Qualification for Russia in the first place should be deemed worthy of celebration. Dutchman Bert van Marwijk was appointed back in 2015 after a poor Asian Cup in Australia with the sole target of returning to the World Cup for the first time since Germany in 2006. Within two years, he had succeeded in not only qualification to Russia’s summer showpiece, but he did so with a side that could finally be considered a workable unit, rather than the mere throwing together of individual talents.
Saudi Arabia had been in the doldrums for a while, only one victory from the last two Asian Cup campaigns combined for a nation that had made the final in six of the seven prior editions was a clear indication that they were quickly falling behind the Asian elite.
By no means was it pretty under van Marwijk. Despite finishing qualification as the joint leading scorers (17 of which were racked up early on against Timor-Leste alone) Saudi Arabia were pragmatic in their execution, surrendered possession often and in all honesty rode their luck in key moments. Their success in the final round of qualification was built on an impressive home record, finishing unbeaten in Jeddah, with four clean sheets from five. Conversely away they looked off the speed; failing to clinch victory against any of their top ranked rivals in their sections (including Palestine and UAE in Round 2, Japan, Australia and UAE in Round 3).
They did however come alive in the big moments. When they needed their big players to shine, they stood up to the occasion. Creative hub Nawaf Al-Abed scored three penalties in their first two final round ties against Thailand and Iraq as they laboured past the weakest sides in their group, while wingers Yahya Al-Shehri and Fahad Al-Muwallad clinched winners to force Saudi Arabia over the line at the end of qualification. Rarely did we see a side in full control of a match, instead a team ready to produce their best when it mattered most, a calling card van Marwijk's teams are becoming particularly known for.
It was a surprise then, that van Marwijk was given his marching orders upon qualification for Russia. The Dutchman who was unashamedly averse to living in the Kingdom, previously curtailing a post-match press conference early to catch a flight back to Europe, was now living on borrowed time - the Saudi Football Federation weren’t to be turning a blind eye anymore with the greater attention they’d likely receive upon qualification. It was questionable why van Marwijk was ever sanctioned to reside elsewhere in the first place, however given the arrangement provided results over his tenure, why the SFF all of a sudden noticed an issue seems equally misguided.
Van Marwijk didn’t need to wait long for his next job, being appointed by Australia at the turn of the year, by this stage his former employers had already moved onto their third successive coach, after Edgardo Bauza (into his third national team job within a year) failed to make a positive impact within his brief two months in charge. Deep into World Cup preparations former Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi was installed at the helm; a high profile name, with an even greater defined style of play, a polar opposite from the previous regime.
Pizzi’s high pressing, possession style of football is considerably more aesthetic than the conservative brand instilled by van Marwijk (ironically who is now transitioning Australia the opposite way), however it’s proving heavy going thus far to provide a snug fit for the Saudis. After a pretty damning group stage exit with an experimental B-side at this winter’s Gulf Cup in Kuwait, a winless March against Ukraine and Belgium did little to suggest Saudi Arabia can expect to outlast their three group stage matches in Russia.
There are players within the ranks that have the qualities to match Pizzi’s tactical goal; midfielders Salman Al-Faraj and Taisir Al-Jassim are two of the finest possession based players in the Middle East, however there are far more areas of concern than promise. The defence for one, which is often unfairly derided, the three Hawsawis (Osama, Omar and Montaz) in particular are lambasted, yet are a pretty effective set up domestically and regionally. With a higher line however and given greater responsibility to build up possession they are always likely to be found out at the highest level.
Concerns stretch further up field also. Their stars of qualification came from wide areas; Al-Shehri, Al-Abed and Al-Muwallad, all high impact players with quick acceleration, useful for pressing yet, not exactly the type of players you’d want on the ball in transition. Mohammed Al-Sahlawi, who scored more goals (16 in 14 matches) than anyone other than Robert Lewandowski in World Cup qualification is a deadly poacher on his day, but similarly lacks inventiveness when in possession.
It’s looking like another case of Association interference gone wrong then. Unlike much of their regional peers over the last few years, the SFF at least need to be forgiven for attempting to give their side the best possible opportunities. Another failed example being their initially reasonable link up with La Liga to encourage Saudi players to compete in Europe on the run up to the World Cup. In total however, the three players (Al Shehri, Al-Muwallad and Salem Al-Dawsari) that moved to Spain on loan in January only accrued 58 minutes of pitch time.
The cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s qualification campaign was unity; 20 of the final 23 man squad play for one of Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli or Al-Nassr. Each player knew their role, honed over the course of a career in the Saudi Pro League, which adopts the same style of play. Unlike any other league in Asia, the Saudi top flight is physical, fast paced and to be frank lacking considered play, a perfect breeding ground then for the transition of one ideology to the national team. Now, with players being channeled into La Liga and with a national coach attempting to impose a new philosophy, players are attempting to evolve their outlook at odds with a style they’ve grown up with - all in a relatively short preparatory time-frame.
It’s a transition that is taking it’s time to get off the ground, but there are green shoots being sprung. Saudi Arabia’s performance against Italy in the last week showed a number of players are starting to embrace Pizzi’s high press philosophy. Whether the team can perform as one, over a sustained period is yet to be seen however.
Few if any, even from within the fanatical base of Saudi football predicted Saudi Arabia would come away from Russia with anything to truly boast about. While this would’ve likely been the outlook under van Marwijk also, the style was at least clear from the outset, feeding perfectly into their undeniable underdog status and ability deficit at this level. Under Pizzi the same fans may look on and merely hope to avoid a humiliating spanking akin to their 8-0 defeat to Germany in 2002. A worldwide spotlight against the hosts in the tournament opener presents them with the perfect opportunity to improve on expectations early.
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