'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgT/2gAIAQEAAAAAkH//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAF/9oACAECEAAAAA//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oACAEDEAAAAD//xAAeEAABAwUBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAADAQQRAAIFBhIyYf/aAAgBAQABPwDEa5hrSGG8CQjdsRO49ETmaXSsTKze5n5dX//EABsRAAIBBQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECYQADBAWh/9oACAECAQE/AL+yyEVSDwRFf//EABgRAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAhPx/9oACAEDAQE/AKorWf/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A tournament that saw the best and worst of Indian football has finally come to a close for coach Luis Norton de Matos' side tonight as they bowed, out suffering their heaviest defeat in the tournament at the hands of the African heavyweights Ghana.
India had started quickly out of the blocks and got one of their best chances within a minute of the game, but as has been their story throughout the tournament they failed to capitalise on the opportunity and it was all mostly downhill from there, except for a few positives here and there.
Ghana made the most of India's panicky defence and cheap giveaways in possession as they thumped four goals past the hosts, two coming from their star man Eric Ayiah at 10 minutes either end of halftime, while second half substitutes Toku and Danko scored two in quick succession in the dying embers of the match as they aggravated India's misery.
We highlight the 5 important talking points from India's final match as they bid farewell to their FIFA U17 World Cup dream.
Defensive despair
Although the Indian colts managed to resist Ghana for almost most of the first 40 minutes, the goal from the Black Starlets seemed to be coming for quite a while and it was no surprise that India conceded from a lapse of defensive concentration on the 42 minute mark.
When keeper Dheeraj had parried the ball away from the initial shot, there was no one keeping a check on Ghanaian captain Eric Ayiah, who was in the right place and the right time to slide it in, a mistake that the Indian defence repeated for the second goal too.
Ayiah was left unmarked and had all the time in the world to hammer the ball into the back of the net after a cutback. Even after the two goals, there seemed to be no change in tactics put forward by Matos and by the end of the game India's misery was doubled, as Ghana thumped in two more, capitalising on more defensive errors from the boys.
India's defence seemed to be almost non existent at times, something that cost them their world cup dreams dearly.
Where was Komal Thatal?
The Sikkimise boy, with his eye-catching golden hair, had caught the eyes of many fans and critics alike with his wonderful and feisty display of skill and guile in the first match. Komal Thatal, who was one of the more highly rated Indian talents in the squad and was being talked about a lot even before the tournament had begun,was left out of the starting lineup and was kept as an unused substitute for two matches in a row by coach Luis Norton De Matos, a decision that took many by surprise.
Komal along with goalkeeper Dheeraj, had been India's bright spots in their maiden World Cup match against USA. Even though India lost 3-0 to USA, their performance was well appreciated and both these boys were very fondly talked about.
Komal, who is one of the key play makers in the side,had been playing very well going into the tournament and proved his mettle as the 'blue eyed boy' for India, by putting up a performance against USA that did justice to his status. It was a very strange decision from the coach to leave one of his best players out two games in a row.
A fallout? A tactical decision? Whichever it may be, in the end it, played a big part in the country's win-less bow out from the group stages in it's maiden World Cup.
Agonisingly cheap loss of ball, again, and again, and again!
When the referee blew the final whistle to put an end to India's misery along with the country's maiden World Cup dreams, the stats showed that India had only 40% of the ball the whole game, which might actually been a better reflection to the poor display the team had put up as far as ball possession was concerned.
From fruitful attacking runs that only needed the correct pass, to failed attempts to put the ball in harm's way while in their own half, India lost possession too cheaply. It seemed every time these young boys had the ball at their feet, it was all an individual approach to their path to goal and whenever the unselfishness of any player came into play, the move that could have been was finished in it's tracks as the ball was gifted back to the opponent.
India could have had far better chances on goal than what they did, only if they managed to hold onto the ball and not give it away at crucial moments . Even the final two goals that the boys in blue conceded were all down to miss passes from the defenders who failed to clear their lines.
Loss of the ball, that in the end translated to the end of a much hopeful journey in the tournament.
Dheeraj Singh keeps on impressing
While India's World Cup dream might have be over, the dreams for a brighter future and a vast array of opportunities might have just opened up for goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, as the 17-year-old impressed with his display even today.
Dheeraj's exploits in the past two matches have been bringing in much praise form the fans as well as the critics. Even though he might have shipped in a fair number of goals, his understanding of the game, his ball distribution and quick thinking might have saved his side more than a fair number of times during the course of the tournament. Dheeraj, who was rumored to have been impressed scouts of some the top European club who came to the stadium during the three matches in Delhi, will be hoping that his performances in the world cup could help fast forward his career and his future in football.
A future custodian at the senior level, or maybe even a European endeavour, Dheeraj will be hoping he has done his bit for his brighter footballing future.
The end of the dream
Since the day FIFA announced that India would get the opportunity to host it's maiden World Cup, the buildup of excitement grew, and grew as time passed, and in the final few days leading up to the tournament it reached fever pitch, primarily surrounding the Indian national side.
Six days into the tournament, and a sinking feeling has crept inside the hearts of most of the Indian fans, a feeling that "will we ever get such a glorious chance again?" as India bow out of the tournament. Conceding nine and scoring just one. A singular goal, celebrated as a landmark, as a milestone. And why not?
It was the first time that an Indian had rustled the back of the net at a FIFA World Cup. India were discounted as the first to be knocked out by many when the groups were drawn and the prospect of facing high profile teams like Ghana, USA and Colombia came into forefront. But even though the prediction sadly came true, India were much more than just a weakling in the group, proving again and again that even when struck down, they will stand back up, fight, but never give up. A quality that won over the hearts of the millions in the country and abroad.
India showed everyone, that once touted the sleeping giants of world football, they have finally woken up from their sleep. Maybe getting off the proverbial bed to 'get set and go' might take some more time, but the new footballing dawn has finally arrived for them and if things go right, it's all upwards from here.
