FIFA - Dr. Josef Venglos
has established himself as modern football's technical
expert par excellence since first heading up FIFA's
Technical Study Group (TSG) in 2002. The former Czech
national team boss also led UEFA's technical Study Group
during Euro 2004, and soon after was appointed head of
the AFC's TSG for the 2004 Asian Cup in China.
Having exhaustively
studied all 16 teams in training and full match play at
the latest instalment of the Asian Cup, Dr. Venglos is of
the belief that Asian football has improved steadily
since the breakthrough performances of the 2002 FIFA
World Cup. FIFA.com caught with the
technical guru to discuss the reasons behind the
continent's rapid progress and the improvements on hand
at China 2004.
FIFA.com: What
is your general impression of Asian football?
Dr. Josef Venglos: There is no question that football in
Asia has made significant and huge improvements in the
past two years, boosted by their tremendous success at
the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In this Asian Cup, there is not
too much between the teams. All the sides are
strong and each of them fought to the very last minute,
giving the seeded teams and favourites a difficult time
getting the upper hand.
While the traditional
powerhouses continued to impress, Asian Cup debutants
Oman, Jordan and Turkmenistan showed great ability during
the tournament, and even old underdogs Indonesia and
Thailand proved no pushovers as they have rarely done
before. It is also notable that a lot of young players
have emerged to prove the continent's football future is
full of potential.
Put another way,
the competition is fiercer than before?
Definitely. You can see that through Saudi Arabia's
early, group-stage exit. The three-time Asian Cup
champions were eliminated after losses to
"underdogs" Uzbekistan and Iraq. Cup holders
and eventual champions Japan also struggled against both
Jordan and Bahrain in the knockout stage and it was only
their experience and never-say-die attitude that finally
saw them through.
In the quarter-finals,
three of the four matches went to extra time. The
increasing toughness and competitiveness, of course,
testifies to the continent's steady progress in
footballing terms.
So the balance
of power in Asia is shifting?
The changes started even in 2002. Now football
in Asia is more similar to that which you see in Europe.
No team is certain to beat any other. The level of
competition is ferocious.
But what is the
cause: tactics, technique?
Firstly the Asian teams move more effectively than in the
past. Also mentality and organisation have improved
immensely. There was great coordination, invention and
cooperation in both attack and defence to be seen at the
Asian Cup. Advanced footballing strategies and discipline
are beginning to be allied with the ever-present natural
ability and talent.
Could these
improvemtns be attributed to Asia's foreign coaches?
In a general sense, yes. We see most Asian teams
have foreign coaches at the helm and these coaches bring
tremendous experience, advanced understanding and sound
coaching ability, which is crucial for developing teams.
But in the long run, of course, Asia must develop and
empower their own qualified coaches.
Could you name
any of these coaches?
All the coaches working in Asia have made their
contributions. Milan Macala has done a good job with
Oman. Despite exiting at the group stage, Oman impressed
with their performances against Japan and Iran. They
showed precocious attacking ability in the match with
Iran, where they were two goals up in the first half. I
see good preparation; improvements in team work and fine
mutual understanding between the coach and players in
this team.
How do your rate
the players?
A lot of players impressed in this competition. Asia
never lacks talent and natural ability. But this time we
saw some more-complete players emerging. They not only
impressed with their skills and technique, but also with
their mentality, courage, and leadership.
Japan's Nakamura was
crucial for his team's defence of the title. With several
European-based stars missing, the under-strength holders
still showed their class to take the honours.
Though they struggled at points, Nakamura did a brilliant
job to take care of organising attack through the
midfield.
China's defender Zheng
Zhi is also such a player. He helped keep his teammates
calm, creating a steady defence, while also scoring
crucial goals at critical moments. He also showed his
versatility, even pushing up front as a striker on
occasion.
In each team you can
point to very good players who impressed at this Asian
Cup. Even Thailand and Indonesia! There are three or four
highly gifted players in each of these unfancied teams.
So what is Asian
football to you?
Asia is the largest and most populous continent in the
world, and football in all countries of Asia see
different levels of development with various defining
characteristics. Generally Asian football can be divided
into four different schools accordingly, West Asia, East
Asia, Central Asia and ASEAN.
With different
environments, conditions and development, we see all
these teams play with their own individual styles, which
enrich the vibrant tapestry of football of the continent.
Asia's footballing potential is boundless.
But would it be
fair to say that an Asian team need to reach the
semi-finals at Germany 2006 to prove their success at
Korea/Japan 2002 was no fluke?
The measurement of football development can't be just
limited to one or two results. It is a fact that
Asian teams today play with more competitiveness, better
technique and tactics, and there are more and more Asian
players who impress and move to Europe. Such a trend
certainly represents the steady and healthy progress of
Asian football. And as long as Asian teams are
progressing and competing with world powers, they are on
the right track.
|
