US face tough Paraguay test in pre-quarters

The US were all poised to top the Group A before slipping to 3-1 defeat against Colombia in their last fixture. They now face an uphill task against another South American powerhouse, Paraguay, who have won all their three Group B matches in the under-17 World Cup.

Ahead of their pre-quarterfinal tie, US coach John Hackworth admitted that the defeat to Colombia in Navi Mumbai was a wake-up call and rated Paraguay an excellent team. The US, with two wins, finished third in Group A behind Ghana and Colombia.

“We are happy to be back in New Delhi. Mumbai was tough. If we use that to our advantage, it would be great. We played five good halves in three matches. It really came down to competing in critical moments and they were better than us. We let ourselves down. That second half was not indicative of our performance. It (defeat) taught us a lesson,” Hackworth admitted.

“We went to a game to scout it. And we recognised they (Paraguay) were an excellent team. They have done what they have to do. We have to negate some things. Our attack can be a bit more potent. We have to make sure the players know that the performance is behind them. It is a little bit of a wake up call.”

With their senior team failing to qualify for the World Cup, Hackworth admitted the spotlight would be on his boys. “It does have an impact. Our country is large and proud of our athletic achievements. At the moment there is a void. The fans are disappointed. That translates to everything we do. We talked about it. The spotlight is a bit brighter on them. It is not fair on 17-year-olds but it is a lesson and they would learn how to cope with it,” he said.

Meanwhile Paraguay have everything going for them. They have scored ten goals and conceded five, without compromising on their style. Paraguay coach Gustavo Morinigo said his team had worked hard and would bring the flavour of their country to the football pitch.

“The time difference between India and Paraguay is eight and half hours. So we used to practice late at night according to the time in India. We would have lunch at 7 am to adjust to the time zone. The players have been together for the last one year and we have focused on technique and tactics. They will play with colours of their country,” Morinigo said. The coach admitted his team has to work on his defence and called the US a dangerous unit.

“They are a very complicated team. They have four-five players who are really good and that could be really dangerous for us. We will do our best. We have a problem with our defence and we have to take care of that,” he said.