Saudi Arabia’s return to the global stage was an eagerly anticipated one after 12 years away from the lights. An opening day date with the hosts Russia only added to the excitement about the Green Falcons’ campaign.
Three matches and three points later, Saudi could not replicate their 1994 achievement of reaching the second round, but there were plenty of positives to ponder as they prepare for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in neighbouring UAE.
World Cup Summary
With the eyes of the world focused on them, Saudi Arabia would have wanted to start with a positive performance against Russia, but instead, they produced their worst World Cup display since losing 8-0 to Germany in 2002.
After going into the half-time break two goals down, the Saudis capitulated and conceded three more in the final 20 minutes to get off to the worst imaginable start with a 5-0 defeat. The good news was, the only way from there was up.
With the excitement and optimism giving way to low expectations against Uruguay, the Green Falcons put in a courageous performance against the two-time world champions. Saudi Arabia had the larger share of possession and created opportunities, but a solitary Luis Suarez goal consigned them to a second defeat, albeit by a narrow 1-0 margin.
By the time the third match against Egypt rolled around, elimination was already confirmed for both sides, but there were still bragging rights to play for between the two neighbouring countries. Juan Antonio Pizzi’s men turned the style with a dominant outing as they came from behind to secure a 2-1 win courtesy of goals from Salman Al Faraj and Salem Al Dawsari.
Aftermath
Following their exit from the World Cup, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced the extension of the contract of head coach Pizzi until the end of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Top Prospect for AC2019
Coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes against Russia, Hattan Bahebri established himself as a starter for the remaining two fixtures. The 25-year-old winger dislodged the more senior Yahya Al Shehri from the starting XI.
Capable of playing on either flank or centrally, Bahebri made his international debut as recently as December 2017, but went on to earn eight caps under Pizzi thanks to his intelligent movement and hard work off the ball and his technical ability on it.
The Al Shabab man is the only player to have broken into the squad that propelled Saudi to World Cup qualification, and he will be a welcome addition to their array of attacking options in UAE 2019.
What Comes Next?
The next challenge for the Green Falcons will be a return to the UAE where they were last crowned Asian champions in 1996. The pressure will be on Pizzi to deliver a first continental triumph in over two decades, and with more time under his belt, the Spaniard will look to further instil his possession-based philosophy in his players.
One area where Saudi Arabia clearly struggled was in attack; the lack of a top-quality striker hampered their efforts even when they dominated possession against Uruguay and Egypt. Pizzi will be watching the domestic league ever closer as he attempts to find the solution for the side’s lack of cutting edge up front.
