhe comes in. India has its eyes on a goal here in Mumbai.
Here's what things look like for India:
The Blue Tigresses need a win to make it into the final. A draw won't help as Thailand has a better goal difference. Dennerby spoke about India's shoddy finishing and one can't help but feel that the same can be true today too, at certain crucial points. Sumati and Co. have found themselves hesitating when they have plum possession.
68'
Nualanong Muensri and Sumati have gone at each other, football wise of course, all evening. Even now, Daisy manages a pass to Sumati but Nualanong will not let Sumati make anything worthwhile of it. Healthy contest here but this is going to frustrate the Indians.
66' Substitution: Daisy comes in for Lynda.
Question here is why? Daisy is conventionally a midfielder so this is a slightly defensive change but how does she come in to replace an attacking striker like Lynda? Interesting change from Dennerby.
How does Sumati not tire?
63'
The Thai captain has been fouled. The result: Free kick to Thailand. Ordinary action on set pieces from the Thailand. End to end football here from India as Thokchom manages to get the ball across to the other end to find Sumati. Sumati runs down the left and angles it into the Thai post but the ball hits the woodwork. So near, yet so far for the Tigresses.
Substitution (IND): Mariammal goes out, Kiran comes in as a replacement.
Each time I see someone go down the right of the goal, especially edging closer to the near post, I cant help but think of the Salah goal from a few days ago. Said this during the ISL, I'll say it here too. Imagine something of that quality coming in to break the deadlock?
61'
Janista races down the right flank, with just one defender marking her. She manages a cross that looks like it's directed to the goalpost but there's Manju standing in the way and the ball has been cast away.
There are chants going around the stadium supporting the girls in orange. Heartening atmosphere for a team that is gearing up for a World Cup at home next year.
59' Sunita finds the ball in the midfield and races down the left flank. She tries to cross the ball to Lynda but the Thai defense comes in the way.
58' Lynda gets the ball wide off the crossbar again. Every minute from now matters for both teams as both sides need a win to get into the final. India realises the pressure.
Substitution (IND): Sunita Munda goes out, Kritina Devi replaces her.
54'
Sunita pushes a cross down the left and the ball squanders away and finds itself kicked back into the middle. Lynda finds the ball and dribbles into the box, with no one there but her and Pwarisa. She hesitates a little in the middle and the shot finds Pwarisa without trouble. That was a clear chance. Lynda will not be happy with that one.
53'
Thailand has denied India any kind of possession that can allow the side to try and press the keeper. Good defensive strategy early on in the second half. Thailand quite clearly likes starting its attack from the back and the momentum seems to be with them. For now, at least.
49' WHAT A SAVE by Manju.
Janista suddenly bursts down the left flank and there's no one there between her and the keeper. Manju comes in and throws her body at Janista to block any attempt at a kick. Lovely from Manju. Janista looked threatening and has that gone through, Thailand would have had the upper hand now. The Indian midfield will do well to mark Janista a little more carefuly.
48'
A tackle finds Thokchom in a little discomfort. Hemam takes the resulting free kick but its lodged away by Thailand. Not before another free kick opportunity presents itself to India. Hemam takes this one too but Pwarisa gets in on time to make sure the ball is collected.
46'
Identical start by India here, pacy Sunita runs down the box but Thailand manages to get possession and get it back into its half. Indian skipper Hemam comes in there to tackle but that's a foul and Thailand have a corner. This goes in its favour but the side has not been up to the mark with set pieces.
Welcome back to proceedings here in the Mumbai Football Arena. Who will break the deadlock? Who do you have your money on? Tweet to us and let us know. You can find us on
@Sportstarweb on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
HALF-TIME:
There goes the whistle bringing a goalless first half to an end here in Mumbai. India has been the better side but one has to commend the Thai defense for doing its bit to ensure the girls in orange have not scored. It's been 45 minutes of engaging football with the utter speed of the Indian frontline being a major bonus point for the Blue Tigresses. Thailand has not been ordinary, but have pressed the Indian keeper far less. The team's defense has been good especially toward the dying minutes of the first half, denying Lynda and Sumati all opportunities to find the back of the net. The Thai midfield seems to have figured out that the way to play it safe here is to deny the Indian frontline the ball in the first place and that has worked for the girls towards the end.
