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INDIA IN HOMELESS WORLD CUP FOOTBALL - 2007

Day 3 :02.08.2007

India (11) v Switzerland (1) Setting off the first semi final of the INSP Trophy, India took on Switzerland in pitch 2. The match started out very slowly. None of the teams really got their play going, and the first three minutes were goalless, as none of the teams had any control of the game. The Indian number 1 decided to change it, at took the run himself. With some nice details in his footwork and a beautiful finish in a narrow corner between the keeper and the post, he brought the Indians ahead. The Swiss players kept the Indians from getting too far away before the halftime with the score 4-1 Indian favor. Second half was the Indians' game. It seemed like the Swiss players never got a hang of their feet in the second half, and the Indians had a fairly easy game, scoring goal after goal until the clock ran out. By that time, the Indians had netted 11 times, while Switzerland had only done so once.

India (5) v Hong-Kong (5) India meant business from the first minute of the game. Its players looked focused , determined and very quick to exploit any opportunity. The Indian team displayed a panache and zest which resulted in five goals in the first half and gave spectators a show to remember. The woman goalie, Shilpa Sukhdevo, was swift, confident and poised. No goal attempt from Hong Kong had her leap or run. She kept her eyes on the ball and judged her timing well. Hong Kong's true colors emerged in the second part of the match. Gone was the clumsiness, the disjointed attempts to get its acts together. The team made a graceful and amazing come back, regaining ground with five splendid goals, in spite of India's higher skills. India replaced Shilpa Sukhdevo within the first three minutes of the second half, as Hong Honk looked increasingly poised to outscore its rival. The Indian team kept trying but its class was not matched by Hong Kong stamina and sheer determination. By the end of the match the two teams had each bagged five goals, facing penalty shoot-outs. India managed three goals, while Hong Kong crowned its determination-fuelled come back with four goals. Cecilia Valente

India (10) v Switzerland (3) India scored almost from the kick off, their Danish reserve putting it neatly away. Two more goals followed in quick succession, with a lovely fourth goal from India's number six, jinking left and right on the edge of the D to open up the space and slot it home. The same player showed he could shoot from range too, blasting the ball into Switzerland's goal from deep inside his own half. India 5, Switzerland 0. India were running away with it, with a sixth goal squeezed in. But Switzerland clawed one back. A huge goal, and it showed with the clenched fist celebration. India were quickly back in command, scoring once more, and only the half time whistle saving Switzerland as the ball rolled towards the goal line again. India started the second half neatly, putting the ball ball away to make it 8 - 1. But it wasn't all their way. Switzerland fought, their excellent goalkeeper making not just one, but two penalty saves. And Switzerland scored twice, their third goal a great strike from the number 10 into the top corner. Fittingly, the game ended with a save from the Swiss keeper.

Sweden (7) v India (4) Sweden left nothing to chance in its debut in the quarter finals of the International Network of Street Paper (INSP) trophy. The Scandinavians scored three times within three minutes and twenty seven seconds leaving India no option but locking in defence and trusting in its goalie, who did an good job in fending off some of Sweden's attempts to score.Sweden attacked and defended its side of the pitch relentlessly while India became less and less confident by the minute. The Asian team changed attitude in the second half, when its number six player scored two of the four goals managed by the team. India's game was revived, but the trouble was: the skills displayed by the Indian goalkeeper were matched by his Swedish counterpart. Cecilia Valente

Day 2 : 01.08.2007

India (6) v (6) Sweden A very good game tightly contested for the full 14 minutes saw a 6-6 draw. Two goals were disallowed for encroaching into the penalty area before India scored the 1st goal. The female Indian keeper Shilpa performed outstandingly and put in a fearless performance keeping the Swedes at bay a number of times.Sweden fight back from 3-0 down to be level at 3-3 at half time.They match each other blow for blow in the 2nd half and the FT score is 6-6.Sweden win the penalty shootout with the first kick as India miss.

