Three losses, sixteen goals conceded, three shots on target over 270 minutes, no goals scored, one very disappointing World Cup. India's campaign at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup won't bring back too many happy memories for the players but the opportunity remains for this to be a harbinger of change.
If nothing else, the apathy over women's football that existed within the All India Football Federation was on display for the world to see and alone that could be the catalyst for improvement.
India's head coach Thomas Dennerby was in high spirits ahead of the tournament with the aim of reaching the quarterfinals. The goalposts kept moving with each passing game, from fighting for a win, a point and eventually a desperate search for a single goal to celebrate. Curiously, India's performances took the reverse trend, with an improvement in each game, never mind the scoreline.
A large part of the team played their first international game in 2022 and the match-wise improvement was noticeable, from an overawed, nervous outfit that was on show against the USA to the high-pressing, perennially running side that came close to scoring against Brazil. Dennerby provided a window into why his 'wonderful girls' improved: "I'm trying to make them a bit more independent every day because, on the football pitch, you really are alone out there."
"I want them to feel free to take decisions. Use your best skill. Enjoy your time at the field but work hard, of course."
India's captain Astam Oraon also displayed that growth in mentality that Dennerby aimed for, first shying away from speaking in the mixed zone after the 0-8 defeat against the USA to later confidently stating her equation with her teammates. "We support each other," she said in the mixed zone after losing to Morocco and repeated it once more after the loss to Brazil. "Even if we go 1-0 or 2-0 down we never give up, we keep believing that we can score an equaliser."
That support was particularly visible in the game against Morocco - Naketa (CB) and Melody Chanu (GK) committed game-changing errors but continued to perform. Where other 16-year-olds may have wilted, the duo remained positive, with Naketa bailing out her defence with blocks and interceptions and when even that wasn't enough, Melody stepped in with a sterling display in goal.
It's easy to see why their coach was confident of his defence ahead of the tournament, devising a setup to enhance those qualities, perhaps out of necessity. India played in a low block for much of the three games, but what changed was the players 'not repeating their errors', as noted by Astam. Coupled with the increased energy of Shilky Devi and Babina Devi in midfield, India caused Morocco and Brazil their fair share of problems, despite what the scoreline claimed.
Nitu Linda, Neha and Anita Kumari's endeavour in attack was heartening to see, with Neha and Anita even coming close to notching a historic first goal for India. Neha's incessant pressing against Brazil nearly paid off, after she stole the ball from the opposition centre-back and looked all set to run through on goal, only for a sneaky tug back to disrupt her rhythm, and consequently deny her a shot at history.
It's important to remember where these players have come from - seven games against international opponents in total, a disrupted preparation that involved the coach that scouted them being sacked over allegations of sexual misconduct, coming into the tournament without a sports psychologist on staff, breaking in brand-new shoes in a morale-destroying defeat in their first moment under the spotlight against the USA.
All that, and they were a whisker away from a historic goal against Brazil, never looking overawed despite the gulf in quality. Their running stats were up there among the best, although whether that was a consequence of not having the ball, one can only speculate.
Repeating what multiple opposition coaches and players noted, Dennerby confirmed that India had the talent to feature at the Asian level, if not the world stage. The consistency and a long-term program required to nurture it, however, were missing. The Swede proposed a centralised AIFF academy, but that also comes with its drawbacks in a country as large and diverse as India. Either way, the need for greater investment in these girls, and the system that decides their fate as footballers, is important.
The girls are set to feature in a forthcoming U-18 SAFF Championships in 2023, but what they really require is regular season-long football, like their opponents in the World Cup. That the AIFF has conducted only a two-month long Indian Women's League for the seniors ought to be revelatory enough as to where things stand.
One can only hope the will and fight put in by the girls will be mirrored by their federation someday. Maybe then, it will be three very different games and one memorable World Cup, for the right reasons.