The marquee match of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup will pit three time World Champion Brazil against eternal bridesmaid Spain in the opening Group D fixture at the Jawaharlal Nehru International stadium here on Saturday.
The young turks from Brazil carry the huge burden of expectations of their fans and face a tricky opponent in Spain in the lung opener.
But coach Carlos Amadeu said his team was prepared and chose to downplay the absence of Vinicius Junior. Admitting that European champion Spain was a tough opponent, the Brazilian coach said, “We have put in a lot of hard work and boys have trained hard. We have plugged a few holes in the defence. The first match in any tournament is important. Spain is a good side but we will be backing ourselves to win.”
Spain’s coach Santigao Denia meanwhile kept his cards close to his chest but said the team will play in the similar style that made it European champion. “It is a long tournament but winning against a good side like Brazil will put us in good stead for future matches,” he said.
The second match of the day will pit North Korea against Niger. North Korean coach Kim Yong Su admitted his team was playing in the toughest group and said, “Brazil and Spain are among the favourites to win the World Cup. So it is important for us to win our first game in the tournament against Niger. A win will give us confidence for the next matches.”
Su, who prepared his team for the campaign by playing against experienced clubs back home, talked of a flexible gameplan.
In the AFC Cup, the Koreans played an offensive game but Su hinted that they may go defensive against tougher sides — obviously referring to Brazil and Spain. Kim was also not willing to discount the abilities of Niger, which is capable of upsets as it had done in the qualifiers.
