17 October - 8 November Tournament Home on FIFA.com: http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/index.html This is the 5th FIFA event hosted by the UAE after the U-20 World Cup (2003), the Club World Cup (2009; 2010) and Beach Soccer World Cup (2009).
Iraq's debut in the U-17 World Cup. Let's go Iraq. I want a similar result like in the U-20 World Cup!
Cool can't wait, got my tickets for the final in Abu Dhabi, but it's just been announced that all games are going to be free anyway . Anyhoo, might try and catch Argentina vs. Iran in Dubai too this weekend, but we'll see... looking forward to this tourney.... tough group for UAE but with Brazil in it, but with 3rd placed teams qualifying for the knockout stage, I guess anything could happen....
I haven't followed our youth team closely enough and wasn't even sure Iran had qualified. In any case, I checked our group and realized we are grouped with Argentina, Austria, and Canada. The last 2 don't seem scary at all, although we open with Argentina and that match won't be easy.
Anybody know how to collect tickets for this? I bought tickets for 3 venues when they originally went on sale and have sent 3 emails to info@u17worldcup2013.com without a response over the past 2 months. I have my receipts and am hoping I can just show up at the correct stadium and collect them at a ticket office. I'm only there for the 2nd week and will be a "no show" for the first games of my packages. I just don't want them cancelled. Likewise I don't want to show up in Abu Dhabi to be told my tickets are in Dubai. I appreciate tickets were very cheap (and now free) but I've seen FIFA games before with almost empty stadums and loads of people outside trying to get in.
Brasil dominating Slovakia easily, Mosquito might be the center forward that senior team needs in a couple of years. Surprised to see gabigol on the bench I thought he was one of the better brasilian prospects. []__[]
Uruguay vs New Zealand... wonder if the same happens at senior level... 3:0 by half time as well. I predict this tournament will go terrible for European teams, simply because of the weather.
Brasil now 5:0. Uruguay 4:0. Good for Uruguay and Brasil. Bad for the tournament... Looks like it might be a pretty lopsided tournament in the group phase.
The Conembol sides seem to be taking no prisoners, which makes me even more worried about Iran's match against Argentina. Especially since Argentina won their 3rd South American U17 championship title this year.
Terrible attendances at the tournament. Looks like 200-300 people to watch Brasil, Italy or Cote d'Ivoire.
Honduras has some good footballers, I think Honduras football is growing and they could be the ones dominating Concacaf in a few years. []__[]
Italy vs Cote d'Ivoire is one boring game... Nothing but pushing and shoving, constant stops and haggling in midfield...
Italy being a good football team notwithstanding, they dive even worse than the stereotype of an Italy team. The moment Italy went in front it became pretty hilarious... Terrible to see this at this age group.
First day has been terrible. Atmospherewise. Attendancewise. Entertainmentwise. Footballwise. Only UAE - Honduras was supposedly a game worth watching. Hope this isn't what Qatar 2022 looks like...
Unlike Qatar, which had no business bidding much less being awarded hosts of the World Cup, the UAE as hosts of the U17 World Cup is not entirely scandalous. Nonetheless, the ideal candidate for hosting a youth world cup is Iran. We have different cities with very different climates. Cities which are each worth visiting, each with stadiums which can accommodate a youth World Cup. And we have football fans who would flock to attend these games, seeing how Iran has been basically kept isolated and denied the chance to host any meaningful tournaments in ages. That kind of fan attendance would simply raise the profile and excitement of a youth world Cup. I wish the next time there is a youth World Cup, we see Iran as the host. It would be good for the game.
On a side note... What is it with the idiotic looking monk hairdos that European sides nad Brasil have been donning (honestly like half the kids had this idiotic style)? Is that really the current fashionable hairstyle? I'm aghast. Its worse than the mullet and the flat top. And makes them look like characters from "Dumb and Dumber". BTW: I'm kind of feeling the either Brasil or Nigeria win this and become the sole leaders as to the tournament.
No and in fact it's our last night in UAE before heading back to Qatar... but the game is in Fujairah so we didn't go.. but will return for the final in 3 weeks time... hopefully Uzbekistan will be playing in that too