Stay with us to see who manages to break the deadlock and who walks away with a win and a place in the final.
45+1'
Thailand has the ball and
gets it down the right flank but a kick from the there into the box finds Manju. Good attempt that and a little miss here and there would have meant an equaliser for the girls in black.
Two minutes added here in the first half.
45'
Jyoti finds the ball in the centre and sneaks a pass to Lynda who runs down the centre but she has no back up and the keeper is off her line to try and stop any attempt from the striker. Defenders come in as reinforcement and the keeper manages to kick the ball long to deny India a chance here.
44'
Purnami Kumari will have none of it and bursts out from centreback to try and get the ball through to Lynda but she's too fast for her own good and squanders the ball to the Thai keeper who comes off her line to collect.
43' The last few minutes have been a little slow but Thailand has the upper hand. Their running and passing in the midfield has been much better and they seem to have a plan to tackle the pacey Indian frontline by not letting the ball go through to Sumati at all.
40'
India maintains possession, Jyoti kicks a long one from the right wing trying to find Lynda. But it goes wide and no chance to try and press for a goal here.
Substitution (THA):
Thawanrat Promthongmee comes in
30'
Sumati gets the ball from a mis-kicked defensive attempt from Thailand, she jolts down the field and gets right near the post on the left. It's a crowded box on the Thai end and her attempt goes straight into the keeper's arms. Pwarisa collects and goes down in the process. Sumati has been brilliant this evening.
29'
Astam gets nice long pass to Lynda who then sprints down the left into the box with the ball. The Thai defense surrounds her and there's no way to get the ball out. She manages to get it out and gets a pass back, but there comes another defender to kick the ball away.
28'
Khwanjira is a handful, she is. The Thai midfield looks a little brighter now.
Substitution (THA):
Khwanjira Ngok Wong comes in, replaces Phinyada Phathakor
24'
Suchavadee
preps to curve the ball and makes a long pass right into the box but the ball flies above the post. No damage done. I wonder what would have happened if that ball had found Janista instead.
23' Cheeky tackle gives Thailand a free kick.
Referee is quick with the whistle. This was avoidable for India.
Sunita, Sumati and Lynda seem to have India's goal-scoring strategy centred around themselves. Good plan for Dennerby seeing the pace Sumati has managed today. Mariammal is available for the crosses as well.
21' Sumati's pace has been brilliant today. She runs down the right wing, teasing the Thai defense but can't position that into the middle and wins a corner for India.
Thailand seems happy to let India try and take possession. It has maintained a defensive highline here in Mumbai. Both teams have managed chances this evening with India pressing a little harder than its opponent.
12'
From there, Sumati again gets possession of the ball and tries to cross one to Mariammal. Mariammal is slow to get there and the ball goes away.
11' Free kick to India.
Jyoti Kumari gets the ball out to Purnima but the angle is all wrong from the latter and it is cast away
But, credit where credit is due. Thailand has had a decent defensive run, led there by Kanchuda Phona. She has been an absolute wall at times, making the opponent's midfield strive for those crosses a little harder than they normally would.
7' I was just going to speak about Thailand's defense but in that time, Sumati manages a cross to Lynda but the latter is unable to do anything substantial to help the ball find the back of the net. Strong start for India. India pressing for the opener.
5'
Janista Jinantuya is getting involved in the play. She is easily one of the (if not the) most dangerous Thai player here and India will want to maintain a steady marking strategy for her.
While the immediate focus is getting into the final for both these teams, the long-term focus is also the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup which India will host.
