MARBELLA: On a night when the rain in Spain fell mainly on the Estadio Municipal, the Saudi Arabia national team showed that, with 12 weeks to go until the World Cup, things may finally be moving in the right direction under new coach Juan Antonio Pizzi.
The Green Falcons braved a persistent drizzle to rally from behind and claim a well-deserved 1-1 draw with Ukraine on Friday evening, in what was Pizzi’s first official match in charge. Artem Kravets opened the scoring with a header after 32 minutes, but Fahad Al-Muwallad struck his side’s response just five minutes later to draw his team level.
Ukraine had been selected by Saudi’s Argentine coach as a means of testing his squad against a side similar in style and substance to Russia, who they will face in the World Cup curtain-raiser on June 14 in Moscow. The Kingdom are the only side at this summer’s tournament ranked lower than 63rd-placed Russia, yet Ukraine — despite failing to qualify — represented a clear jump in quality, ranked at 35th.
Pizzi, however, showed little fear, setting his side up in an attack-minded 4-1-4–1 formation with Mohammed Al-Sahlawi leading the line, slightly ahead of Salem Al-Dawsari and Al-Muwallad on the flanks. Neither of the two wingers had played a competitive minute of football this year since moving to sides in La Liga as part of an agreement between the Saudi Football Federation and the Spanish league.
Unsurprisingly perhaps then, the Arab side started slowly. Inside the opening 15 minutes, only an excellent last-ditch tackle from Omar Hawsawi stopped a certain opener for Viktor Tysgankov, while a high defensive line allowed Schalke’s Yevhen Konoplyanka to run clear before slicing his shot wide.
Shortly after the half-hour mark, Ukraine broke the deadlock. Hawsawi, who had thrown his body in the way of an overhead kick moments earlier, failed to clear Konoplyanka’s cross and Kravets headed past Al-Ahli’s Yasser Al-Mosailem.
Whether Ukraine lost focus or the goal spurred Saudi to life, momentum seemed to change. Al-Sahlawi managed his side’s first effort at goal in the 37th minute and, from the resultant corner, Al-Muwallad pounced on a loose ball in the area to rifle it into the top corner from close range.
The Chile side that Pizzi led to Copa America glory in 2016 were famously indefatigable, pressing high up the field and swarming forward in numbers. While such a strategy is difficult if not impossible to be replicated at Saudi, the intensity of the Falcons was impressive, especially after the introduction of Hussain Al-Moqahwi with half an hour to go.
Three chances in quick succession could have seen Saudi take an unlikely lead. First Al-Sahlawi twisted and turned the Ukraine defense before laying on the perfect through-ball to Al-Dawsari, whose shot was well saved. The Al Nassr forward then had two chances of his own, but his header fell tamely at the feet of the goalkeeper and when Yasir Al-Shahrani’s cross found him in the area, he skewed his shot over the bar.
Both teams made a series of experimental substitutions, but while Saudi continued to dominate the second half, it was Ukraine who looked destined to steal a win in the final minute. A close-range header was parried by Al-Mosailem after substitute Mohammed Al-Kuwaykibi had failed to clear and then, with the rebound heading goalbound, a mess of green shirts somehow managed to keep it out. It would prove the last chance of the game and ensure the only thing to spring a late leak was the the stadium gazebo protecting the Saudi delegates from the Spanish rain.