ENGLAND, SPAIN CLASH IN FIFA UNDER-17 FINAL
New champion on cards as England and Spain lock horns in the first-ever all- European summit clash of the FIFA U-17 World
A riveting contest is on the cards when England and Spain lock horns in the first-ever all- European summit clash of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup which will have a new champion on Saturday after a recordbreaking tournament.
After three weeks of high intensity and top quality football, only England and Spain remain in contention for the top honour. And both sides will be seeking their maiden title when they come out in front of the full-capacity 66,000-odd crowd at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday, reports PTI. A goal feast can be expected from two of the most aggressive sides in the tournament. While England have scored 18 goals so far, Spain have 15 to their credit.
England are playing in their maiden final in their fourth appearance while Spain have featured as losing finalists on three earlier occasions in 1991, 2003 and 2007.
It will be a repeat of the European U-17 Championship match in Croatia in May when Spain had emerged winners on a penalty shootout after a 2-2 stalemate in the regulation time and the Three Lions will be looking for revenge on Saturday.
A win for England will also herald an unprecedented year for their colts as their Under-20 team had won the World Cup in Korea earlier this year while their Under19 side were the European champions.
In its bid to wake up a "sleeping giant", the FIFA had allotted this U-17 World Cup to India in December 2013, but this edition is turning out to be record-breaking one in terms of most spectator attendance and number of goals.
With two matches – the third place playoff and the final – remaining, the total number of spectators from the 50 matches so far has already logged 1,224,027 which is a mere 6949 less than the earlier record attendance of 1,230,976 in the first edition of the tournament in China in 1985.
With the Kolkata crowd expected to turn up in large numbers in the third place match between Brazil and Mali as well, this tournament is set to become the most attended of any FIFA U17 or U-20 tournament.
It is likely to go past the 13,09,929 spectator mark that turned up in the 2011 Colombia edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
This India edition is also set to become the highest scoring tournament with 170 goals from 50 matches so far, just two goals behind the earlier highest of 172 during the 2013 edition in the United Arab Emirates.
With three more goals from the remaining two matches, this edition will have the best goal average since the format was changed in 2007 to a 24team affair from the earlier 16- team participation.
On form, there is very little to differentiate between the two though England may start slight favourites having shocked pre-tournament favourites Brazil in the semifinals while also having played all but one of their six earlier matches at the same stadium.
England also is the only unbeaten side in the tournament while Spain had lost to Brazil in their campaign-opener. England's only blemish so far had been their inability to beat Japan in the regulation time in the pre-quarterfinals though they won through penalty shootout.
Spain and England have now met three times in the final of European U-17 Championships. The 'La Rojita' were triumphant in 2007, before the Three Lions took their revenge three years later. The Spaniards once more emerged victorious in May, but only after a nail-biting climax.
Match starts at: 20:00