Kochi: European champions Spain are the overwhelming favourites as they brace up to play rank outsider Iran in their quarterfinal match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup here Sunday.
Going by form and pedigree, the three-time runners-up have their nose ahead, but the Asian surprise package have shown tremendous grit and purpose on their way to the last eight stage in the ongoing edition.
Spain will be brimming with confidence after prevailing over another European heavyweight France, the dazzling array of talents giving coach Satiago Denia plenty of options. However, even then Denia is not taking Iraq lightly.
“Remember they beat Germany 4-0 in their group game and also defeated two-time champions Mexico in the pre-quarters. So it will be definitely tough and I have told my boys not to be complacent at all,” Denia told reporters here.
However, Spain have some very good players in their ranks including skipper Abel Ruiz who scored the winning goal against France off a debatable penalty. The others to look out for are Ferran Torres, Sergio Gomez, Juan Miranda and Antonio Blanco.
Spain, however, know they will be up against a determined opponent at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here. This is the first time Iran have progressed this far, and they will be eager to continue this journey. With four wins from four matches, scoring 12 goals while conceding just two, Iran have already proved their prowess. While they did not quite dominate in terms of possession, Iran have capitalised whenever presented with an opportunity.
The likes of Ghobeishavi, Namdari Dehghadi and Khoda Moradi have proved a handful for every defence. The speed at which the Iranians operate upfront have been a huge surprise to many of the teams.
Press Trust of India
