Key Points
Young Tigresses unbeaten with two wins in Pink Youth Cup
Defensive strength key against physically superior Russian team
Coach emphasizes pressing and quick transitions
On Saturday, the Young Tigresses registered a hard-fought 1-0 win over a Hong Kong side that had 14 players over the age of 20 in their squad, including several senior team players. India have won 2-1 against Jordan U20 last week as well.
Summing up the performance against Hong Kong into two halves, India head coach Joakim Alexandersson said, "We had a good first half, both in possession and pressing. However, we struggled with our build-ups and positioning in the second half. But we kept the fighting spirit until the end."
After Sibani Devi gave India the lead, the more experienced Hong Kong side piled on the pressure in search of the equaliser, leading to a few nervy moments in defence for the Young Tigresses. But they courageously hung on for a well-deserved clean sheet. India are yet to concede a goal in open play in Turkiye.
"I was not satisfied with our quality in the build-up as we lost the ball too easily because of less movement with and without the ball. That was the major reason why we had to defend so much in the second half. We also played too slow in our counterattacks. This is something we have to improve against a really strong Russian team," said Alexandersson.
The Swede also had several positive takeaways from the first two matches, mainly concerning the defensive organisation, which will also be crucial against a Russian side that put nine goals past Jordan in their last match.
"What I've liked is that we have a good structure in defence. It has been hard for the opponents to create big chances. We have conceded some chances but mostly from our own individual mistakes that we have to deal with. We've been good at pressing the opponents in high block with good timing and communication.
A physically stronger, taller, and faster Russia is the biggest test awaiting India on this tour. While Alexandersson knows that his side will have a lot of work in the defensive third, the transition to attacks will be important since chances may come few and far between.
"We will meet Russia with our own weapon to try and press them in the high block from time to time. But we also have to be structured in the middle and low block as well. We have to be really aggressive and tough in duels. We want to play quality balls to the feet and give each other quick support to hurt them. Transitions will be the key for this game," the India coach added.
