The second matchday in the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-17 Word Cup India 2017 will see four matches featuring representatives of four different continents; Asia and Europe (three each), with one apiece from Africa and North America. By the end of the day, six of the eight quarter-finalists will be known after two berths were secured on Monday.
Against all expectations, Iran performed superbly in the opening phase, winning all three of their games. They also proved to be tactically astute, clinical in front of goal by scoring ten, and resolute in defence by conceding just once. The formbook suggests they will be too strong for Mexico, who narrowly made it to the knockout stage with two draws.
One of the most anticipated games will be Spain-France, in what will be a repeat of their UEFA European U-17 Championship quarter-final this May, when La Roja prevailed 3-1 en route to the continental title. A similar result is by no means guaranteed here, however, with Les Bleuets impressing during the group phase thanks to three wins and 14 goals, the highest tally of any team so far. Spain, on the other hand, have won two games, after losing to Brazil in their opening match.
England are strong favourites to continue their title quest after three group-stage wins of their own. Opponents Japan will need to improve, though, after posting one win, one defeat and a draw thus far, the latter against tournament debutants New Caledonia.
Elsewhere, Iraq will be hoping to write another chapter in their history after recording their first-ever victory in the competition on the way to the Round of 16. In what is just their second appearance at the U-17 World Cup, the Lions of Mesopotamia now have their sights set on a last-eight berth but first have to overcome a strong Mali side who notched two victories in the group stage.
The games
Tuesday 17 October
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa
Iran-Mexico (17:00 local time)
Mali-Iraq (20:00 local time)
Indira Ghandi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati
France-Spain (17:00 local time)
Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata
England-Japan (20:00 local time)
What you need to know
Head to head: Apart from France and Spain, none of Tuesday’s Round of 16 teams have played each other before. In the 2007 edition in Korea Republic, Spain also faced France, eventually winning their quarter-final on penalties (5-4) after a 1-1 draw. La Roja went on to reach the final that year, losing out to Nigeria.
Key absences: With his side safely through to the knockout stage after their second game, Mohammed Dawood did not start Iraq’s final group fixture against England. Entering the fray at the start of the second half, he picked up a yellow card after an aerial challenge and is suspended for the Mali game. Having netted three out of Iraq’s four goals so far, his absence will be keenly felt. England, meanwhile, will be without key player Jadon Sancho after the midfielder was recalled by his club, Borussia Dortmund.
The stat
4 – the number of players in contention for the adidas Golden Boot who will feature in today’s games. Amine Gouiri (five) and his pursuers Keito Nakamura (four), Juan Penaloza and Lassana Ndiaye (three each) will all be hoping to provide further evidence of their scoring abilities.
The quote
“If they’d asked me to choose an opponent for this game, I’d have opted for Iran. Everyone says that the tournament starts from the Round of 16, and we’ve worked hard to reach this stage. We have the requisite experience and ability to progress in this tournament.” Mexico Coach Mario Ortega
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