Qatar’s young guns prove they are phenomenal

Seven matches played, seven matches won. A whopping 19 goals scored and only one conceded. The new Asian Cup champions Qatar not only dominated the continental championship but also gave a sneak peek into what lies in future for the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts.Felix Sanchez’s young guns were truly phenomenal in the 28-day long tournament and the fans should be excited what they could offer ahead. Undoubtedly Almoez Ali was the star of the show – his stunning bicycle kick in the final against Japan making the 23-year-old forward the first player to score nine goals at a single Asian Cup. But make no mistake, this was a triumph contributed by every single player and support staff, with head coach Sanchez being the cornerstone of Qatar’s watershed moment in the sporting world.Sanchez says that victory over Japan is a vindication for Qatar’s extraordinary investment in football. The Spaniard was the coach at Barcelona’s prestigious La Masia academy before moving to Aspire Academy in 2006, when he began by coaching under-11 teams.The 43-year-old has since seen how Qatar has grown in football and he has played an integral part in the team’s success. Sanchez came to limelight in 2014 when he led Qatar under-19 team to Asia title with a squad that would also go on to make history at the senior level.His footprint on the team did shine through throughout the Asian Cup. Qatar were technically superior than any other side, they played possession football whenever required but were quick on the counterattack.“I have no words. We beat an outstanding, outstanding team,” Sanchez said. “In the first half, we played very well. In the second half, we had to defend a lot because obviously they want to win the title as well. It was a very tough game. We suffered and we know how to suffer. I’m very happy for the players and all of the people in Qatar who have supported us from the beginning. It’s very well deserved. I’m very happy. I have no words,” he added.Yesterday in Abu Dhabi, they got off to a blazing start with Almoez Ali scoring the opener after just 12 minutes before Abdulaziz Hatem’s stunning strike from outside the box in the 27th minute put them in the box seat.Having armed with 2-0 lead at half-time, Sanchez’s men sat deep but were resilient enough to keep the Japanese at bay. While they did concede their first goal of the tournament to give Samurai Blue a glimmer of hope, Akram Afif was super cool in converting a penalty to put the final to bed.  While all the focus has been on Almoez’s magnificent achievement, Afif has shown he has a bright future ahead of him. The 22-year-old has been a perfect partner for Almoez, with the Al Sadd forward making an incredible 10 assists – the highest in the tournament.With Sanchez ditching his familiar 4-2-3-1 combination to 3-2-3-2 for the final, Afif, whose elder brother Ali was an unused substitute last night, played on the right side and was a constant threat to Japan defence.The back three of Tarek Salman, Boualem Khoukhi and Bassam al-Rawi, who came back into the squad after a one-game suspension, came under barrage of attacks by the Japanese in the second half but the Qatari defence were calm and solid under pressure.Japan’s Yuya Osako, who scored two goals in an outstanding performance against Iran in the semi-finals, tested the Qatar defensive line at Zayed Sports City but the Wreder Bremen striker was kept quiet.The two wingers Abdelkarim Hassan and Pedro Correia also played their part with the latter hard to get past on the right side. Goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb was beaten for the first time the tournament, but he looked sharp and showed a safe pair of hands.The midfield trio of captain Hassan al-Haydos, Assim Madibo and Abdelaziz Hatim acted as a bridge between the attack and defence and played their part perfectly.  After scoring a long-range effort, Hatim could have had one more in the final.“These players, they are amazing in the way they are working and the effort they are putting in to be here and to have this performance. We worked very hard and we’re very proud and very happy. In six games we didn’t concede a goal. It was very important and one of the main reasons we triumphed,” gushed Sanchez.  It’s just seven months since Japan matched their best ever finish at a World Cup as they reached the last 16 in Russia, reconfirming their status as their Asia’s top side. They were in line to make the quarters before Belgium won the thrilling encounter 3-2 in Rostov.Last night, Qatar showed they are not far off taking Japan’s place in Asia. Sanchez’s men were given only an outside chance of making it to the last eight, but as they kept winning their belief increased manifold and didn’t stop until they had their hands on the trophy.On their way to the title, Qatar overcame Lebanon, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, South Korea, United Arab Emirates and ultimately Japan to prove that they belong among the elites of Asian football.While the Asian Cup crown sits pretty on Sanchez’s men, the true test awaits them when they cross the seas to take part in the Copa America as one of the two guest teams. Qatar are in the same group as Lionel Messi’s Argentina for the June-July tournament in Brazil.  While a victory there would be a far-fetched dream, there is no doubt that Qatar will be a force to reckon with against the mighty oppositions.