Fifa U-17 Women’s World Cup, India vs USA as it happened: Bhuta, Rebimbas star in USA’s 8-0 win

USA defeat India 8-0: An evening that the Indian players wouldn’t want to forget for being the first group from the country to play at a football World Cup, but would want to forget what followed the national anthem. Their best bet was to frustrate USA defensively, but the early goals meant they couldn’t quite recover from. The second half saw that be a little more compact off the ball, as Dennerby rang in the changes. Something to build on for, to take on Morocco.

Goals:

• USA 1-0, 9th minute (REBIMBAS)
• USA 2-0, 15th minute (KOHLER)
• USA 3-0, 23rd minute (GAMERO)
• USA 4-0, 31st minute (REBIMBAS)
• USA 5-0, 39th minute (THOMPSON)
• USA 6-0, 51st minute (EMRI)
• USA 7-0, 59th minute (SUAREZ)
• USA 8-0, 62nd minute (BHUTA)

India’s fixtures in Group A:

October 11: India 0-8 USA
October 14: India vs Morocco (8 pm IST, Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar).
October 17: Brazil vs Ind (8 pm IST, Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar).

FULL TIME – India 0-8 USA: Sensational performance by USA, who have laid down an early marker. Seven different goalscorers. For Dennerby’s team, plenty to think about ahead of the match against fellow debutants Morocco next.

90+2’, India 0-8 USA: Slightly concerning note to finish the night for USA, Rebimbas, on a hattrick, limps off the pitch.

90+2’, India 0-8 USA: Some confusion here. Rebimbas falls on the turf after jarring her leg. She is laughing as the referee asks her to get up, but that looked like sarcasm, she seems to be struggling to get off the pitch.

90+1’, India 0-8 USA: A free kick to India. Rare. In their own half.

90’, India 0-8 USA: A little bit of a surprise to see just 2 mins added on. Can India keep this to 8?

89’, India 0-8 USA: A quick huddle from the USA as Shubhangi Singh needs more treatment, this time for her leg. Could be a few minutes added here.

86’, India 0-8 USA: Shubhangi Singh needs treatment after getting a hit on the face.

83’, India 0-8 USA: India continue to hold the shape for now. But going forward, they keep losing the ball with long passes even under not much pressure.

(Scores in the last few previous updates have been corrected)

80’, India 0-8 USA: Better organisation in the Indian defence in this half it must be said. Anjali has gathered a few chances well, the defence are getting closer to the attackers in the final third. USA make their final substitution.

77’, India 0-8 USA: Gamero continues to cause all sorts of problems to India down the flank. Could have shot on goal after making space but passes and the move fizzles out. Rebimbas nearly gets her hattrick soon after. USA continue to press.

70’, India 0-8 USA: Controlled possession from USA no as India make another sub, to bring Varshika on. And nearly the 9th not long after after brilliant work by Kohler down the right. Somehow India hang on. The list below is the one they’d be trying to avoid here.

65’, India 0-8 USA: Correction, the goal came in the 63rd minute. India have brought off Lynda, who tried her best to provide an outlet as a forward. Shailaja comes on.

63’, India 0-8 USA: GOAL USA! Mia Bhuta, the USA player with Indian connection (father born in Mumbai), scores an early contender for the goal of the tournament. Absolute screamer from distance with her left foot.

60’, India 0-7 USA: Brief excitement in the arena as Neha skips down the left but the tackle comes flying in.

59’, India 0-7 USA: GOAL USA! Kajal conceded the penalty and Suarez gets the chance to enter the scoresheet... she has deserved it fully, has been arguably the best player on the pitch.

55’, India 0-6 USA: Great cross in from the left by Fraser but Suarez gets into a tangle. Nearly their 7th there. Bhuta, meanwhile, has started to dictate tempo from the midfield. Added a freshness to the proceedings. Oh nearly Gamero scores as well, after a brilliant passing move.

50’, India 0-6 USA: GOAL USA! It is another corner, another goal. That was floated high by Mia Bhuta and she gets the assist. Ella EMRI the goalscorer, as she rises high and gets the header on target.

46’, India 0-5 USA: India had a huddle before the second half and there seemed to be a good energy level there. A big chance for them to show in the next 45 that they can hang on. Naketa, Baina and Sudha are in. And Anjali makes a good early save.

Second half: Three substitutions for India... and also USA. And one of those subs will be the captain, Mia Bhuta comes on. She has has Indian family on her father’s side. More here.

Half time stats: The possession stats are a bit surprising to be honest, felt like USA had more of the ball. If Dennerby can just get them to be more compact in the second half, perhaps the shot count can go up.

Half time: Tanvie Hans in the studio points out the Indians, while choosing the zonal marking system, were static in defence and paid for it for the first two goals.

HALF TIME: Thomas Dennerby was hoping to set his side up hard to score against (“We have a team that we know can defend very well. Tomorrow, one thing that everyone should be able to see is how hard it will be to score against us,” he had said) but the two set piece goals early on put paid to that. Once that happened, it was always going to a tough night for the Indians. But if they can still put up a good defensive effort in the second half, they can learn something from this.

HALF TIME, India 0-5 USA: A near perfect 45-minutes of football from the USA side.

41’ India 0-5 USA: A coy hi-5 in the Indian defence as they deal with a good spell of pressure from USA there. They need to stick together here and hope to limit damage.

38’ India 0-5 USA: GOAL USA! Gisele THOMPSON the scorer this time. The right fullback cuts in after a patient move and takes a shot at goal that goes through Astam’s foot and past Anjali at the near post. Both the captain and goalkeeper could have probably done better there. Tough, tough night.

38’ India 0-4 USA: India struggle to clear their lines, but USA can’t capitalise. Bit risky playing out from the back when 0-4 down. Lynda is trying her best to provide an outlet but it is not happening.

