Competing in a tough Group C with top contenders like Japan, a strong Australia, and a disciplined Chinese Taipei, the Indian U20 women\u2019s national team was aware of the challenge and decided to face it on their own terms.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Head coach Joakim Alexandersson early on emphasised development and clear style, favouring long-term growth over short-term conservatism. \u201cI don\u2019t want to be that kind of coach who sits back with 10 players in a youth tournament just to hold on to results and play very defensively for 90 minutes,\u201d he told AIFF after India's campaign came to an end.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI feel that is not the right thing to do for our players. I would rather try to play our game, but of course, also try to make it more difficult for the opponents. I believe in player development, and at this age group, we have to try to do what we practise in training sessions. It wouldn\u2019t have been right for me as a coach if we suddenly started to play more defensively than we have been practising,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India\u2019s approach was influenced by that philosophy in all three matches. The campaign started with a 0-6 loss to Japan, then a 0-5 defeat to Australia. Despite these results, India demonstrated structure, organisation, and controlled play in certain phases, especially when they competed with focus and discipline.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt has been a great tournament, qualifying to be here and competing against the best teams in Asia, to get a good picture of the strengths and weaknesses of all the teams. That has been very exciting,\u201d said the Swedish coach, who has worked with the team since December 2024.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWhen it comes to our team\u2019s overall performance, I think that we have been doing a lot of good things. What I\u2019m most satisfied with is that we looked very organised during all three games. But individual things have been too costly for us, especially in the first two games.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The significant margins emphasised the learning curve. Defensive mistakes and isolated errors were punished by strong opposition. In both initial games, the Young Tigresses began well but ultimately found it difficult to sustain consistency in the second half.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
However, they stayed true to their strategy, opting to play through pressure instead of backing away. This conviction led to a clear outcome in their last group game against Chinese Taipei, where they dominated throughout and secured a 3-1 victory. The performance showcased a stronger attacking intent and improved control during critical moments, leading to a well-deserved victory. This was a major milestone. The win was India\u2019s first in the AFC U20 Women\u2019s Asian Cup since 2004 and, importantly, the first women\u2019s Asian Cup victory at any level since 2005.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIn the same way, we were playing better attacking football, and we decided to press the opponents higher, which gave us a lot of success in this game, and I\u2019m very satisfied with that,\u201d Alexandersson said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cBut still, of course, there is plenty of room for improvement. I think we have been doing well overall as a team, but to be able to compete in a very good way with the best teams in this tournament, we need to improve in those areas \u2014 to be more confident with the ball, to be quicker in decision-making, and to play with a little higher intensity. So I guess we have to work more on the fitness of the players as well,\" he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India finished third in Group C with three points from three matches but narrowly missed qualifying for the quarter-finals because of goal difference.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cOverall, I\u2019m satisfied,\u201d Alexandersson said. \u201cI think we could have done a little better to not concede so many goals in the first two games, but at the same time, this is a youth tournament.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Thus, the campaign integrates into a wider developmental process instead of being a standalone result.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cOverall, I\u2019m satisfied,\u201d Alexandersson said. \u201cI think we could have done a little better to not concede so many goals in the first two games, but at the same time, this is a youth tournament.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
For the Young Tigresses, their time in Thailand was ultimately about more than just achieving results; it was about preparing for what lies ahead.<\/p>\r\n\r\n