Margao: Coach of the Indian under-17 football side Luis Norton de Matos said here Sunday that there is huge difference of standard between his side and the others participating in the World Cup which kicks off October 6. India have been pooled with the US, Ghana and Colombia in Group A. India play the US on the opening day itself followed by games against Colombia (October 9) and Ghana (October 12) respectively.
“The difference between our team and the rest is enormous, but if we believe in ourselves we can create impact in the world cup,” said Matos. “The World Cup will be something new to the Indians, an experience they have never had before. But we have to remain positive and see to it that we do not lose games by a huge margin,” he added.
Matos said India did not play enough matches against national teams but the performance against Chile should hold them in good stead.
“We are conscious that we have not played enough matches with national teams. We played Italy, Serbia, Macedonia, Mexico, Colombia and Chile,” Matos pointed out.
“We also played the four nations tournament in Mexico and drew against Chile who have also qualified for the World Cup. The performance against Chile should give the team a shot in the arm,” added Matos.
The Indian colts lost 0-1 to the FC Goa development side here Saturday. They will play another friendly match against a local side before they leave September 28 for Delhi, the venue of the Group A games.
Matos is using these friendlies to test some of the fringe players, seeing for himself how they react in match situations. “The boys are determined to show that the team are organised and that they can improve in future. Winning is a distant dream but we do not want to lose by big margins,” Matos informed.
Press Trust of India
