Yes, Saudi Arabia still needs improvement to finish top two in the group. This is the wrong approach against Australia at home. If Saudi Arabia takes the Australia home game with defensive approach you will not be successful in this game most likely. When you play against them next month suppose that your two games against Australia are play off games and you must get something out of the first leg with playing attacking football. Football is not just defending/attacking. Sometimes you attack and sometimes you have to defend. You must play an attacking game against Australia at home but it does not mean you should completely forget defending. A very good comment but there is one thing you forgot and that is extremely important when you play against Australia at home. That is mentality. Your team must be mentally prepared. When they start the training session for this game the team must think that they need to give Australia a good punishment and they must think of only winning against them not draw. They must be mentally prepared for every scenario during the game. So the first important thing is that they must mentally prepared completely before the game. How about 3-5-2? I personally prefer 3-5-2 formation for home games although I know most teams do not use this formation. 3-5-2 is attacking and it gives you good chance to dominate the midfield.
@AIL1998 I am simply being realistic..Against Australia , KSA is not favourite . If I am coach, I won't think of playing a winning game against favorite..Instead , start with less damage control formation, then think of how we can hold the scoreline for long periods and then think of winning..Plus, the game played in Jeddah, there will be lot of humidity to make players tired and they can't keep up with the attacking football for long periods of time..
I know Saudi Arabia is not favorite against Australia but which favorite team are we talking about? We are talking about Australia. You are not without chance against them. In your best and lucky day, you may be able to beat them. For example, if Saudi Arabia plays against Australia 6 times a year you may be able to win only one of them and who knows the October one can be the one you win it if you are in your best and lucky day. Australia is good and favorite but they are not at the level of Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, etc. Also they are not at the level of Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, etc. If you play against the bolded teams even in your best and lucky day you probably do not have chance to win but you have that chance against Australia. You should play the way you said only if you play against the bolded teams or teams like Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, etc. I just think you should be mentally prepared and fully motivated. You should not give them respect during the game. You should try to have the ball possession more than them. If you just defend and do not play against them fearlessly you are asking for trouble against them.
The playing situation and environment is the same as in match b/w UAE x AUS. And your thinking and approach is the same that was adopted by UAE against Australia, at the end, UAE lost and Australia won... So, this approach is not effective at all. Saudi should play an attacking game, score 1 to 2 goals and then do whatever you want to do.
Truly Agree. Saudi should take the game to Austalia's throat. Either take the game to Australia or simply be prepared for negative outcome.
Saudis should not forget the importance of 3 points at home. Saudia should aim to take maximum 15 out of 15 points from home matches and match against Australia is No exception!... It is the 3 home points that's going to make difference in the long run for Saudi so don't aim for a draw against big Teams at home but aim for a win... In WC2010 qualification, Saudia only gathered 5 points out of maximum 12 points in home games. In WC2014 qualification, Saudia only gathered 4 points out of maximum 9 points in home matches. Hence, taking all home game 3 points (maximum 15 points from all home matches in WC2018 qualification) should be the target for Saudi.
The Saudi team to face Australia and UAE is announced but looking at the player's performance in the previous round of matches, we can identify certain players who played really well (irrespective of the final result of their respective team) and should had been considered for the Saudi National Team: From Al Nasr, it is Ahmed Al Fraidy. This player really needs to be reconsidered for the Saudi National Team. From Al Hilal, it is Nasser Al Shamrani What's your say ? http://www.thesaff.com.sa/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsID=14701 24 سبتمبر, 2016 المنسق الإعلامي : فهد السليم أعلنت إدارة المنتخب السعودي الأول لكرة القدم عن قائمة المنتخب السعودي المختارة من قبل المدير الفني السيد بيرت فان مارفيك للمشاركة في معسكر الأخضر في مدينة " جدة " استعداداً لخوض مواجهتي الجولة الثالثة و الرابعة في التصفيات الآسيوية المؤهلة لكأس العالم لكرة القدم 2018 م و ستكون البداية أمام منتخب استراليا في السادس من شهر أكتوبر القادم و في الجولة الرابعة سيلتقي الأخضر بنظيره منتخب الإمارات العربية المتحدة في الحادي عشر من شهر أكتوبر و سيخوض الأخضر كلا المواجهتين على استاد الملك عبدالله بجدة " الجوهرة " . هذا و جاءت قائمة المنتخب السعودي المختارة من المدير الفني الهولندي السيد بيرت فان مارفيك على النحو التالي : حراسة المرمى : ياسر المسيليم ، وليد عبدالله ، محمد العويس . خط الدفاع : محمد البريك ، حسن معاذ ، سعيد المولد ، عمر هوساوي ، أسامة هوساوي ، معتز هوساوي ، محمد ال فتيل ، منصور الحربي ، حسن كادش . خط الوسط : عبدالملك الخيبري ، عبدالعزيز الجبرين ، سلمان الفرج ، عبدالمجيد الرويلي ، تيسير الجاسم ، حسين المقهوي ، يحيى الشهري ، فهد المولد ، نواف العابد ، سلمان المؤشر ، علي عواجي . خط الهجوم : محمد السهلاوي ، نايف هزازي . كما طلب المدير الفني السيد فان مارفيك تواجد اللاعب ياسر الشهراني واجراء الفحص الطبي عليه من قبل الجهاز الطبي والوقوف على حالته الصحية.
