Asian Cup 2019: Qatar's impressive performance.
(Baonghean.vn) - The fact that Qatar and Saudi Arabia share the top two positions in Group E is not surprising to many. The main point is that Qatar scored 8 goals and kept a clean sheet in 2 matches against Lebanon and North Korea with an incredibly impressive style of play.
It's worth remembering that Qatar was awarded the right to host the 2022 World Cup. This is precisely why the whole world condemned FIFA for giving the hosting rights to a country with so many problems related to its natural environment and the level of its national team. Public criticism that the country was undeserving of hosting the World Cup stemmed from the limited skill level of the Qatari national team.
For the goal of the 2022 World Cup.
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| The Qatar national team is proving to be the "dark horse" of the 2019 Asian Cup. This has brought a sigh of relief to both the Qatar Football Association and FIFA. Photo: AFC |
To date, Qatar has never qualified for the World Cup finals. Their closest encounter was in the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, where a draw against Saudi Arabia in the final match would have secured their place in France. However, they ultimately lost 0-1 and were eliminated.
Historically, there has only been one instance where a host nation had never previously participated in the World Cup. This was the case of Italy in 1934, having not participated in their first World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay. It's clear that Italy's situation is quite different from Qatar's current situation.
The Qatar Football Association is racing against time to transform the face of its football. They spared no expense, with the Qatar national team for the 2015 Asian Cup featuring eight naturalized players. However, this short-sighted approach has yet to propel Qatar forward, leading them to spend lavishly on hiring top coaches. A record was set in 2011, when within a single year, Qatari players were coached by three different foreign managers: Bruno Metsu, Milovan Rajevac, and Sebastiao Lazaroni.
The Qatar Football Association is rejuvenating its squad in preparation for the 2022 World Cup. Last year, at the AFC U23 Championship, coach Felix Sanchez also led the Qatar U23 team. They topped Group A with three consecutive wins against Uzbekistan, China, and Oman. In the quarterfinals, Qatar U23 defeated Palestine 3-2 and lost to Vietnam in the semi-finals on penalties.
In their last 10 matches, Qatar has won 6, drawn 1, and lost 3. The 2022 World Cup hosts have prepared very carefully for this Asian Cup, inviting several opponents from Europe and America for friendly matches. Qatar lost to Algeria and Iran, but these were tough opponents with very high professional standards.
Top Scorer Candidates
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| Almoez Ali shines with a poker (four goals). Photo: AFC |
Playing as a central striker in a 4-1-4-1 formation, Almoez Ali was the hero in Qatar's crushing 6-0 victory over North Korea in the second match of Group E at the 2019 Asian Cup. The Qatar number 19 scored a poker (four goals) in this match, propelling him to the top of the 2019 Asian Cup top scorer list with 5 goals.
This impressive victory gave Qatar a perfect 6 points after two matches, securing their place in the Round of 16 of the 2019 Asian Cup. Qatar currently tops Group E with the same number of points as Saudi Arabia, but with a better goal difference (+8 compared to +6), meaning the match between the two teams in the final round will decide the group winner.
Almoez Ali capitalized on passes from left winger Akram Hassan Afif. With just four shots, the number 19 scored four goals, a 100% scoring rate. The AFC has just set a record for scoring four goals in 51 minutes at the Asian Cup.
The previous record was held by Ismaeel Abdullatif of Bahrain in India's 5-2 victory in 2011. He scored the first goal in the 16th minute and the fourth in the 77th minute.
The Qatar national team is the "dark horse" of the 2019 Asian Cup. This has brought a sigh of relief to both the Qatar Football Association and FIFA. The team's performance and the progress of players like Almoez Ali, Akram Afif, and Hassan Al-Haydos will ensure a successful World Cup in 2022. Qatar's relentless attacking style, based on their excellent physical fitness and technical skills, shows that they are young but not inexperienced and pose a challenge to any team aiming for the tournament.
