Shanghai will be another training base for the national soccer team to prepare for the Asian Cup, building momentum for the Asian Cup to be held in Qatar in mid-January. Currently, the team is focusing on the training camp in Shanghai, and the list of participants for the Asian Cup will be officially unveiled on December 12th. After the announcement of the list, the team will move to the United Arab Emirates to continue their preparations until the eve of the tournament before arriving in Qatar. In between training sessions in the UAE, the national soccer team has completed two warm-up matches against India and Oman, with Oman attracting attention for their similar style and strength to their Asian Cup group rivals Qatar.
Despite Qatar's poor performance in the last World Cup, making it the worst host after South Africa, the national soccer team is undaunted by the West Asian powerhouse and has repeatedly beaten its opponents in past world qualifiers and other tournaments. It's worth noting that just before the opening of the Asian Cup, the Qatari soccer team saw a major coaching change. Portugal's famous manager Queiroz suddenly dismissed, only one day later, Spain coach Max Lopez announced his position, the "nameless" coach to join, undoubtedly for the team to bring new variables.
Max Lopez, 61, known as "Tintin", has not had a long coaching career despite his age. He has coached Spaniards, but with mediocre results. Before coming to Qatar, he was the coach of Wakrah in the Qatar League, and despite being in a lower league and team, his knowledge of Qatari soccer is quite deep. His coaching experience has focused on the ladder and youth teams, and he has served as a firefighting coach on several occasions, which has given him a wealth of experience in taking over.
While Marks knows the Qatar league and youth training inside out, he lacks national team coaching experience. National team coaches work very differently from club coaches, with some specializing in the national team while others are more focused on the club. With a coach like Marques, who has never led a national team before, suddenly becoming the national team manager on the eve of a tournament, Qatar seems to be taking a risk with this move. However, behind this rapid turnover is the importance they place on soccer and the urgency to pursue quick results.
Nevertheless, we need not worry about Qatar's change of manager. They have a new coach and this is an opportunity for the national soccer team. We can use the time before the match to delve into his tactical style and give him an early taste of the rigors of the national team game. As hosts, Qatar have obvious advantages, but the national soccer team does not have much psychological pressure on them.