3' Thailand has managed to try and use India's pacey strategy against the host but Manju stops the ball in time to avoid any damage. India on the counter tries and get the ball across with Sumati on the fly, but she's not able to get the ball into the Thai end to make anything of it.
Both India and Thailand are sporting their away kits today.
0' Kickoff and India starts offensively. What a start. Sumati Kumar gets the ball and there's back-up coming as well. She tries and clears the ball with a good burst of speed. She manages to pass it across to Lynda on the right and a shot goes straight into the keeper's arms. Nervy start here for Thailand.
Enthusiastic huddles here. India has gone for a strong defensive formation against Thailand. The girls in red are sticking to their dynamic formation that was deployed in their game against Sweden.
Here is Indian coach
Thomas Dennerby's assessment of his opponent and India's strategy for this evening: “Thailand play very wide with centre-backs, high-positioning full-backs. They try to build attacks from the goalkeeper. Their number 8 (Janista Jinantuya) was involved in 70% of the chances they created against Sweden and we have to make sure we close her down well and not give her free space”
18:01 Time for the national anthem
This is a big game for the young girls in blue today, especially if they hope to make it through to the final against Sweden on Thursday. Also, have you realised how packed a day December 19th is for the sporting calendar? We have the final of this U-17 tournament, the IPL auctions, ISL and I-League action and the El Clasico scheduled for the day, and these are just the ones I remember on the fly. Phew!
LINE-UPs:
India XI: Manju Ganjhu, Jyoti Kumari, Purnima Kumari, Shilky Devi, Thokchom Martina, S Lynda, Sumati Kumari, Astam Oraon, Sunita Munda, B Mariyammal, Priyangka Devi
Subs: Anshika, Nisha, Kiran, Aveka Singh, Tanu, Amisha, Sai Sankhe, Daisy Lisa Crasto, Kritina Devi, Nirmala Devi, Babina Devi
Thailand XI: Kanchuda Phona, Supapron Intaraprasit, Suchavadee Chompaeng, Janista Jinantuya, ChattayaPratumkul, Pluemjai Sontisa Wat, Phinyada Phatakor, Nualanong Muensri, Pwarisa Homyamyen, Thanchanok Jansri, Kantisa Inchamnan
Subs: Rossukon Malizon, Krittiya Munrang, Janyaporn Phumang, Kanpitcha Thongmakdee, Jantima Chotirat, Khwanjira Ngok Wong, Thawanrat Promthongmee, Fasawang Kaetkeaw, Oumapron Sronhirun
Match details
India U-17 vs Thailand U-17 will be played in the Mumbai Football Arena. The kick-off is at 6 PM IST and the match will be streamed live by the Indian Football Team page on Facebook. If you're in the middle of a commute, still at work, or just unable to sit down and watch the game, we're here to help with LIVE updates from this all-important game.
Do-or-die encounter:
In the third and final league-stage match, the host will need a victory to seal a place in the final against Sweden which is slated for December 19.
Both India and Thailand enter the match on the backs of losses against Sweden. While India went down 0-3 in the tournament opener, Thailand lost 1-3 to Sweden.
Tournament recap:
India, Thailand and Sweden are playing a tri-nation tournament in Mumbai - in preparation for next year's home FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup - with the Indian girls already having played a game - against Sweden. That this is new coach Thomas Dennerby's debut tournament with the Indian side explains the spotlight on this tournament in particular. India lost its tie against Sweden 0-3, but Dennerby is determined to focus on the positives. “You can start to see -- in all departments -- defence, midfield, attack -- that the girls are adapting more and more to what we want and are searching for. The vision is long-term and they are trying to adapt,” said the Swede.
“With a new coach, it takes a little time for players to see what he is looking for. I think they are definitely doing very good at trying to follow the team’s plans,” he added.
“I want my players to learn to play from behind and have a passing game. There will be some errors when you’re trying to build from the back and sometimes players, when they are stressed, choose to take the longer kick when they have the chance to play a better pass." he said.
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