India, the host of the 2017 U17 World Cup, will be called a sleeping giant until we are under dirt. And in that time it’s very unlikely they ever truly wake up.

There are myriad factors in place contributing to this, of course, but India’s history in FIFA tournaments has been nonexistent. Until now. This looming U17 World Cup tournament, which begins in three months, marks a bit of history for India. It’s the first FIFA tournament the country’s ever hosted, but it’s also the first FIFA tournament any India team has ever participated in. So all the soccer world (or at least the nerdiest portions of it) held its breath Friday to see who’d face India for the first time in a FIFA-sanctioned event.

It is us, as it turns out. And USSF president Sunil Gulati, who was born in India, was on hand to enjoy the moment. And he really enjoyed it.

This is not bad, from an American perspective. It’s also the fourth time in six U17/U20 World Cups the U.S. was roped into a group with the tournament host, so thanks FIFA. Also, apologies Mexico. That draw blows.

The India game will be more of a curiosity than a piece of competitive business. India would not have qualified for this tournament if not for their hosting privileges. They’ve never been beyond the quarterfinals of the AFC U17 tournament, and their performance in the 2016 qualifying tournament for this event was… lacking. They finished dead last in their group with one point from three matches, and it was only a shock 95th minute penalty that should never have happened in a 3-3 draw against Saudi Arabia that salvaged even that one point.

But the spectacle will be worth the effort. Again, India’s never hosted anything like this before, and though the nation (which should honestly be its own continent) is firmly in Big Cricket’s pocket, you figure a nation of 1 billion-plus will turn out in some numbers to watch native sons. The U.S. will win that game, and probably by a significant margin, but the scenes should be unforgettable.

The other two matches, on the other hand, will decide the U.S.’s path. And it’s perhaps no quite such a barbed, merciless thing as it might initially appear.

Ghana is an eternal American bugaboo, of course, considering the U.S. seems to draw in with the West Africans at every conceivable opportunity. And it’s not just the men either. The U17 WNT was drawn in with Ghana in the 2016 U17 World Cup, and it did not go well. Ghana scored twice in the second half to down the Americans 2-1 and ultimately consign them to a three-and-out. And of course there are the senior World Cups. So, so many senior World Cups.

I won’t go so far as to say this Ghana side is a paper tiger, but they are not a horrifying monolith either. It’s true the Ghanaians finished runners-up in the U17 AFCON tourney to get here, but they were not exactly overwhelmingly convincing in doing so. They did trounce overmatched and under-gunned Cameroon and Gabon in the group phase, but they didn’t beat a single continental opponent in regular time that qualified for the U17 World Cup alongside them. In fact, they didn’t even score a goal against any of them. They drew Guinea 0-0, went 120 scoreless against Niger before winning in penalties, and then lost 1-0 to Mali in the final. That’s 200 minutes against World Cup teams without scoring. Ghana will be no walkover (watch top scorer Eric Ayiah, who’s getting European looks), but they should also strike no fear into the hearts of John Hackworth’s men.

Colombia too is quality, but they are no roaring lion either. They finished second in a group with host Chile with wins over Ecuador and Uruguay and then scraped through in fourth to snap up the last qualifying spot in the final stage. They beat Ecuador (again) and Paraguay and snuck through the gates behind three other teams. This Colombia side is good, of course, but there is no danger too strong to consider this game anything worse than 50/50 on odds.

The U.S. is itself a bit of a thresher here. This might indeed be the most potent U17 team the U.S. has ever taken to a World Cup, at least on base form. The Americans were literally seconds from winning CONCACAF over Mexico (they, at least, deserved to on balance of play throughout the tournament) earlier this year before conceding late and then losing grip in penalties. It is perhaps an uncomfortable stretch to lump the U.S. in with the odds-on favorites, but seeing this team in a quarterfinal would not at all be a surprise. Or it shouldn’t be anyway, our own self-loathing as a soccer nation be damned.

This group should do little to dim those prospects. It is difficult, and there is that infernal Ghana yet again, but it is about time the U.S. and its growing professionalized U17 MNT felt the weight of expectation at this tournament alongside the global blue bloods.