Pretty same team..But shocked to see Saeed Muwallad back to the NT after he missed entire season and back playing with Raed ..It can be certainly assumed that coach is not selecting the team but it is his staff members.. One thing positive about this selection is the players need not much do to undertstand his tactics and players around them unlike if you add new players in the squad and disturb the cohesion.. Fraidy needs match time and prove himself in the team , Nasser does not fits the coach system clearly..
Well, I found link of the goal in which KSA defeated Japan in Riyadh with a solitary goal by Saleh Basheer... Not sure, if KSA can repeat the same with current squad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?annot...&feature=iv&src_vid=y4K76KkPEWw&v=twFFmwy1eA0
Really?... When & How ?... Who made this decision and on what? did someone got injured ?... Anyhow, this is great news
It seems Tarik Kayal will be managing/coaching/selecting the players from now..Van Marwijk is joke for him.. Nasser Shamrani replaces Sahlawi..
It's a home game for Saudi so it means that Saudi should aim to take maximum 3 points in each game by hook or by...
So KSA vs Australia today : By far am not optimistic that we will win. A draw would be a surprise. Win will be dream. They have beaten us comprehensively both the legs last time we met.. How can we play - Dodge Aussie players everytime they make aerial cross in the box. They rise above you they score . Have fast players in the final third, Fahd and Abed are doing good for clubs, Yahya will be good addition...No long range shooting as Aussie players are tall enough to block shots from there legs. Team to play - Waleed Abdullah Mansour Harbi Omar Hawsawi Osama Hawsawi Abdul Malek Khaibari Tayseer Jassim Nawaf Abed Yahya Sehri Salman Moasher Fahd Muwallad.. I prefer using false 9 , looking at how our strikers are shit these days
While I'm not that impressed by the roster of strikers we have, I'd still play one over having a false 9. You'd have an outlet up the park to hold up the ball and also keep the Aussies from pushing too far up. The temptation otherwise is for the players to congest in midfield when we don't have the ball. So I'd drop Yahya al-Shehri, who's been shit ever since he moved to Nassr, and have al-Abed, al-Mo'asher, and Fahad al-Muwallad play behind the striker. Fahad can even switch to second striker.
I prefer Nasser Al Shamrani over any striker specially when Hazzazi is out of form. Also, I would continue with same combination that got the wins in last 2 matches in the 2nd half including Shamrani
Next game against UAE. No mistakes this time and win the match. The coach now surely knows who to play with against UAE and drop shitty players like Naif Hazazi. We can give Sehri another chance but Muwallad will be better option. Australia plays Japan at home which is also good for KSA, if both team wins, they can set pace and go 4 points clear on the top.
Yasser Al Mussailam had an awful match against Australia... He couldn't shoot at either sides of the field ?... He did the same mistake which Qatari goal keeper did in the 2nd goal of Iran... Also, why there was no defender on the far post in the 1st Austalian goal ?... the 1st goal of austraia reminded of Or was similar to Bahrain's 2nd goal that knocked out Saudi Arabia of WC2010 qualifier... Naif Hazzazi has no confidence since he warmed the bench in his club matches and is clearly out of match practice and lacking deadly movement and touches, he clearly is a dead weight in the team. Nasser Al Shamrani once again proved his worth and showed his eye for goal which is required in any successful striker ... This game was a best match for Saudi to prepare for against UAE ... Hopefully, Saudi will play friendly matches against strong teams to prepare for match against Japan in Japan... However, I would say that KSA dropped 2 points out of maximum 3 points available today and only got 1. Let's hope that KSA gets all 3 points in the upcoming match against UAE while AUS x JPN ends in a draw ... This will be more favourable to both KSA & UAE...
The best player in tonight match was Tayseer Al Jasim and the best thing of KSA tonight was that KSA did not died down after Australia's 2nd Goal and showed really true spirit and character, and never say die attitude and came back into the game... Fahad Al Mualad really missed the 3rd goal opportunity which would have had finished the game... Anyhow, its better to have 1 point than to have nothing while giving away 3 points to visiting team... Saudi really played with their heart tonight and I was latterly crying in happiness when KSA scored the first goal inside first 5 minutes... Bravo ... Hat's Off in tonight's performance.
KSA vs UAE today - KSA will be favourites. UAE can't be taken easy too..It depends on coach now who he starts the game with. He has seen three games now and must know who has best applied his tactics. Sahlawi is expected to be back in starting XI or atleast bench. Shamrani must start along with Fahd, Jassem and Abed supporting at the back. Rest all are fine. If KSA wins we can say they are 70% sure to finish top 3 in the group looking at the gap they will have with the 4 placed team
Must win game today. Gives us breathing room when we play Japan away next. We have a good record against them, but the gulf teams have lost the fear factor of playing us at home. They will be confident.
Lineup for today's match: Shamrani in for Hazzazi. Yahya al-Shehri still on the starting lineup sadly.