37’ India 0-4 USA: BIG CHANCE! Gamero leaves Astam on the turf down the right, the ball is cut back and falls to Kohler who misses the target.

35’ India 0-4 USA: For the first time in the night, feels like a drop in intensity from USA. And they can afford it of course. India trying to play forward now, but the pace on the ball is too much again.

31’ India 0-4 USA: GOAL USA! Melina REBIMBAS with her second. That is a fine finish from the edge of the box but that came from another defensive error as the clearance fell to the USA player. Turning into a tough evening for the hosts.

30’ India 0-3 USA: Neha, perhaps a bit too ambitious, tries to go for goal from close to the halfway mark but it is over the bar.

28’ India 0-3 USA: Nearly another for USA, floated high and the header falls just in front of Anjali who manages to hold on after a scramble. Down the other end, a free kick for India. And a chance to get into the box

28’ India 0-3 USA: Suarez wins another corner down the left flank.

23’ India 0-3 USA: Oh dear, GOAL USA and that is a big mistake at the back. Goalkeeper Anjali plays the ball short to Purnima but Onyeka GAMERO pounces on the loose ball and scores an easy one.

22’ India 0-2 USA: Suarez causing all sorts of problems down the left flank. Kajal does well defensively, to concede corner. The corner is also dealt with alright.

19’ India 0-2 USA: And this corner is dealt with by India, Neha just pumps the ball downward to ease some pressure.

19’ India 0-2 USA: A lovely piece of skill down the left chance by Suarez, and it is another corner. India can’t afford to go down 0-3 at this stage.

18’ India 0-2 USA: A rare Indian foray forward, Lynda does well to wriggle into a good position. Neha takes a long range effort that goes for a corner and then USA clear their lines.

14’ India 0-2 USA: GOAL USA! Charlotte KOHLER extends the advantage and it is yet another corner that is not defended well. India are using the zonal marking, the ball is floated in however close to the goal and the onrushing No 8 gets a good enough connection. Conceding from two early set pieces will frustrate Dennerby, one imagines.

14’ India 0-1 USA: Onyeka GAMERO with great usage of the width from the right flank, India are the pump... another corner coming in,

8’ India 0-1 USA: GOAL USA! A short corner routine seemed to have fizzled out but captain Jackson does superbly down the right flank to get to the byline and cut the ball back. A nice volleyed finish by REBIMBAS, and India, though they had numbers behind, left her free enough to take the shot and find the back of the net.

7’ India 0-0 USA: There is a lot of possession for USA unsurprisingly in these early exchanges. The Indian keeper made a save from a cutback down the left, now USA have a corner that is headed behind for another corner.

3’ India 0-0 USA: There is half a chance for Neha down the left flank as a through ball deflects and falls in her path but the USA defenders clear their lines.

1’ India 0-0 USA: The first attacking move comes from USA down their left, a nice last ditch tackle by Kajal and a loud cheer in Odisha.

Kickoff in Odisha: India get things underway. Reminder that there is VAR in place for the tournament. Natalia Astrain in USA’s coach, a Spaniard. She is up against a fellow European in the dugout in Sweden’s Thomas Dennerby.

Time for the national anthems. USA followed by India.

About USA U-17: Surprisingly, USA have not played in a match in the knockout phase since losing against Korea DPR in the final in 2008, having exited the competition in the group stage in 2012, 2016 and 2018. They’d be itching to set that record straight in India. The team scored a remarkable total of 58 goals and conceded just once in winning seven out of seven games in their successful campaign at the 2022 CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship.

— Via Fifa Media Guide

USA XI (via Fifa): Victoria SAFRADIN, Savannah KING, Cameron ROLLER, Ella EMRI, Gisele THOMPSON, Riley JACKSON, Charlotte KOHLER, Lauren MARTINHO, Taylor SUAREZ, Melina REBIMBAS, Onyeka GAMERO

Group A: Earlier in the day, Brazil got off to a winning start in Odisha, but a mighty fine defensive effort by Morocco to keep it to 1-0.

India’s fixtures in Group A:

October 11: Ind vs USA (8 pm IST, Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar).
October 14: Ind vs Morocco (8 pm IST, Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar).
October 17: Brazil vs Ind (8 pm IST, Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar).

Hello and welcome to our coverage of Indian football as we get ready to witness an important moment.

After postponements, and a very recent possibility of the tournament slipping out the country, the Fifa U-17 Women’s World Cup is finally underway in India. Much like the men’s team from five years agao, India’s U17 team, who will become the first women’s representatives from the nation to feature in a FIFA final tournament, start their campaign in a short while against women’s football powerhouses USA in Odisha. India, who qualified as hosts, will look to make a good impression on their debut, just as North African debutants Morocco did against Brazil in 0-1 defeat a short while back.

For debutants India, tournament could be catalyst for change

Here’s a look at the starting XI for India:

India squad for Fifa U-17 World Cup 2022 (jersey numbers in brackets):

Goalkeepers: Monalisha Devi Moirangthem (1), Melody Chanu Keisham (13), Anjali Munda (21)

Defenders: Astam Oraon (5, captain), Kajal (20), Naketa (3), Purnima Kumari (2), Varshika (19), Shilky Devi Hemam (4)

Midfielders: Babina Devi Lisham (6), Nitu Linda (17), Shailja (15), Shubhangi Singh (16)

Forwards: Anita Kumari (11), Lynda Kom Serto (9), Neha (7), Rejiya Devi Laishram (18), Shelia Devi Loktongbam (12), Kajol Hubert Dsouza (8), Lavanya Upadhyay (10), Sudha Ankita Tirkey (14)

Head Coach: Thomas Dennerby

Screenshots in the blog courtesy Fifa media / AIFF / Sports 18