World Soccer - UK (2022-05)

Qatar 2022 draw provides intrigue and anticipation

No luck of the draw for the hosts. No

group of death. Yet the draw for the

first World Cup on Arab soil yielded

eight intriguing groups that should

see most of the powerhouses progress.

As hosts, Qatar were supposed to

get a favourable draw – a winnable

opening match to get the party going

and friendly Group A opponents to

keep their knockout-round hopes alive.

It’s a recipe to keep the tidal wave of

enthusiasm and nation-building going

during the tournament. In 2010, South

Africa became the first host nation to

exit in the group stage, despite drawing

with Mexico and beating France.

Will Qatar be the second host

nation to suffer a similar fate? The

draw, which included a star-studded

show with the usual hoopla and

hyperbole, was not kind to Qatar.

In Group A, they will face Ecuador,

the Netherlands and Senegal. The

Maroons won the 2019 Asian Cup

when they stormed to maiden

continental glory with the impressive

duo Almoez Ali and Akram Afif up

front, but there is a sense the team of

coach Felix Sanchez peaked too soon.

In 2006, the Spaniard moved to the

Aspire Academy where he worked as

U19 and U23 national coach before

moving up the ladder. He understands

better than anyone how Qatar built a

competitive national team, helped by

the Aspire Academy and the investment

of hundreds of millions of riyals.

But it might all be in vain. Their

form has dipped and Sanchez has

limited options off the bench. Qatar

were lacklustre in last year’s Gold Cup,

and in December’s Arab Cup they fell

in the semis, struggling against Egypt

and Algeria. They will prepare for

months on end, but on the big stage

there won’t be any respite. Qatar kick

off their campaign against Ecuador and

it could all be over eight days later.

Surprisingly, the hosts won’t open

the World Cup, a tradition since 2006.

For over a decade, the global finals

have been central to Qatar’s nation-

building and geopolitical ambitions,

but the curtain-raiser sees Senegal

play the Netherlands on November 21.

Three hours later, Euro 2020

finalists and 2018 World Cup semi-

finalists England will be in action

against Iran in Group B, home to the

United Statesaswelland thusthe

promise of politicalintrigue. Atthe

1998 World Cup, Iran defeated the

USA 2-1 in the groups. USA coach

Gregg Berhalter says: “We’ve both

grown so much since then...24 years

later, the world looks different and we

are no longer rivals with Iran. I think

we are more friends. There is a ton of

mutual respect. Football, fortunately,

transcends a lot of the political stuff.”

In Group E, Spain v Germany will

be the headline clash, but both former

world champions should qualify from

their group with ease. Rivals Brazil and

Argentina, alongside Saudi Arabia,

Mexico and Poland in Group C, can

have no complaints. Argentina have

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WORLD CUP

2022 DRAW

been unbeaten for almost three years

and for the first time Lionel Messi seems

to be truly integrated into the set-up,

receiving passes higher up the pitch.

Brazil and coach Tite must have

haddéjà vu, drawing Switzerland and

Serbia again. In the quarter-finals,

they might meet Belgium, the team

that eliminated the five-time world

champions from the last World Cup.

The 2-1 defeat remains Tite’s trauma.

Ever since, he has been tinkering

with the balance of his side. Something

of the pragmatic and defensive-minded

Tite has returned. He is a coach with

principles and will not commit to ideals,

the wayJorge Sampaoli and Marcelo

Bielsa do. The reason is simple: idealism

can’t topple balance. He doesn’t want

his team to be exposed again. On the

flip side, his side are less fluent. They

do however concede very few goals

and it will require a top team, perhaps

Portugal from Group H, at its best

to topple the Brazilians.

Once again the World Cup shapes

up to be a clash between Europe and

South America. No country outside of

those two continents has ever won the

global finals, but lately, South America

has also been excluded from the party.

Europe has won the last four World

Cups. The onus, then, is on Brazil and

Argentina to break that dominance and

reclaim the game’s most coveted prize.

Final draw...the

ceremony in Doha

In 2010, South Africa became the first host nation

to exit in the group stage...will Qatar be the

second host nation to suffer a similar fate?