U17 World Cup: Chris Durkin – Indian team stayed resilient

Chris Durkin was one of the goal scorers for USMNT in their 3-0 win over India in their Group A opener at the Under-17 World Cup on Friday evening.

The centre-back was asked to share his thoughts on the Indian team and whether it was difficult to break them down.

“The atmosphere was amazing. When I was walking out of the tunnel, I had a smile. To see 40000 people for an Under-17 World Cup is great for the growth of soccer in India.

“It was a tough game. The Indian players were confident especially with the PM (Shri Narendra Modi) coming out and shaking their hand.

“I do think that the Indian team are hard to break down in certain moments. I would give props to them for their intensity and the work. We did do some long balls but credit to the Indian team as they stayed resilient throughout the game,” said the defender.

Durkin was questioned as to why the Indian team was allowed to have more chances in the second half. He admitted that the US team was guilty of not getting their passes right.

“I think that the sports scientist of the national team has worked on our fitness which is top notch. We were complacent with our passes. We can play a bit better. That’s why you could see more chances for India. Credit to India for giving us a difficult game.”