LONDON: Saudi Arabia take on Ukraine on Thursday and then Belgium four days later in two vital warm-up games ahead of the 2018 World Cup. Here are five questions that coach Juan Antonio Pizzi will be looking to answer as he ramps up the Green Falcons’ World Cup preparations.
IS THIS THE LAST CHANCE FOR SOME TO IMPRESS?
In effect, this is Juan Antonio Pizzi’s first real squad since arriving in November. There was the Gulf Cup in December, where Saudi Arabia send a B-team, followed by friendlies against Iraq and Moldova with not all players called up. The plane that goes to Russia could well look similar to the one that heads to Spain this week for the training camp. Pizzi has not had much time and there are barely 10 weeks until the kick-off in Russia. This is not a squad for the future. By the time the next set of friendlies come in May, the final squad will already have been announced. It is now or never for some.
WILL INACTION IN SPAIN COST SOME STARS?
There was a blaze of publicity in January when nine Saudi Arabia stars left the Kingdom for clubs in the top two divisions in Spain. Three of those are regular internationals: Salem Al-Dawsari, Fahad Al-Muwallad and Yahya Al-Shehri. They have been named in the squad. While the moves were made with a desire to provide international exposure and experience, they have not played competitive football since January. They need to prove that they are still sharp and have, in some way, benefited from being at top clubs in Spain.
WHO WILL PROVIDE THE CREATIVITY?
With Nawaf Al-Abed still struggling with injuries, the team is in need of a player that can make things happen in the final third. Abdullah Otayf has always gone a little under the radar but has what it takes to catch Pizzi’s eye. The 26-year-old midfielder loves to drop deep to take possession and then pick out teammates with passes which, short or long, rarely go wrong. The Al-Hilal man can set the tempo and if Pizzi gives him responsibility against Ukraine and Belgium, we will get a chance to see how good he really is and he has a great opportunity to stake his claim to start in Russia.
ARE UKRAINE GOOD PREPARATION FOR THE RUSSIA CLASH?
It is no coincidence that Ukraine are the opponents this week. It is vital that Saudi Arabia avoids defeat in the opening game against Russia on June 14 to have any chance of getting to the second round. Physically and stylistically, Ukraine are as close to Russia as it is possible to get. In theory at least, the defense and attack should get a real taste of what lies in store in the Moscow opener. It is not just about getting a taste of what lies ahead. Ukraine are probably a stronger opponent than Russia. A good result would do wonders for confidence.
CAN THE DEFENCE HANDLE QUICK ATTACKS?
There is plenty of experience in the backline. But the flip side of that coin is that there is a good chance that three of the back four will be the wrong side of 30. Pizzi knows that a strong defense will be key at the World Cup but it is susceptible to pace and quickly-launched attacks. Osama Al-Hawsawi is key. The veteran center-back has to help the new coach marshal the backline otherwise it is going to have little chance of stopping Artem Kravets on Thursday let alone the likes of Mohammed Saleh and Luis Suarez in June.
BIG WEEK FOR MOHAMMED AL-SAHLAWI
Pizzi has already voiced concerns about the lack of firepower he has to call upon. This then, is the chance for Al-Sahlawi to step forward and stake a claim for Moscow. The 31-year-old striker opened his international account against a Spain team that was just a month away from winning the 2010 World Cup. That was a fine start, and he has continued to score plenty, but the standard of opposition has not always been of a high level. If he can show that he can score against top-level opposition — — or at least cause problems — then the starting spot is his. Saudi Arabia are not going to get that many chances in Russia. He has scored 28 goals in 32 games for his country. His most important goal is the one he scores next.
