The Gold Cup semifinal stage is set, and it’s made up of a number of familiar teams. On one side of the bracket, regional powerhouse Mexico will take on an up-and-coming Canada team. On the other side of the bracket, the United States will take on…Qatar?
That’s right, Qatar.
As the hosts of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar have been making the rounds at various continental tournaments over the past few years. The reigning Asian champions took part in the 2019 Copa America and were scheduled to play in the 2021 edition as well, but had to withdraw due to a “calendar issue” per CONMEBOL spokesman Ariel Ramirez. In March, UEFA invited Qatar to play friendlies against the five teams in Group A of their World Cup Qualification tournament to help prepare them for the World Cup.
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And three years after CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” which established a level of collaboration between the two confederations, Qatar followed in the footsteps of South Korea, Colombia, Peru and Brazil as an invited team at the Gold Cup. But while the nature of their participation isn’t anything new, what’s notable this time around is Qatar have been borderline dominant at the tournament so far.
Let’s break it down.
Coached by Spaniard Félix Sánchez, Qatar are undefeated at the Gold Cup. They topped Group D after drawing their tournament opener 3-3 with Panama, beating Grenada 4-0 and beating Honduras 2-0. Then in the quarterfinal round, they bested Hugo Perez’s El Salvador 3-2 on their way to Thursday’s semifinal clash against the United States.
Tactically speaking, Sánchez’s Qatar is a modern, fun, attacking team. They scored more goals than any other team in the Gold Cup group stage (nine) and added another three goals in the quarterfinals, keeping themselves atop the goalscoring rankings. All 23 players on Qatar’s roster play in the Qatar Stars League, and a hefty percentage of the players (12 of 23) play under Barcelona legend Xavi for reigning league champions Al Sadd SC. Sánchez’s own time coaching in the youth ranks at FC Barcelona coupled with Xavi’s influence on nearly half the roster have helped mold Qatar into a dangerous, Spanish-style team.
In all four of their Gold Cup games so far, Sanchez has set up his team in an aggressive 3-5-2 shape that closes into a 5-3-2 defensively.
Without the ball, Qatar aren’t afraid to step forward and press high up the field – it’s not their main defensive mechanism, but they’ve pressed effectively at times during the tournament. On opposing goal kicks, Qatar will step forward and high press in an effort to win the ball and attack quickly. You can see Qatar’s pressing setup in the example below, with their forwards forcing the ball towards the outside before forcing a turnover.
Qatar’s pressing isn’t confined to their set, pre-planned high press: They also apply counter-pressure after losing possession in the attacking half. In their 2-0 win over Honduras in the final game of the group stage, Qatar’s first goal stemmed entirely from their counter-press. After losing the ball, Qatar quickly pressured the opposition, won the ball back via defensive midfielder Karim Boudiaf and attacked down the left side, with left wing back Homam Ahmed finishing inside the box.
When their press is broken or when they choose to drop their lines, Qatar will settle into a 5-3-2 mid-block with a tight central midfield trio and two forwards roaming in front of them.
Though they usually shift laterally and compress space quite well, Qatar have shown some defensive vulnerabilities over the last few games, conceding three goals to Panama and another two to El Salvador.
Because Qatar play with only three central midfielders across midfield, opposing teams can find space in the pocket outside their two number eights (typically Hassan Al-Haydos on the right and Abdulaziz Hatem on the left). Panama moved directly into that space in the buildup to their second goal against Qatar, with Édgar Bárcenas playing a cross into Rolando Blackburn from the area right outside Hatem.
At times, Qatar’s center backs are too passive, which hurt them on the above goal and on both of El Salvador’s goals in the quarterfinal round. Other times, though, Qatar’s center backs are hyperactive, stepping forward into midfield to pressure an opposing attacker. El Salvador took advantage of left center back Abdelkarim Hassan’s aggressive defending, pulling him out of position and creating a shot on goal in the second half of their game on Saturday.
And Panama played a pass behind Hassan in the second half against Qatar earlier in the tournament, earning and converting the game-tying penalty.
But while Qatar have some defensive issues, they’ve more than made up for those issues with their quality attacking play at the Gold Cup. In their 3-5-2 shape, Qatar spread the field in possession, break lines with their passing and interchange off the ball.
24-year-old Akram Afif is their primary chance creator, typically starting as part of a front two before dropping into midfield or moving out wide to get on the ball and wreak havoc on opposing defenses. Deeper downfield, defensive midfielder Boudiaf and central center back Boualem Khoukhi set Qatar’s tempo, while the two number eights occupy space between the lines and make vertical runs. Out wide, Qatar’s wingbacks position themselves high and near the sidelines, stretching the opposing defense and creating opportunities for Hassan, the left center back, to join the attack.
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With clear offensive roles – and a dose of positional fluidity – Qatar’s possession play has been excellent over their last four games. Their first goal of the tournament was a 15-pass sequence against Panama that ended with a long diagonal switch and a clean finish from Afif. In their match on Thursday, the U.S. will have to be wary of this kind of switch and make sure that they slide over defensively to shut down the wide areas.
Over the course of their four games at the Gold Cup, Qatar have regularly played through central midfield and found their No. 8s in advantageous positions. In the first half against Panama, Khoukhi slid the ball up to Hatem, who received on the half turn and found striker Almoez Ali making a run in behind.
Later against Panama, Khoukhi found Afif between the lines, allowing him to turn and slip Ali in behind yet again. This time, the sequence led to a goal.
Afif, Qatar’s most creative player, has the skill to break down defenses by himself, but his skill is magnified by his team’s strong offensive structure. With his dominant right foot, soft touch and vision, Afif pulls Qatar’s strings in possession and in attacking transition. Here against El Salvador, he one-twos around an opponent before setting up right wing back Pedro Miguel for a shooting opportunity.
On the break, Afif acts as Qatar’s point guard, terrorizing opposing defenses by conducting counter attacks and completing incisive passes. Here’s an example of him driving forward, creating space for himself and finding his strike partner Ali in the box.
Limiting space between the lines and keeping a close eye on Afif as he conducts Qatar’s attacks will be key for the United States in their semifinal matchup.
With a talented team highlighted by Afif’s creativity in the attack and a detailed team-wide possession approach, Qatar have truly impressed at the Gold Cup. Regardless of how they fare against the United States, Sanchez’s Qatar have proven themselves to be a strong team and are gathering momentum ahead of next year’s World Cup.
(Photo: Ralph Freso / Getty Images)