Mexico ready to make history TAKE ON IRAQ IN FIFA UNDER-17 WORLD CUP OPENER AT SALT LAKE CITY STADIUM
wo-time champions Mexico are not willing to rest on their past laurels and are ready to make history when they get their campaign under way against Iraq in the Fifa Under-17 World Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Sunday, their coach Mario Arteaga said.
Mexico are the only team in Group F to win the tournament in 2005 and 2011. None among England, Chile and Iraq have laid their hands on the coveted crown. “Whatever happened is history. We are here to make new history and we have capabilities to achieve success here. We can go the distance,” Arteaga told reporters after the team’s first practice session at the SAI complex here.
“We can’t consider any team easy. All teams have their own style and pedigree like Brazil has their own, Germany has their own. So we cannot take any team lightly,” the coach said when asked to pick an opponent he is wary of.
Mexico, who arrived in the city on Wednesday evening, have been training in Spain for the tournament. “I have been working for the last 20 months since 2016 [with the team]. This will be a different experience so let’s see,” Arteaga said.
Chile have been struggling to cope with the hot and humid weather conditions, but Mexico have not faced any such problem so far, their coach said. “They have been practising for past few months. We have adapted to the weather and it is not a problem for us. We have played in so many grounds around the world so this is not a problem for us,” he said.
On their first opponents Iraq, Arteaga said: “Iraq have changed their players so many times. We cannot take any rival easily. Anything can happen in a football game. We have played with them a few times before.”
Mexico have four new players since winning the Concacaf Under-17 Championship to qualify for the tournament. “One is a goalkeeper. We are working closely with them. We have a lot of emotion attached to the tournament,” Arteaga said.