All 32 teams participating in the World Cup in Qatar are introduced.
This time, we will introduce Group C, the Saudi Arabia national team, which has a lineup of talented players who can challenge Europe and will be aiming for a giant-killing at the World Cup in Qatar, taking advantage of the fact that the World Cup will be held in the Middle East.
Basic Information
| Number of appearance | 6th（Second consecutive） |
| Highest Achievement | Round of 16 |
| FIFA Ranking | 53th |
| Capital city | Riyadh |
| Population | 34.27 million |
| Manager | Hervé Renard |
| Nickname | The Green Falcons |
＜Results of last 6 games＞
| 9/24 | Friendly match | Ecuador | △ | 0-0 | N |
| 9/28 | Friendly match | USA | △ | 0-0 | N |
| 10/23 | Friendly match | North Macedonia | 〇 | 1-0 | N |
| 11/7 | Friendly match | Iceland | 〇 | 1-0 | N |
| 11/11 | Friendly match | Panama | △ | 1-1 | N |
| 11/17 | Friendly match | Croatia | ● | 0-1 | N |
・Under the leadership of Renard, who led the Moroccan team in the previous tournament, the team qualified for the final Asian qualifying round, where they shared the same group with Japan and Australia, by finishing first in their group.
・Talent with the ability to challenge Europe, led by the young ace Al-Buraikan, generally belong to domestic clubs. In particular, most of the players belong to the four clubs of Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Shabaab, and almost all of the regular players of Al-Hilal are members of the national team. Moreover, there are many players such as Al-Faraj and Al-Dawsari who have been active in the A team from the previous system, so there is little concern about the combination aspect.
・Since Renard took over as coach, the team has adopted a system that not only increases possession but also mixes in long feeds and bold side changes. Since the World Cup will be held in the Middle East, the team is highly motivated to make a breakthrough at the World Cup in Qatar.
Manager
| （Name） | Hervé Renard |
| （Date of birth) | September 30, 1968（54） |
| （nationality) | France |
| （inauguration) | Jul. 2019 |
・He recorded the most wins (18) as a foreign-born coach in team history.
・He has a long history of coaching in Africa, winning the Africa Cup of Nations twice as coach of the Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire national teams.
・He is a handsome director who looks like an actor and is often passed by the live camera.
・After retiring from professional athletics, he worked as a janitor and eventually started his own cleaning company.
Basic Formations & Tactics
The team will show their matured individual quality and team power to reach the top 16 for the first time since 1994 in a place they are used to playing.
＜Basic Formations＞
・Dribbler Al-Dawsari, who also played in the last tournament, commander Al-Faraj, left back Al-Shahrani, CB Al- Bulayhi, and defender Al-Owais are the core of the team.
・The hopefuls are 22-year-old Al-Buraikan, who knocked in the final goal against Japan at home in the third and final Asian qualifying round for the World Cup. Can he take advantage of his competitive edge in the box to score goals against powerful nations?
＜At Attack＞
・Once the ball is collected, he simply sends a wedge to Al-Buraikan, Al-Dosari, or Al-Muwarad, who then finishes it off with his individual skills.
・The front four, including Al-Faraj up top, are not only capable of breaking the deadlock on the dribble, but are also good at getting fouled in the vital areas and in the box.
・In situations where the opponent’s defense is in place, the attack is built up from the rear, mainly with short passes, and then the volantis are involved, with the left and right SBs taking up as high a position as possible. Therefore, in many cases, one of the bolanchoes will join the final line.
・When the ball is carried to the opposing team, the side halves, SB, and volante form a triangle in close proximity and pass the ball around. There, they exploit the space behind and to the side of the opponents who are under pressure, and develop a play that leads to a goal. There are many attacking options, such as breaking through vertically from the same side and supplying a cross, or receiving a pass in the inner space for Al-Faraj, the top player, to make a last pass or dribble, or changing sides and using the open space on the opposite side.
・The problem is that the more players are involved in chance creation outside the penalty area, the fewer players are involved in finishing inside the box. Whether or not to take risks and increase the number of players will be a decision that coach Renard will have to make at different phases of the game.
＜At Defense＞
・The defense is based on [4-4-2].
・Basically, they aim to win the ball by applying pressure from a high position. At the same time, retreating to lay down defensive blocks. It is absolutely necessary to buy time for the SBs who have taken high positions during the attack to return to their positions.
Star players（Top 3）
Salman Al faraj （MF/Al-Hilal）
・”Absolute Command Center”
・A game-maker who uses exquisite through passes to create chances in every attack. He plays a box-to-box role, always carrying the ball forward and making it nearly impossible to win the ball.
・He is captain of both his club, Al Hilal, and the Saudi national team.
・In the last World Cup in Russia, he scored his first World Cup goal on a penalty kick against Egypt.
Salem Al-Dawsari （MF/Al-Hilal）
・”Small Attacker”
・He is Saudi Arabia’s leading scorer and a master dribbler. He can shoot with both feet, and his power and technique are impressive to watch.
・He attacks from the left side of the field with his excellent combination with his colleague at his club, Al Faraj.
・In the final match of the group stage of the World Cup in Russia against Egypt, he scored the game-winning goal in the second half.
Firas Al-Buraikan （FW/Al-Fateh）
・”Young Ace of The Green Falcons”
・During the year, he became the coach’s favorite and was dubbed “the man who scores the decisive goal”.
・Although his success at the international level has not been matched by his performance in the Saudi Arabian Professional League, his impact is not limited to scoring goals, but also plays an important role in supporting his wingers.
