South America’s representatives sent an unmistakable
message, loud and clear, to the rest of the competitors on
UAE 2013’s opening matchday.
Brazil trumpeted their intentions of hoisting yet another
U-17 world title with a 6-1 demolition of Slovakia, while
Uruguay did them one better in a 7-0 rout of New Zealand.
Goals were significantly less plentiful in the night’s later
matches as Italy, historically so cautious, beat Ivory Coast
by the bare minimum of 1-0 and Honduras pulled off a
historic 2-1 win against the brave hosts in Abu Dhabi.
Brazilian sensation Mosquito packs a real bite, just ask
poor Slovakia. He raced to the top of the scorer’s chart with
a three-goal performance on opening day in Abu Dhabi.
The pacey, skillful striker from club side Atletico
Paranaense looks a good bet to finish top scorer in UAE if
he can keep up the form.
But he already has some serious chasers, like club and
country teammate Nathan, who grabbed two in the rout,
and Uruguay’s Leandro Otormin. The Nacional prodigy
hit the net twice in Uruguay’s drubbing of New Zealand
and helped set up two more.
With Brazilian head coach Alexandre Gallo suspended for
A Seleção’s opener, assistant Mauricio Copertino had no
choice but to slump himself down in the hot-seat. Clearly a
behind-the-scenes man, the humble and soft-spoken
Copertino looked nervous throughout the game and was
quite happy to hand the reins back over as soon as possible
to his boss and old friend.
The two played together for three seasons with Santos in
the 1990s and have been a coaching duo for the last eight
years. “He’s the leader of this team, not me,” Copertino
said after the 6-1 win. “One game in charge is enough for
me,” he added with a wink before drifting out of the press
conference room, down the hall, and back into the
shadows.
UAE’s only fireworks off the field
Unfortunately, the only fireworks provided by the host
nation came in the opening ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
Before the home side took the pitch for their disappointing
2-1 loss to Honduras, the local organisers laid on quite
show, complete with a stunning pyrotechnic display that
exploded across the night sky in the shape and colours of
the Emirate flag. Throngs of school children belted out the
national anthem from the terraces, but it still couldn’t help
out the home-boys as they slumped to a surprise defeat.
Ivory Coast and Italy boasted a pair of starting strikers so
tall that they resembled the many minarets at UAE’s
breathtaking mosques, rising up toward the heavens. The
Ivorian Chris Bedia measures in at 1.89 metres and his
Italian counterpart Alberto Cerri soars up 1.94 metres.
The Italian captain was taller than everyone else on the
pitch and only the Ivorian goalkeeper was taller than Bedia,
and only by a hair. Their massive physical attributes didn’t
serve them very well on the day, however, as neither one
managed to score in a tense and tactical 1-0 win for Italy.
The number
13 – goals were scored by the two South American sides –
Uruguay and Brazil – in action on UAE 2013’s opening
day. That's nine more more than the four other teams
combined. On this kind of sizzling attacking form, who
would doubt Uruguay’s chances of reaching the final of the
tournament for second edition on the trot, or Brazil as a
good a bet to claim their fourth junior world title?
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