The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Who's to blame for Asia's struggles in the World Cup?

10th July, 2014
Advertisement
Midfielder Jason Culina takes on South Korea's midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng. AFP PHOTO/MARWAN NAAMANI
Roar Guru
10th July, 2014
74
1723 Reads

Asia as a whole makes up about one-third of the world’s population, and as a region continues to be the future in terms of financial and economic growth. Yet on the world sporting stage, Asia continue to struggle.

All four teams finished bottom of their respective groups in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

With the African nations improving, CONCACAF absolutely flying with brilliant performances from the USA and Costa Rica and sides from Europe and South America making up the final four, the question must be asked.

What’s wrong with Asian teams?

Costa Rica is a country of five million people and while they are football lovers, it isn’t to the extent that we see from Brazil or Colombia. While Japan and South Korea had success as hosts in 2002, it has been something of a rarity. And with the continued improvement of African sides over the past 20 years Asian teams have suddenly become the whipping boys.

Asia seems to have a number of excuses on hand, but each of them come up short when explaining why they have struggled at major tournaments and cannot break through to produce consistent quarter-final sides.

When comparing Asian teams with Costa Rica, the excuses are not valid.

Costa Rica doesn’t have the structure in place domestically that the likes of Australia, Korea or Japan do. Nor do they have a greater pool of talent to choose from, with their better players being a young outcast at Arsenal and a captain who was surplus to requirements in a struggling Fulham side.

Advertisement

Perhaps the quality wasn’t there for Iran, South Korea and Australia in 2014 but that cannot be said of Japan, who have a number of world class talents in their squad. To think they finished fourth to the Ivory Coast and Greece is laughable when a quarter-final spot was staring them in the face.

Costa Rica have a wonderful keeper in Keylor Navas but so to do Australia in Mat Ryan, who I am positive will soon be playing in one of the major leagues in Europe.

Finally, while the Costa Rican players certainly gelled as a squad, there is no way they were any more united than Australia or Japan, who are both built around the idea of squad before individual.

Cases can be made for both Australia and Iran. Australia had a difficult group. Despite a great outing against Holland they were badly shown up by Spain and the first 20 minutes against Chile was nothing short of deplorable. Where would they be without Tim Cahill?

Iran at least showed some pluck, managing a tightly fought draw and heartbreak late on against the genius of Lionel Messi.

But South Korea and Japan were two of the biggest disappointments in the tournament. Not only did they show little resolve but both they were outworked and out-coached.

So for me it is simple, the number one reason why Asian teams continue to struggle is due to rigid formations and a lack of willingness to change. It was plan A or nothing for their managers.

Advertisement

The best example of this was Japan’s crucial contest with the Ivory Coast. After they appeared to be cruising, a shift to 4-4-2 by the Elephants completely changed the contest. It stretched the Japanese and saw them cut apart on the break. It would signal the end of the Samurais in the group stage.

Likewise, the ease at which Algeria cut apart Korea was frightening. They simply hadn’t prepared themselves for the slick passing and pace that the Algerians delivered and were tactically out-thought during the game.

Even Ange Postecoglou, so often hailed a genius on home soil, was unwilling to change the basic structure of the side despite swapping a number of personal throughout the three group games. It appeared to be shuffling the deck chairs on the titanic by the mauling handed out from a supposed shattered Spain.

Though in fairness, the Aussie squad seemed quite jaded by this stage. Clearly La Roja realised the Australians played a certain style and easily worked out how to exploit it.

Seeing sides like Algeria, Costa Rica and America progress so far into the 2014 tournament highlights the need for Asian teams to re-think their tactics and formations. Managers need to be willing to tinker and alter during matches, instead of just following play, to ensure they aren’t sending out lambs to the slaughter.

For a long time sides from Asia have been quite content to make up the numbers, but with the domestic leagues now well developed this mentality needs to stop.

Guus Hiddink showed in 2006 that a little bit of imagination can go a long way to not only improving your own game but putting the opposition completely off theirs.

Advertisement

The Socceroos need to start expecting more than honourable losses and believe in themselves. At least after being knocked out Ange acknowledged the need for Asia to become a force and make a better showing in Russia. Let’s hope the other nations follow.

close