Lebanon in its second Asian participation: the team has the keys to success

Ali Zainuddin-

Nineteen years ago, none of the current Lebanese players started their career in the first division clubs when Lebanon hosted the 12th Asian Cup and took part for the first and last time before qualifying for the event. course. All the names have changed, the old players are trained and the older generation is left only by the technical advisor Yousef Mohammed, 20 years old. Ten coaches, local and foreign, punished the national team and dozens of players represented their country. Many games have been played and countless goals have been recorded. Fans have joined the national team in Lebanese and foreign areas, including the Kebab, and some of them still prove their presence on the stands. The sadness accompanied the international march and few joys were enough to strengthen the national sense. Only one thing remained the same: the Lebanese cedar in the hearts of the players.

Lebanon participates in the 17th edition of the UAE Asian Cup in 2019. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the DPR of Korea are opposed to Group F. A championship in which the "Men of rice "seek to present a positive image of Lebanese football and erase the consequences of the disappointing participation in the 2000 tournament, reaching the second round, which qualifies for first and second place in the six groups,. The task does not seem easy or difficult. Four points will suffice to allow the Lebanese team to reserve a center in the role of 16, while the crew can also qualify with only three points, if the goal difference in his favor at the expense of teams competing.

The most difficult group?

The draw drew Lebanon, ranked third in Group E with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and North Korea, in a group that many consider to be the toughest of the six. This group is one of five other teams that have already won the title and also participated in the last Russian World Cup and are the second group of three Arab teams. As for the Lebanese team, it may not be the easiest group, but it is often not the most difficult: the presence of two Arab teams facilitates the task of the players, even psychologically, and the North Korean team, which lost five goals without giving an answer to the Lebanese in the qualifiers of the Asian Championship. If Saudi and Qatari teams are the favorites to reach the semifinal, but not as strong as Iran, Japan, South Korea and Australia, they will win the title.

The coach of Lebanon, Miodrag Radolovic, is aware of the difficulty of his three matches. Qualifying one of the first two places is a feat compared to the extent of the preparations, the possibilities and the history of the participation of the Qatari and Saudi teams in the tournament, in particular that the latter participated in the tournament. the "2018 Russia" World Cup while preparing for the second World Cup home in 2022. The coach who began his career with the national team three years ago has shown time and again that the differences between the Lebanese team and his opponents were based on a defensive plan allowing him to maintain a record of defeats in 16 consecutive matches.

His first goal against Qatar is the key to the second round. Although the Lebanese team did not win the 12th match against their Qatari counterpart, the players managed to match their opponent at most meetings and have lost by more than two goals only twice in the last ten games. The pressure exerted on the opposing team by the foreign media in particular, because the country hosts the 2022 World Cup, can have an impact on the performances, while the Lebanese team plays without pressure. An exit of one point could be enough to reinforce the hopes of qualifying for the second round in the event of a new victory over Korea at the third meeting, while the Lebanese team will technically play the toughest match against Saudi Arabia.

The last of the disappointing participation in the last World Cup, no heel high in the Lebanese team, lost four times in front of him and won the same, tied with him twice. The Saudi team should witness a great defensive commitment from the Lebanese and the final word will be in the middle of the field, where the opponent's strength lies.

The third match with the North Korean team is not as easy as expected. It is true that the results of the latter were mostly negative, and that its biggest victory in terms of the strength of competition was made at the expense of the UAE team two years ago, but the decisive factor of this The match will be the physical form of the players from the Korean team and the missing Lebanese players. After two games with Qatar and Saudi Arabia in five days, some names are expected to change in both teams and substitutes will play an important role in the decision of the match, in which candidates often seek qualification.

Radolovic game keys

Coach Radolovic relies on a draw 5-2-3 in his last matches, which turns into a 3-4-3 offensive. The presence of brothers Alexander and Felix Malki, as well as Bbadel Grady, on the team's list, gave Radu new options for the denomination. With Joan El Omari and Qbadem El Zein, the coach has relied on one of the defenders of my heart, Moataz Al-Junidi and Nour Mansour in friendly matches, alongside Ali Hammam and Waleed Ismael in the back and left positions. At the expense of Zein, who badumes the role of Ismael, except in the case where it relies on him and excludes one of the members of the trio Zein, Mansour and El-Genidi. Radulovic has many options in defense. He called eight players, including three guards, Ahmed Al-Taktuk, Mustafa Matar and Mahdi Khalil, who will be the main guard of the tournament.

The names of the local league occupy the center of the national team. The top two contenders are Felix Melchi, who has played in both games, alongside Hitham Faour, who has a total defense commitment, playing long balls on which the coach depends. Nader Matar's participation in the starting lineup seems unlikely, except in the case of his right wing addiction, especially in the first match, which should not be started by Mohammed Haider. Although Adnan Haidar, Hbadan Shaito, Shibriko and Samir Ayas are among the trumps of the coach, who seems to have chosen midfielder Basil Jaradi as a declared striker instead of Hilal Al Hilwa. The most prominent professional player on the Lebanese roster has formed a distinctive pair with Hbadan Maatouk on the left and is capable of leading counterattacks and scoring goals. Although the center of the left wing is reserved for the oppressed, there are many options on the opposite side, where play Mohammed Haider, Mattar and Rabia Attaya, as well as Radolovich Hbadan Shaito "Moni" and sweet of course.

Saudi Arabia and the memories of Asia

Recalling his recent Asian title on UAE, the Saudi team is looking for a fourth-division tie with the Japanese team and the pursuit of his supporters after disappointing results at the World Cup. The coach Juan Antonio Pietzi wants to be the first Argentine to win the title, at the expense of his Brazilian neighbors, who have the lion's share. The Copa America with Chile has many stars on the Asian scene, including Fahd Al Mawlid Salem Al Dosari, Yahya Al Shehri and Salman Al Faraj, who may miss a match because of injury. Al-Akhdar has qualified for the doubles playoffs. He led his group, which included the United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Malaysia and East Timor, without losing, and prepared for the tournament during clashes with South Korea, Jordan , Yemen, Iraq, Brazil and Bolivia. A.

Korea is the weakest link

North Korea has changed a lot since the last World Cup in 2010. The team, which is competing for the fifth time in the Asian Cup, has become an easy top for most competitors, has not won important victory for two years and won only modest victories in the Southeast teams of the continent.
Coach Kim Yong-joon is the youngest coach in the tournament (35 years old). It includes professional players in Italy (second and third place), Japan, Switzerland and Austria, as well as one of the most experienced players of the tournament. With 120 capsules. The Korean team arrived in the semi-finals of the competition once in their first match and was unable to advance to the group stage.

The last post of "Annabi"

For the tenth time, Qatar participates in the Asian Cup and seeks to appear before the foreign media in general because of the organization of the World Cup in 2022. Annabi, who has not yet reached the Golden Square , is among the candidates eager to leave, He is based on a group of active players in the local league, including Akram Afif, Maaz Ali, Hbadan Al Haidous and Bouallam Khoukhi, led by Spanish coach Felix Sanchez, who has supervised many of the current players of the Aspire Academy and pursued them in the youth and Olympic teams. Before Designate a technical manager for the first team.