India (5) v (4) Chile It was a tight contest between India and Chile that took a while to get going, with wayward shots and disciplined defending preventing any goals before the second minute of play. Chile went ahead through their number 3, before India pulled one back. Chile looked threatening throughout the next minute and went 3-1 ahead before Chile made a spirited fightback to make the score 3-3 going in to half time. The second half was a stop and start affair, with a host of fouls and free kicks. The score was 4-4 before too long before the number 4 in green became India's hero by scoring what would ultimately prove the match winning goal. The Indian keeper shone in the closing minutes to display India's superb bouncebackability having been two goals down at the start.

India (2) v Australia (7) India opened the scoring with a stunning strike, leaving Austrailia shell shocked but even more determined to score. The Aussie's faithful fans continued to will the players on as Austrialia made better use of their chances to go 4-0 up going into half time. The Austrailian goalie played his part to keep the India from scoring another, allowing the Socceroos to make it 5-1 in the second minute of the second half. The Austrailian number 6 made his mark on the game with an amazing goal. India were determined to get back into the match but were unlucky not to score until they got a second at the end of the match, making the final score 7-2 to Austrailia. The teams shook hands and cheered the crowd for the energetic support. Matthew Simpson and Signe Ramskov Hansen

Argentina (11) v (1) India It took Argentina more than 4 minutes to break down a stubborn India defence in what was initially a very tight game. The Indian team played some no-nonsense football to keep the scores level, threatening on several ocassions to ruin Argentina's party. However as with the weather in Copenhagen this week, when it rained, it poured. After the fifth minute the South Americans were 4-0 up, matching India's simple passing play and adding lethal finishing. India threatened with several ambitious efforts but couldn't prevent Gustav from putting Argentina 5-0 up. The Indian number 6 scored a penalty using a crafty stepover to make it 5-1 going in to half time. In the second half Argentina's Rolando punished India three times to go beyond his hat-trick, his job made easier after the referee gave a blue card to an Indian player after 3 minutes of the second half. India fought corageously when a player down, with special praise going to the India goalkeeper who saved more Indian blushes with excellent saves throughout the game. Several India players picked up knocks throughout the game, but were helped up by the Argentina players in some typical gestures of fair play. Matthew Simpson 3rd Match : Cameroon 21 - 2 India 31.07.2007:There was really nothing India could do to prevent Cameroon from scoring again and again and yet again. After just one minute the players from Cameroon had passed the danish reserve-keeper four times, as Cameroon was much quicker than the Indian players and just out gamed them. Cameroon showed excellent team play with short but quick passes and was just the better team. Jane Stoffregen 2nd Match: Uganda 11 - 2 India 30.07.2007:The Ugandians showed what teamwork was all about in this game scoring 4 goals so quickly I couldn't even tell who scored them. They played well continously thorugh the first half and let India have little possesion the first half finished 5-0 to Uganda. The second half was even more impressive and they quickly improved the thir lead to 8-0. The Indain number 6 got a goal back for his team due to persistance. The ugandians continued however to score at will and before you knew it they were 11-1 up. The Indian number 6 came through for his team agin adding another in the reaming seconds of the game. The final score was 11-2 Kate Wilson and matthew Garner. Group K Team P W D L GF GA Pts Cameroon 3 3 0 0 33 6 9 South Africa 3 2 0 1 23 11 6 Uganda 3 1 0 2 16 12 3 India 3 0 0 3 4 49 0 THE 48 NATIONS Preliminary Group Stage Section Stage Group Stage Trophy Stage Group A: Denmark| Ireland| Hungary| Kyrgyzstan| Group B: Nigeria| France| Switzerland| Argentina Group C: Poland| Germany| Spain | Hong Kong Group D: Russia| Ghana| Canada| Norway Group E: Portugal| Brazil | Zimbabwe | Greece Group F: Liberia| Finland| Scotland| Australia Group G: Mexico| Czech Rep| Lithuania| Austria Group H: Ukraine | Chile| Serbia| Wales Group I: Afghanistan| England | Italy| Sweden Group J: Kenya | Netherlands| Zambia | Slovenia Group K: Cameroon| Uganda| South Africa| India Group L: Kazakhstan| USA| Slovakia | Burundi Courtesy: www.homelessworldcup.org