U-17 WC: Ghana vs Spain

Ulsan, South Korea -- They say that the pressure of being among the favourites makes the task of winning a tournament all the harder. If that is indeed the case, then both Spain and Ghana fully deserve their places in the semi-finals at the FIFA World Cup Korea 2007. All that remains to be decided when the duo meet at the Ulsan Complex Stadium on Wednesday is who will have the honour of contesting Sunday's Final and who will have the consolation of battling for third place.

The stakes
The Iberians had to dig very deep to shake off France in the quarter-finals. The boys in blue dominated for long periods by adopting a simple tactic - keeping the ball. And it was only when coach Juan Santisteban switched things around in the second half that Spain got into the game and showed their teeth up front, something they will certainly need to do against the Ghanaians. The major doubt surrounding the Spanish is how they will react after expending so much energy in last Saturday's gruelling duel with the French.

The Black Starlets should be much in fresher condition after comfortably disposing of Peru. Sellas Tetteh's side have also improved since the tournament began and appear to be peaking at just the right time. Much will depend on how Ghana's potent strike duo of Ransford Osei (five goals to date) and Sadick Adams fare against the solid Spanish defence, marshalled by in-form keeper David de Gea.

The players
Neither Ghana nor Spain have any suspension problems. Ghana boss Tetteh has a full squad to choose from after Francis Boadi served out his one-match in the quarters, while opposite number Santisteban is still waiting on midfielder Jordi's ankle injury and defender Alberto Morgado's muscle strain.

The past
The Ulsan clash will be the fifth meeting between the sides at a FIFA U-17 World Cup. With two wins and two draws so far it is Ghana who have the edge, the most important of those triumphs coming in the Final at Italy 1991, where they won 1-0 to land the first of their two world titles in the category.

The two sides met earlier on in that competition, drawing 1-1 in the group phase, a result they repeated at the same stage at New Zealand 1999. The Africans' other victory came at Egypt 1997, where they beat the Spanish 2-1 in a group match.

The words
"The main challenge facing us will be physical, as Ghana are a very tough side and they have not had to work as hard as we have. We also need to be intelligent. When we've got the ball we need to move it around and try to frustrate them, and when they have it we need to be on our guard and try and hit them on the counter." Juan Santisteban, Spain coach.

"Possession is vital to us because we struggle when we don't have the ball. It's going to be very hard because Ghana aren't like other African sides who are physically very strong but lack a little technique. They've got both things." Jordi, Spain midfielder.

"Our finishing needs to be a little sharper because we can't afford to miss any chances that come our way against the Spanish. It could cost us dear if we do. All the same, I'm convinced we can play good football against anyone, even against a team as strong as Spain." Sellas Tetteh, Ghana coach.

"We know we've got what it takes to reach the final. Spain are a good side but we are determined to beat them and go for the title. Although we are playing really well, there is always room for improvement, and we hope to step up another level against the Spanish." Ransford Osei, Ghana forward.

Ulsan, South Korea -- They say that the pressure of being among the favourites makes the task of winning a tournament all the harder. If that is indeed the case, then both Spain and Ghana fully deserve their places in the semi-finals at the FIFA World Cup Korea 2007. All that remains to be decided when the duo meet at the Ulsan Complex Stadium on Wednesday is who will have the honour of contesting Sunday's Final and who will have the consolation of battling for third place.

The stakes
The Iberians had to dig very deep to shake off France in the quarter-finals. The boys in blue dominated for long periods by adopting a simple tactic - keeping the ball. And it was only when coach Juan Santisteban switched things around in the second half that Spain got into the game and showed their teeth up front, something they will certainly need to do against the Ghanaians. The major doubt surrounding the Spanish is how they will react after expending so much energy in last Saturday's gruelling duel with the French.

The Black Starlets should be much in fresher condition after comfortably disposing of Peru. Sellas Tetteh's side have also improved since the tournament began and appear to be peaking at just the right time. Much will depend on how Ghana's potent strike duo of Ransford Osei (five goals to date) and Sadick Adams fare against the solid Spanish defence, marshalled by in-form keeper David de Gea.

The players
Neither Ghana nor Spain have any suspension problems. Ghana boss Tetteh has a full squad to choose from after Francis Boadi served out his one-match in the quarters, while opposite number Santisteban is still waiting on midfielder Jordi's ankle injury and defender Alberto Morgado's muscle strain.

The past
The Ulsan clash will be the fifth meeting between the sides at a FIFA U-17 World Cup. With two wins and two draws so far it is Ghana who have the edge, the most important of those triumphs coming in the Final at Italy 1991, where they won 1-0 to land the first of their two world titles in the category.

The two sides met earlier on in that competition, drawing 1-1 in the group phase, a result they repeated at the same stage at New Zealand 1999. The Africans' other victory came at Egypt 1997, where they beat the Spanish 2-1 in a group match.

The words
"The main challenge facing us will be physical, as Ghana are a very tough side and they have not had to work as hard as we have. We also need to be intelligent. When we've got the ball we need to move it around and try to frustrate them, and when they have it we need to be on our guard and try and hit them on the counter." Juan Santisteban, Spain coach.

"Possession is vital to us because we struggle when we don't have the ball. It's going to be very hard because Ghana aren't like other African sides who are physically very strong but lack a little technique. They've got both things." Jordi, Spain midfielder.

"Our finishing needs to be a little sharper because we can't afford to miss any chances that come our way against the Spanish. It could cost us dear if we do. All the same, I'm convinced we can play good football against anyone, even against a team as strong as Spain." Sellas Tetteh, Ghana coach.

"We know we've got what it takes to reach the final. Spain are a good side but we are determined to beat them and go for the title. Although we are playing really well, there is always room for improvement, and we hope to step up another level against the Spanish." Ransford Osei, Ghana forward.