‘Having five substitutions made a big impact’

FIFA World Cup in Qatar has produced upsets in almost each group, with Asian sides causing major ones upsets to make the greatest show on earth full of excitement. Saiful Bari Titu, former coach of Bangladesh national team, is closely watching the matches. The veteran coach talked with the Daily Star's Anisur Rahman about the Asian teams' performances and other aspects of the World Cup.   

The Daily Star (DS): What was your expectation from the World Cup in Qatar and how it is going so far?

Saiful Bari Titu (SBT): The expectation was that the big teams would perform well but there have been some upsets already. To me, there has been a lack of consistency as some teams did well in their first matches but could not carry it to the next matches. Some others played poorly in their first matches but bounced back strongly.

DS: The performances of teams, including big ones, have fluctuated a lot. Why do you think is happening? 

SBT: It is clear that the gap between teams is gradually becoming lesser. Nowadays, teams, especially whom we consider mid-table sides, achieve their target by scripting a proper plan because they fight tightly against big teams. I think there is a big impact of having five substitutions as it is not always possible to play high-pressing football throughout 90 minutes [with the same players], but if can you send five pairs of fresh legs and change players according to the game's requirements it becomes easier. What we have seen in Germany vs Japan match is that Japan sent two extreme attacking players who scored two goals to win the match. The bottomline is that football has improved a lot and no opposition is unknown to anyone.

DS: Saudi Arabia and Japan caused big upsets while Iran surprised Wales after a huge defeat. Were those performances expected or would you see them as flukes?

SBT: I think the performance of Saudi Arabia, Japan and Iran were not flukes; rather it was all about planning and execution of tactical aspects. After beating Argentina, Saudi Arabia did not play badly against Poland but they lost. The result could have been different had they not squandered the spot-kick. I think all these things made the World Cup more interesting and it also showed that there are no minnows.

DS: The Asian teams are looking more competitive this time around. What could be the reasons?

SBT: Firstly, you need to ensure domestic structure if you want to take your football to that standard. If we talk about Saudi Arabia, who basically had no playing style as they often changed coaches. But with the appointment Herve Renard, who guided Zambia and Ivory Coast to AFCON titles, a fighting mentality has been built up and it doesn't matter for them who they play against. Another reason for the competitiveness of Asian nations is the exposure they get in the European leagues. Eight players from Japan are playing in Bundesliga while most Korean players are playing outside of Korea. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are also pushing hard to have players playing abroad. I think playing in foreign leagues has made a big impact on the development of the Asian players.

DS: But hosts Qatar were really disappointing. Do they really belong at this level?

SBT: I thought they were nervous and under pressure to deliver as the hosts. They are playing the World Cup for the first time and without playing the qualifying round, so they will lag behind a bit compared to other Asian teams. They played a lot of friendly matches but the intensity of World Cup and friendly matches are totally different. If Qatari players get the opportunity to play in Europe, they will definitely improve in coming days.

DS: Can Asian teams reduce the gap with the rest of world?

SBT: Asian teams should maintain the standard they have reached and they should play more competitive matches. We are putting the players into a system, thus reducing the freedom of their individual flourish. I think it will be tough to reduce the gap between Asia and the rest of the world until Asia produces individual talents. You need individual brilliance to get something positive in tight situations. 

DS: Which Asian team has impressed you most and why?  

SBT: I liked Japan's play because they showed character against Germany, who are known to have a tough rebound mentality. Japan coach's perfect substitutions and changing of the formation during the game was really praiseworthy. The performance of Korea was good but Saudi Arab impressed me the most. I have never seen this Saudi Arabia before. It was amazing to see them play high-line defence against Argentina and the players showed tough mentality too.