BLOG - 2014 European Under-17 Championship: Preview - Part 2
Following on from yesterday's first part of our extensive preview to the Under-17 European Championships in Malta, which kick off later in the week, today we bring you a further look at the four other national sides taking part.
The Underdogs, Black Horses, Haggises and Hosts
Group A
Turkey
Enes Unal is the only player in the tournament to have scored a goal at professional level, three of them, and he could well have been playing for the Chelsea Under-21s instead of Bursaspor's first team if Chelsea had had their way in their attempts to construct the best unheard-of Under-21 side in history. As it is, the Under-21s Unal commonly represents are Turkey's, who he made his debut for at 16 after scoring too many goals to count for too many junior sides to mention. Whether he keeps up this prodigious form or fades like Bojan Krkic is still to be seen, but he was the second highest overall goalscorer in qualification with six goals and, while Turkey had the easiest path to Malta (apart from Malta's), they would never have got there if it wasn't for the boy who turns 17 the day after the first group match.
He scores important goals but that his first points-saving equaliser came against Luxembourg in a 2-2 draw during the first round of qualifying might say something about the rest of the team, as might the fact the rest of the team's goal tally in qualification was half his. Two of those were from Borussia Dortmund's German-raised Hayrullah Alici, who plays off him.
Any success Turkey are to enjoy against Holland and England's possession surely depends on their ability to supply Unal and Alici with the ball, but if they do manage it they'll give most Under-17 defences problems. What is likely is that they'll enjoy themselves against Malta and, given Unal scored 170 goals in 102 academy games, it can't be unreasonable to expect him to score at least ninety goals in ninety minutes against the Maltese given the far more manageable 1:1 ratio.
Malta
For all the talk of the wonderful narratives football provides, from England's perspective, this championship has already failed, though for awhile fate teased as Gibraltar were admitted entrance into European qualification and faced England in the first round. They subsequently humbly doffed their cap to an 8-0 thrashing from their colonial masters, but the ideal group which was feasibly possible at the start of qualifiers, consisting of Malta, England, Gibraltar and Spain was not to be and right-wing historians are left to weep at this sporting failure of destiny.
Still it's good to be British, something Malta knows quite well and explains why they demanded independence as well as why they're very happy about getting the chance to have the fitting ritual all subjugated and former subjugated states get nowadays which is a good proper thrashing at Under-17 football, probably on three occasions, although nobody is saying it's out of politeness, but it's likely all three teams they face will put out reserves.
Gibraltar's not a particularly accurate guide as to how Malta will fare because the latter's population at just under half a million is 1500% greater than Gibraltar's but many of the coaches have mentioned Malta as an unknown quantity, which is a euphemism for: they've never done anything before so they're probably a ruddy poor team compared to us but since they're our hosts and it's a nice country we can't say that so we'll just say this. An acceptable euphemism in the circumstances. Malta's one recent encounter with a major country's Under-17 side was last December and they lost 7-0 to Italy, so it appears that having a 1500% greater population than Gibraltar saves you one goal in junior international football.
All that said, Argentinian coach Sergio Saldano has been preparing for these championships the past two years with the knowledge of which group of players he needed to prepare for a one-off shot, a luxury no other country has enjoyed and they may well play above themselves in their first ever entrance into any championship of its kind at any level. It wouldn't be surprising for them to restrict the opposition to a few chances during the first half, as they have doubtless been training to do, before tiring as the games go on. What is sure is that they'll make wonderful hosts with great support for their side in what is a unique opportunity for them and almost certainly the highlight of their players sporting careers. Their opening match against England will be played at the 17,000 capacity Ta' Qali National Stadium and they will be desperate to impress.
Group B
Switzerland
For every Enes Unal there's an Albian Ajeti, one of three brothers to play for Basel (with their names, Arlind, Albian and Adonis, it's possible their parents named them while attending an AA meeting). He has already appeared several times for the first team as a substitute and was top scorer in qualifying with five goals. Tall and elegant with the ball, he likes dribbling, something he did a lot of against Chelsea's Under-19 UEFA Youth League side early this season without any tangible result. He also likes shooting from long range, though if results were anything to go by, he likes missing. The same leadership responsibilities he is entrusted with for Basel will be required from the Swiss, who are a tough unit that their coach, the smooth talking Yves Debonnaire (second best name in the tournament), admits is short on technical quality.
Simultaneously, Germany coach Christian Wuck claims they carry a big threat. Wuck was talking them up after they were drawn together, saying that the same group of players drew 1-1 at Under-16 level a year earlier. What everyone agrees upon is that they're a well-organised, physically imposing team who may or may not have ability on the ball. What is rather noticeable is that they qualified from an elite round group with Spain and Russia in it.
Debonnaire practically admitted afterwards that both Spain and Russia had more ability than the Swiss, who benefited from greater luck and fight. In the three elite round group games they scored a goal a match, conceded just once, and all their goals arrived in the last five minutes, including a vital equaliser from Ajeti against Russia two minutes into stoppage time when losing and down to 10 men. In their last match against Spain, they needed to win to go through and frustrated their opponents, who had plenty of corners and possession but less shots than the Swiss, who successfully played on the counter attack and found the late goal. They will be hoping to repeat the trick in Group B.
Scotland
Scotland are the only team to qualify from the elite round with all six of their goals coming from set-pieces. Three goals from corners were enough to dispatch a highly rated Belgium 3-1 in the elite round who, as so often at this level, were a talented side not very interested in defending set plays, but for all of that this is a strong Scotland side who were unlucky not to score from open play in that match.
Their main man Kilmarnock's Greg Kiltie misses out through injury but the Scots have a group which has garnered respect from all at the tournament, with pacy Celtic frontman Aidan Nesbitt and Dundee FC's Craig Wighton, who was their top scorer in qualification with four, taking most of the offensive slack. The forward runs of Newcastle United left-back Kyle Cameron were a notable feature against the Belgians but the Scots' most talented player is likely to be glimpsed only from the bench. Celtic striker Calvin Miller was superb for Scotland's Under-16s this year in their Victory Shield triumph and he almost scored a fabulous chip from 20 yards out with the outside of his left foot after coming on against the Belgians with three minutes left. Throughout the Victory Shield he showed a smoothness on the ball that, like England's Patrick Roberts, has a visual elegance to it and, even if he isn't in Roberts' class at the same age, his consistently excellent first touch, hold-up play, movement and finishing will hopefully be improved upon in the coming years to fulfil his potential. A talent such as his progressing well would be far more important to Scotland than any result they achieve at these championships and he is the only player from that Victory Shield side to make it into this squad.
With thanks again to Samuel King, who you can follow on twitter @KingSRV. Samuel will be providing match previews and reports throughout the championship so be sure to return for more of his views
Coming tomorrow: A preview of Matchday 1 in Malta
