Exciting Matchups for Chile's U17 Teams
This Thursday marked a significant milestone as the draws for the upcoming men's and women's U17 World Cups were conducted, set to take place in Qatar and Morocco, respectively, in the coming months. The men's team, under the guidance of coach Ariel Leporati, has been placed in Group J alongside the United States, Montenegro, and Algeria. The North American squad emerges as a formidable contender, having reached the Round of 16 in the last edition, where they were narrowly defeated by Morocco in a penalty shootout.
Algeria, on the other hand, will be making its second appearance in the U17 World Cup, with their last participation dating back to 2009 during the tournament held in Nigeria. Montenegro will be debuting in this edition, adding an exciting dynamic to the group. The competition structure allows the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed teams, to advance to the knockout stages. Chile's opening match is scheduled against Algeria on November 21, followed by a clash with the United States on November 24, and concluding the group stage against Montenegro three days later.
Women's Team Poised for Challenge
Meanwhile, the women's team, led by coach Vanessa Arauz, has been drawn into Group F, where they will face off against Spain, Mexico, and Australia. The United States stands out as the most formidable opponent in this group, having secured third place in the previous edition, while Spain was eliminated in the Round of 16. The Chilean women's team's debut in the tournament is set for October 19 against Australia, followed by matches against Mexico on October 22 and Spain on October 25.
Notably, the Chilean women's team achieved an epic qualification for the World Cup with a nail-biting victory over Ecuador during the South American Championship. Chile completed the tournament unbeaten, marking a historic achievement for a U17 women's team, as the continental competition has been held since 2008. The team's performance included three victories—8-1 against Bolivia, 2-0 against Paraguay, and 2-1 against Ecuador, which secured their qualification—and three draws against Colombia, Argentina, and Brazil in the semifinals.
This qualification has set a remarkable precedent: for the first time, Chile will have both men's and women's U17 teams competing in World Cups in the same year. A recent change by FIFA has facilitated this scenario, with U17 World Cups now being held annually starting from 2025. Consequently, the South American qualifiers will also occur annually. While Qatar will host the men's event for five consecutive years, Morocco will do the same for the women's tournament from 2025 to 2029.
Following the qualification, coach Vanessa Arauz shared insights with El Deportivo on the key aspects to consider as they approach the World Cup. She emphasized the importance of clear objectives, stating, “We have always been very clear with the players about our goals. For instance, achieving this qualification wasn’t about saying, ‘girls, we need to become champions’; instead, it was about taking it one match at a time and ensuring we qualify either first or second to have two opportunities to make it to the World Cup.” She added, “While we won’t claim we’re going to win the World Cup, as we must be realistic and acknowledge this is part of a process, our intent is to prepare well for a strong performance, and if the opportunity arises, to advance further in the tournament.”
As reported by latercera.com.
