Spain looks great, but to be honest I still have to see them playing in the next stage to actually consider them a favorite... they always are great in the group stage and fail in the playoff round.
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World Cup Lounge (7 Viewers)
- Thread starter JCK
- Start date
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The thing is Jack, as long as we don't export our players to Europe we will just keep going backwards. When we played against Tunisia we played pretty good, the players were confident, because at the end of the day they were playing against Tunisia, an arab country and the players played against them lots of times at club level. But the moment we set foot on the pitch against an European team, the players legs starts shaking, they start shivering, they loose their confidence (Ukraine's first goal is obviously because of lack of confidence).....In the same time, Tunisia held Spain at bay for 70 minutes, they seemed solid and full of confidence. Most of their players play week in week out in Europe....thats the difference.
Is it a Saudi policy not to send the players abroad?
It is not only sending your players abroad that helps, but bringing in foreigners to the league also helps. Then another about sending players abroad, players to play in Europe they have to be talented and talent does not normally come with birth, there must be schools of football for the youngsters. Do these exist in KSA? I know they don't in Lebanon. Actually the players who play in the top league in Lebanon have other jobs than playing footbal, see why I can't dream of seeing my team in the World Cup?
It is not only sending your players abroad that helps, but bringing in foreigners to the league also helps. Then another about sending players abroad, players to play in Europe they have to be talented and talent does not normally come with birth, there must be schools of football for the youngsters. Do these exist in KSA? I know they don't in Lebanon. Actually the players who play in the top league in Lebanon have other jobs than playing footbal, see why I can't dream of seeing my team in the World Cup?
No Saudi players could play abroad. Ironically too much money in our case is actually our bane. Let's take Yasser Al-Qahtani (the scorer of the first goal against Tunisia), the kid is talented, young, and could easily play in Europe's small clubs and work his way up. But IIRC Al-Hillal paid for him $10 Million or something like that. Now no club in Europe would ever pay such an amount for an unproven youngster, Arsenal paid 7 for Rosiscky FFS. Another problem is that the Saudi society is a somewhat closed society (even though thats changing).
We got our good share of good players here, Mohammed Kallon, Tenorio, Donadoni...etc all come to mind. But lets face it, the Saudi league is not that lucrative, in fact aside from some elite European leagues and perhaps the Brazilian and Argentinian leagues, none is really that lucrative.
And I disagree about the nessecity of football schools to brew good talent. I mean maybe thats the way it is in Europe, but Brazil the biggest talent exporter in the world don't subscribe to such system. Most of their talents are brewed on the streets , beaches...etc. The Saudi talent is developed by the latter. There is talent in Saudi Arabia, lots of Brazilian managers (i.e Carlos Alberto) have stated that, but the only problem is how this talent is molded.
We got our good share of good players here, Mohammed Kallon, Tenorio, Donadoni...etc all come to mind. But lets face it, the Saudi league is not that lucrative, in fact aside from some elite European leagues and perhaps the Brazilian and Argentinian leagues, none is really that lucrative.
And I disagree about the nessecity of football schools to brew good talent. I mean maybe thats the way it is in Europe, but Brazil the biggest talent exporter in the world don't subscribe to such system. Most of their talents are brewed on the streets , beaches...etc. The Saudi talent is developed by the latter. There is talent in Saudi Arabia, lots of Brazilian managers (i.e Carlos Alberto) have stated that, but the only problem is how this talent is molded.
Brasil is an exception!! Why? First because of the culture, football is in their culture which is not the case in oter countries in the world. Then there is the population factor, how much is Brasil's population compared to Saudi's? So if this amount of kids play on the streets, a certain talent has to pop up; this ratio is much less when it comes to other countries. Now you would mention China or India, but these countries don't have football as part of their culture; you don't see as much Chinese or Indian kids playing football on the streets as you see Brasilians. And here comes the league. You mentioned the Brasilian league as one of the better ones, because of this reason, the schools should be founed in other nations to attract more kids and to work out the talents of those who have it.
No it's not an exception, I believe most talents coming out from South America, Central America, and Mexico are developed on the streets. And to some extent Africa. In fact most third world country talents are made on the streets.
True the culture plays a vital role and perhaps thats the only thing Brazil has that nobody else has. I am in noway comparing the Saudis to the Brazilians that would be just insane. All I am saying that I have seen some crazy talented kids, they are great on the ball. But they are nowhere near when it comes to fitness, professionalism, applying tactical plans....etc. And this is all learned or acquired in clubs, but the Saudi clubs are weak in that. But raw talent is def there!!
True the culture plays a vital role and perhaps thats the only thing Brazil has that nobody else has. I am in noway comparing the Saudis to the Brazilians that would be just insane. All I am saying that I have seen some crazy talented kids, they are great on the ball. But they are nowhere near when it comes to fitness, professionalism, applying tactical plans....etc. And this is all learned or acquired in clubs, but the Saudi clubs are weak in that. But raw talent is def there!!
