Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Kuala Lumpur: The Technical Study Group officers, who completed their technical reports of the recently concluded AFC U-19 Championship 2012, believe that the competition was one of the most competitive yet with little separating the teams in terms of ability.
Korea Republic defeated Iraq 4-1 in the penalty shootout after both sides were locked at 1-1 after extra time of the final played at the Emirates Stadium in Ras Al Khaimah Emirate.
"No team ensured a place for the knockout stages of the competition after the completion of the second round of group matches. You can say it was a very competitive group stage with the teams knowing their fate only after the final group matches." TSG officer Bader Jalil told www.the-afc.com about the group stages of the competition.
Bader also acknowledged that the teams playing early matches especially in Fujairah where the kickoff time was 3pm struggled with the heat.
"All the teams were prepared well however some struggled to find their rhythm in the early kickoff games due to the high temperature here in the United Arab Emirates.
"Since the tournament has a big prize of four qualifying slots to the FIFA U20 World Cup, the coaches were concentrating on getting positive results instead of build-up play. Those who focused on attacking football and took risks defensively had to pay the price. For example, during the Iran versus Kuwait match where Kuwait needed the result and they played a more open attacking game. Iran eventually won that game 6-1.
"Though all the coaches emphasized teamwork and collective play, some highly technical and outstanding players stood out and made the difference," he added.
AFC TSG coordinator Mohammed Basir also believes the impact of technically strong and talented player in the tournament.
"We closely monitored the performances of the teams and especially taken note of the key influential players," Basir told www.the-afc.com.
"There are many individuals from and within each team who have lighted up this competition with their intelligence, skills and outstanding performances. They know who they are and we salute them for bringing their brand of quality into this tournament," said Basir.
Fellow TSG official Abdullah Hassan expressed his happiness over the strong team performances by all the countries during the competition.
"The event was well-organized and the teams displayed experience and tactical maturity for the international stage, the necessary flexibility and mental toughness to win," he said.
In major AFC tournaments, the AFC TSG members are charged with analysing individuals, teams, identifying playing trends, team tactics, collecting data and then compiling this information into a comprehensive post-tournament Technical Report which includes the Referees and Medical reports.
A total of 16 countries participated in the AFC U-19 Championship which also served as the qualifiers for the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2013. Korea Republic and Iraq alongside with the competition's semi-finalists Uzbekistan and Australia will represent Asia in the global event to be held in Turkey.