Kolkata : A star-studded England will take on unpredictable Chile in a Group F match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup at the refurbished Salt Lake Stadium, here today.
The gigantic Salt Lake Stadium, officially known as Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), will host an official match after a hiatus of more than one year and eight months. It was on January 27, 2016 that the Salt Lake Stadium last hosted an official game, an AFC Champions League qualifier between Mohun Bagan and Tampines Rovers of Singapore. 620 days later, it may have shrunk in size — with an official capacity of 66687 to what was once a colossal 120,000 — but has become snazzier and is ready to host the summit clash of the ongoing World Cup on October 28. The football-loving crowd of the city are expected to fill up to the brim in the decked-up stadium when the Group F matches gets underway today.
The Group F is a tough group with all the four teams, including two-time champions Mexico and Iraq, who open later in the evening, having the potential to make it to the last 16 round. In such a scenario, the Steve Cooper-coached England, fresh from a 3-2 defeat of New Zealand in a warm-up match in Mumbai, would look for a strong start against the Latin American side, who are having a difficult time with the searing heat and humidity of Kolkata. On paper, England boast of a strong squad in Manchester United starlet Angel Gomes and Jadon Sancho, who made an Euro 8 million move from Manchester City to Borussia Dortmund during close season.
