Iran favourites against indifferent Mexico

Basil Sylvester Pinto
Margao
A clash of continental powerhouses advancing to the Round of 16 tends to evince keen interest. But the manner of progression to the next stage also does merit
a mention.
On the one hand you have Iran, the 2016 AFC U-16 Championship runners-up, while on the other there is Mexico, who won the coveted 2017 CONCACAF U-17 Championship. Iran placed in Group C has logged maximum points in the first stage of the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 with convincing margin wins in each outing. Mexico on the other hand, netted merely two points from their three gruelling games in Group F sharing spoils on two instances.
While recent results may not have a factor on a given day, it can be said that Iran who have played all their Group Stage matches at Fatorda, enjoy a slight edge over their Central American opposition who only recently arrived in the State from Kolkata and had their only training session on the eve of the match at a training facility in South Goa.
Speaking to the media at a pre-match briefing at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda on Monday, Iran coach Abbas Chamanyan was measured on his team's expectations against Mexico. "The work starts from today. All other teams who have made it this far have as much chance in the competition. I am glad that our team has made it to this stage and hoping the best in our immediate future. Our match against Mexico is a very important step in getting successful," the New Youngsters tactician stated.
With an overwhelming lead-up to the pre-quarters, the Iranian gaffer hinted that the side's billing as the team to beat in the tournament was not a hyperbole. Chamanyan acknowledged that winning the U-17 World Cup is a definite possibility to a side that have not progressed to the last eight yet. They had previously failed to make it beyond the knock-outs in Nigeria 2009 and UAE 2013.
"Iran has many talents in football. We know that we have a qualitative, excellent team. We play the same in every game notwithstanding the score-line as it may have been with the Germany game (4-0 win). Our philosophy is to attack and get three points," the experienced coach stated.
Iran incidentally defeated Mexico 3-0 in a pre-tournament preparation in Spain not too long ago. But Chamanyan dismissed off the suggestion that the result would hold them with a psychological advantage going into
the knock-outs.
"That is a story belonging to the past. Our match against El Tri on Tuesday is in the future. We will play with a powerful mentality," Chamanyan declared.
Mexico's record at the level is encouraging having been twice champions (2005, 2011) and they are helmed by Mario Arteaga who was in charge of the U-17 squad in Chile 2015 where they finished a respectable fourth. Arteaga says that they are here to win the match.
"We know Iran is a very strong team and have won all their group matches, and have even a 4-0 result against Germany which is a very good performance. But now we start from scratch and it does not matter what happened in the group stage. This is a knock-out round and we are very experienced when it comes to it. We will do our best to win the match," a confident Arteaga remarked.
Not surprised by Iran's red-hot form in the tournament, Arteaga conceded that the Asian football giants is a formidable unit. "They have good centre forwards and also a pragmatic defence system adept at playing the long ball," he stated. But he also said that the 0-3 loss to Iran in their pre-tournament friendly in Spain or their opposition being accustomed to conditions in Fatorda will not weigh an ounce on match day. "Iran may know the pitch better having played on it a few times already, but no sooner does the ball start rolling, it is a new story altogether and we are very optimistic on the encounter," the El Tri
coach affirmed.