As the World Youth Championship gradually move to climax,
Football Panorama brings to you exclusive analysis of the standing eight teams
vying for the title, from Mighty Brazil to debutant Senegal, the excitement
never ends.
BRAZIL VS
PORTUGAL
WAIKATO
STADIUM, HAMILTON
14 JUNE,
2015 2AM NGR TIME
Brazil will again
square up with yet another top team to advance their course of winning a third
World Youth Championship. Prior to this tournament, both were tipped as clear
favorite to land the trophy. Pitched in a group that comprises of Qatar,
Senegal and Colombia, Portugal started their journey with a convincing 3-0
bashing of debutant Senegal, before going ahead to decimate Qatar 4-0. Having convincingly
bagged their qualification ticket, they were not satisfied yet, as they went
ahead to defeat Colombia 3-1, thus making Colombia the first to breached their
defence with a whopping 10goals in the group stage. Portugal will then sweat it
out against Host, New Zealand, before overcoming them 2-1 to set up a Brazil
quarter-final clash. Brazil on the other hand, started their journey with a 4-2
win over Nigeria, they will go ahead to defeat Hungary and Korea DPR 2-1 and
3-0 respectively. The game against Uruguay, for Brazil, will remain overly
memorable, having met a solid South American counterpart, they had to settle
for a goalless affair before Brazil went ahead to win via penalty kicks. Brazil
and Portugal have met 4times at this level, with Brazil winning twice, Portugal
once and drew once. Brazil has scored 4times against Portugal while the
Europeans have netted 3times against Brazil. These two sides are no doubt giant
of this age grade competition; both are champions at this level, Brazil having
won it five times, three more than the Portuguese, both will be aiming to add
to their counts. Both nations, with Argentina hold the record of the only three
teams that have won the trophy back to back, and the trio can boast of
13trophies in 19competitions between them, a trophy win by either of these two
will make it 14 out of 20.
MALI VS GERMANY
CHRISTCHURCH
STADIUM, CHRISTCHURCH
14 JUNE,
2015 2AM NGR TIME
Mali will aim to get a
pound of flesh against Germany who inflicted defeat against fellow African
brothers Nigeria. Les Aigles de Mali will love to stop the Germans that are
looking forward to trample two Africans on their way to win the trophy. Started
brightly in a group that comprises of Mexico, Uruguay and Serbia, the Malians
met storms midway but recovered surprisingly. Winning Mexico 2-0, and losing by
same score line to Serbia, Mali rallied to a 1-1 draw with Uruguay to pick one
of the four third-losers slot to the second round. Mali came back strongly to
beat Ghana 3-0 to qualify to the Quarter Final. Germany on the other hand were
flawless all through, started by decimating new comer Fiji Island 8-1, before
moving ahead to defeat Uzbekistan and
Honduras 3-0 and 5-1 respectively. They however met a stumbling block in
Nigeria in the second round, but did well to undo the African Champion with a 1-0
victory to set up another African clash. Both have never met at this stage, but
both have made impact to this age grade tourney. Germany have won the trophy one and have been
placed second once, while Mali’s best pick was a third-place finish. Both will
look to further their course when they clash on Sunday.
USA VS SERBIA
NORTH HARBOUR
STADIUM, AUCKLAND
14 JUNE,
2015 5:30AM NGR TIME
USA and Serbia will
light up Auckland on Sunday when both of the clash to decide who picks a
semi-final berth. Never met at this stage, but team will aim to move a step
further, USA having found themselves in a group consisting of the Host New
Zealand, Myanmar and Ukraine. The American distinguished themselves in their
first two games, defeating new boys Myanmar 2-1, before going ahead to defeat
Host New Zealand 4-0. Having picked one
of the qualifying ticket to the second round, they r fell in the hand of
Ukraine losing scandalously 0-3 in their last to group game to cap up their
group duel. Faced with Colombia, many had written them off because Colombia is
more experienced at this stage, but USA went to grab a 1-0 shocker to qualify
for the quarter final. Serbia started their journey in a group that comprise of
Mali, Mexico and Uruguay. Having started on the wrong foot losing to Uruguay
0-1, Serbia came out forcefully to defeat Mali 2-0, before grabbing a headline win
over Mexico 2-0 to qualify as the group leader.
Serbia will go ahead to defeat Hungary 2-1 in the second round to set up
a quarter final clash with USA. Both have not really made huge impact at this
level with only USA having finished fourth-placed as her best ever outing. A win
for USA will see them grabbing their second ever semi-final ticked, with Serbia
aiming for their first ever semi-final ticket.
UZBEKISTAN VS SENEGAL
WELLIGNTHON
REGIONAL STADIUM, WELLIGNTHON
14 JUNE,
2015 5:30AM NGR TIME
Whichever way it goes,
it is going to be an epoch and history making encounter, as both have never
been to the semi-finals before. More memorable will it be for Senegal, getting
into the quarter final as a debutant is massive, but getting into semi-final is
extra-ordinary for the Africans. In a group that consist of Germany, Fiji
Island and Honduras, Uzbeks started glaringly on a bad foot, losing 3-4 and 0-3
to Honduras and Germany respectively, they picked up in their last game to
defeat Fiji Island 3-0. Fortunately, they qualified as second place behind
Germany, and had to square up against
Austria in the second round, they picked a massive 2-0 victory to set up
a quarter final duel with Senegal, who on the other hand were pitched in a
group that consist Portugal, Colombia and Qatar. Senegal also started badly
losing 0-3 to Portugal, before picking an inspirational 1-1 draw with Colombia,
they grabbed a massive 2-1 victory over Qatar to qualify as a best looser.
Faced with massive high scoring Ukraine, the Senegalese held on with a 1-1 score
line after regulation and extra-time, the Junior Teranga Lions defeat Ukraine
3-1 on penalties to set up a not too fancy duel with Uzbekistan to determine
who goes through to the Semi-Final.
