BRUSSELS: Eden Hazard might not know his Hawsawis from his Al-Sahlawis, but his Belgian national team coach Roberto Martinez does. Ahead of tomorrow night’s friendly with Saudi Arabia at the King Baudouin Stadium, Martinez had clearly done his homework, extolling the virtues of the Green Falcons and their new coach Juan Antonio Pizzi.
With 80 days to go until Saudi face hosts Russia in the World Cup curtain-raiser, the Arab side are keen to test themselves at the highest level and Belgium, ranked fifth in the world and boasting the likes of Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Dries Mertens and Vincent Kompany, will certainly provide a gauge.
Hazard, when asked by Arab News for his expectations regarding the Saudi team, the Chelsea midfielder admitted he was unfamiliar with his opponents. “To be fair I don’t know a lot about them, but I expect a good game,” Hazard said. “I hope to score a few goals and make the fans happy. That’s all.”
Martinez, in contrast, has watched the Green Falcons’ previous three matches and been left mightily impressed. He may not have briefed his players yet, but the former Everton manager knows what they will come up against in Brussels.
“I’ve really enjoyed watching Saudi Arabia play,” said the Spaniard, who insisted he will give minutes to as many players as he possibly can tomorrow night. “It’s a new coach in Antonio Pizzi and he has very clear concepts. We are not going to see a team that sit back. They will push us very hard; they are going to try to win the ball, they are technically very gifted, throughout the team. They also have that winning feeling having qualified for the World Cup, so I think it’s going to be a good exercise for both sides.”
Pizzi, who took the reins in late November, has only been in charge for three games, but his side are already showing improvement. They beat Moldova 3-0 in Jeddah last month before a youthful, experimental side lost 4-1 to Iraq in Basra in a match that was essentially a unity-building exercise aimed at showcasing to Fifa that the war-torn nation was ready to host competitive matches again.
On Friday in Marbella, Saudi rallied to a 1-1 draw with a physical Ukraine side, showing courage and composure on the ball and quick, clever movement off it. After conceding, they grew into the game and dominated the second half, but the early defensive errors that went unpunished by a profligate Ukraine attack must not be repeated. Belgium, whose forward options include Napoli’s Mertens, Romelu Lukaku of Manchester United, and Michy Batshuayi of Borussia Dortmund, will likely be less merciful, even if Martinez insists his team will not be looking to lay down a marker.
“I want to see good attitudes and good performances,” he said of the match, which kicks off at 9.45pm Makkah time. “It’s not about the final score, it’s about the basics of the game. We won’t be out to make a statement.
Martinez added: “I’ve been very impressed by Saudi Arabia. I’ve seen them against Ukraine and Moldova — I also saw the game against Iraq, although it was a little bit different. I think Antonio Pizzi is a coach who knows exactly what he wants. He made Chile champions of a very tough competition [the 2016 Copa America], so we know what we are going to get. They are a very dynamic football team.”
Pizzi’s pedigree is indisputable, but how he will deal with the issue of his best players going into a World Cup tournament sorely lacking match sharpness will be a concern. Salem Al-Dawsari, Fahad Al-Muwallad and Yahia Al-Shehri were all part of the group of Saudi players loaned to La Liga clubs to gain international experience, yet none have managed to force their way into their respective new teams. Last week’s Ukraine match represented their first competitive minutes of 2018.
Asked whether he thought the project could eventually bear fruit, Martinez, was wary.
“Only time will tell. Those agreements only work when the players get minutes, and that’s not been the case at the moment,” said the former Real Zaragoza midfielder. “But to measure whether the agreement is a success or not? It’s not for me to comment.”