U-17 Women’s team can develop into a formidable side, says Coach Alex Ambrose

by Chittu Shetty June 26, 2019

The India U-17 Women’s Team is swiftly learning to adapt to different conditions and match situations, something that could help them develop into a “formidable unit”, said Head Coach Alex Ambrose ahead of the side’s clash against Citizen AA in Hong Kong on Thursday (June 27, 2019).

Having already played Hong Kong U-23 and Tai Po FC on their sojourn to Hong Kong, India have churned out some great results, winning their matches 5-1 and 4-0, respectively.

“It’s good to have positive results when you work hard. We have been trying different systems in the team, and the idea is about creating chances and converting them. It’s not about the score lines, but about how the players understand the game,” explained Ambrose. “The team is shaping up well, and it’s all about the experience they get from here. I think in the time to come, this team can really grow into a formidable side,” he added.

Ambrose, who has used the two matches to try different combinations, believes that the team’s development charts are moving up steadily with the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in mind. “It’s good that we have changes within the team during the matches. The way that they have adapted makes us feel good that the girls are developing,” said Ambrose. “What’s really good with these players is that they are open to experiments, and they’re always up for a challenge.”

While the first two games were played in the gap of three days, the 37-year-old is of the opinion that the schedule will help the girls learn how to recover after tough games. “We played two hard games in the space of three days. The few days’ gap that we had was very important for the girls to rest and recover. We are going to play another two games in three days. This is an important step for the girls on understanding how to recover from difficult games,” said Ambrose.

The games may have come thick and fast, but the two thumping wins have proved to be huge positives for the girls, who are now set to head into the game against Citizen AA with high spirits.