・He is an excellent attacker who is a great passer of the ball and can also play in tandem with his teammates. If the game gets out of hand, he can also play behind the defense.
Players List
| Name | Age | Club team | Representative Results (Goals) | |
| Mohammed Al-Owais | 31 | Al-Hilal | 36 caps | ・Stable guardian in front of the goal ・Can also be the starting point of an attack. |
| Mohammed Al-Rubaie | 25 | Al Ahly | 5 caps | ・Outstanding reflexes and competitive spirit are his weapons. |
| Fawaz Al Qarni | 30 | Al-Shabaab | 10 caps | ・Dynamic saves bring momentum to the team |
| Nawaf Al-Aqidi | 22 | Al-Nassr | 0 | ・The best goalkeeper of the tournament who led the Saudi Arabia national team to victory in the U-23 Asian Cup in 2010 ・Has not made his debut with the top team yet, but is growing in the domestic league |
| Yasser Al-Shahrani | 30 | Al-Hilal | 69 caps（2） | ・Right-handed left SB ・The type that can be involved in attacks both outside and inside. |
| Mohammed Al-Breik | 30 | Al-Hilal | 35 caps（1） | ・Offensive SB ・High-speed crosses after breaking through vertically are a weapon. |
| Ali Albulayhi | 33 | Al-Hilal | 30 caps | ・In this year’s Club World Cup, he had a fierce match-up with Chelsea’s Lukaku |
| Abdulelah Al-Amri | 25 | Al-Hilal | 12 caps（1） | ・Last resort for risk management of the final line in high positions. |
| Abdullah Madu | 29 | Al-Nassr | 11 caps | ・Strong on the opposing line and overwhelmingly physical. |
| Sultan Al-Ghanam | 28 | Al-Nassr | 21 caps | ・Attacks up from the right side, in and out. |
| Saud Abdulhamid | 23 | Al-Hilal | 15 caps | ・Right SB with a reputation for dueling |
| Hassan Tambakti | 23 | Al-Shabaab | 13 caps | ・He has been a mainstay of the national team since his training days. |
| Ziyad Ali-sahaf | 28 | Al-Ittihad | 12 caps | ・Can also play volante and contribute in the build-up |
| Nasser Al-Dossari | 23 | Al-Hilal | 6 caps | ・Technical left-back |
| Salman Al faraj | 33 | Al-Hilal | 68 caps（8） | ・Can be relied upon in PK and FK situations. |
| Salem Al-Dawsari | 31 | Al-Hilal | 65 caps（17） | ・In 2018, as part of a deal between the Saudi Arabian Football Federation and La Liga, he moved to Villarreal on loan and played one game |
| Mohamed Ibrahim Kanno | 28 | Al-Hilal | 31 caps（1） | ・A tall technician who creates the rhythm of the attack with flexible ball handling |
| Abdulellah Al-Malki | 28 | Al-Hilal | 21 caps | ・Playmaker with long and short passes to create opportunities |
| Abdulaziz Al Bishi | 28 | Al-Ittihad | 19 caps（1） | ・Contributed to the team as a flow changer from the second half |
| Abdulrahman Ghareeb | 25 | Al Ahly | 15 caps（1） | ・Confusing the vital area with his slow and agile dribbling. |
| Ali Al-Hassan | 25 | Al-Nassr | 7 caps（1） | ・Contributed to the team by winning the ball in midfield |
| Abdullah Otayf | 30 | Al-Hilal | 44 caps（1） | ・Anchor contributing to possession |
| Hattan Bahebri | 30 | Al-Shabaab | 35 caps（4） | ・High-speed crosses from the right side create opportunities |
| Riyadh SHARAHILI | 29 | Abha | 2 caps | ・A box-to-box type who made his debut for the A national team at the age of 29 after going through weak clubs ・ Plays a role as a filter in the midfield and prevents the opponent from creating chances ・Strong in aerial battles and powerful in shooting |
| Sami Al-NAJEI | 25 | Al-Nassr | 15 caps（2） | ・Aggressive midfielder with powerful left-footed shot ・ Brings dynamism to attacks and is strong against one-on-one |
| Abdulrahman Al-ABOUD | 27 | Al-Ittihad | 2 caps | ・Spent three years as a reserve since his debut in 2018, and was eliminated from the national team in September. However, the winger who has evolved after being taught how to attack the opponent’s defender by the manager Espirito Santo at his club. |
| Nawaf Al-ABED | 32 | Al-Shabaab | 50 caps (2) | ・A playmaker who moves around a wide range with plenty of momentum ・In set-plays and spaces near the goal to threaten the opponent ・Scored 5 goals in the final Asian qualifiers and contributed to qualifying for the finals |
| Firas Al-Buraikan | 22 | Al-Fateh | 22 caps（6） | ・A breakthrough in the final qualifying round, and a show of cunning. |
| Saleh Al-Shehri | 29 | Al-Hilal | 16 caps（8） | ・Striker who can score goals at a high rate if he has the ball in the box. ・The rise of the Brycans has put them in the joker slot. |
| Abdullah Al-Hamdan | 23 | Al-Hilal | 20 caps（5） | ・Become a target and acrobatically match your teammate’s crosses |
| Haitham ASIRI | 22 | Al Ahly | 1 caps | ・Attackers who freely move around the front lines to create space and create opportunities ・Can be used in any offensive position, suitable for the role of Joker in this tournament |
＜＜＜Other related articles＞＞＞
コメント