A soccer extravaganza is about to kick off in Shanghai, where China's national soccer team is undergoing intense preparations to sharpen up for the Asian Cup to be held in Qatar in mid-January. Training in Shanghai is in full swing, and the Asian Cup roster will be finalized on December 12th. After the announcement, the team will move to the United Arab Emirates to continue training until they arrive in Qatar on the eve of the tournament. In the UAE, the national soccer team has already completed two warm-up matches against India and Oman, the latter of which is seen as an ideal simulation of their Asian Cup group rivals Qatar due to their similar style of play.
Despite the fact that Qatar has hosted the World Cup with poor results, they are undoubtedly the strongest opponents in the group in the upcoming Asian Cup. However, the national soccer team is undaunted, having beaten the West Asian team in the World Qualifiers and other tournaments. What's even more concerning is that a month before the Asian Cup kicked off, Qatar's coaching staff underwent a major change. Portuguese manager Queiroz was abruptly dismissed, while Spanish coach Max Lopez was announced as the team's new head coach in just one day.
Max Lopez, 61, nicknamed "Tintin", has not had a long coaching career despite his advanced age. He briefly coached Spaniards, but his results were mediocre. Prior to his stint as Qatar coach, he had a stint with Wakrah in the Qatar League, where his knowledge of Qatari soccer gave him an advantage despite the team's low level. Max's coaching experience has focused on the ladder and youth teams, and has been a fire-fighting coach on several occasions, which has given him a wealth of experience in taking over.
Despite his deep understanding of Qatari soccer and youth training, Marks lacks the experience to lead the national team. The national team is coached in a very different way to the club, and the sudden arrival of this new manager a month before the start of the tournament seems to pose a risk to the team. However, this change may be a reflection of the change Qatari soccer is looking for. We may see this as an opportunity to delve into his tactical style before the game and give him a taste of the brutality of the national team game during the match.
As hosts, Qatar have an advantage in the Asian Cup, but the national soccer team has no mental burden about it. We can make the most of this opportunity and prepare well for the challenge.
