Twelve years and $220 billion in the making, Qatar’s World Cup could end in the first week itself. The small nation-state has incurred an exorbitant cost, Forbes reports, to host the first World Cup in the Arab world. But they could be on the verge of going out, becoming only the second hosts, after South Africa, to be eliminated in the group stage if they fail to get a result against Senegal on Friday.
After a preparation (including closed-door friendlies that were not allowed to be recorded) shrouded in secrecy and intrigue, Félix Sánchez’s team was an unpredictable force heading into the tournament. His players, however, did not rise to the occasion in their disappointing performance in the tournament’s opening game against Ecuador.
They failed to register a single shot on goal, made a series of defensive errors and were down 2-0 in the first half hour, after which Ecuador went into cruise control mode to complete the victory. Significantly better performance will be needed for the hosts on Friday.
Sánchez’s team has an unmistakable Spanish soccer influence – several of his players hail from Al Sadd, a club that was captained and later managed by Xavi – and, despite showing glimpses of those patterns of play, they were not one competitive level
For his players, the occasion was difficult to face. Given the various criticisms regarding the host country, they were under the scanner at a level they are hardly used to, but Qatar’s ability on and off the ball was way off the pace. They weren’t exactly World Cup level, the only hosts to have never played in a World Cup final before, but a better standard was expected from the Asian champions.
And if they are to trump the African champions, they can take some inspiration from their fellow Asians. Saudi Arabia and Japan registered massive upsets over Argentina and Germany respectively, and their triumphs were built around a high and direct press, a resolute defensive performance, and cutting edge going forward
