John Duerden

RIYADH: When Saudi Arabia resumed World Cup qualification in March after 16 inactive months, there was curiosity as to what the team would look like.

The second half of the second round concluded very smoothly as Herve Renard’s men found their form and rhythm with four wins out of four, 14 goals scored, and none conceded.

Now, as the third and final round of qualification kicks off on Thursday, the question is what lies ahead for the Green Falcons and whether they can make a sixth World Cup appearance and a second in a row?

It is time to find top gear as only the top two from the six-team group go through automatically to Qatar next year. Finish third and it is the play-offs.

There is a blue elephant in Group B. Japan, Asia’s highest-ranked team and full of stars from Europe and the J. League, will most likely be finishing in the top two even with a slightly questionable defense.

It leaves Saudi Arabia, Australia, China, Oman, and Vietnam fighting it out for the second automatic spot. Four years ago, Saudi Arabia finished above Australia to book that ticket to Russia, and a repeat of that scenario is certainly possible.

The final group stage will be over by March, COVID-19 permitting. The coronavirus disease pandemic remains a shadow hanging over the games, however, and it is looking to be to Saudi Arabia’s advantage.

The pandemic is going to level the playing field and looks, at the moment, to be especially problematic in a football sense for rivals for the second spot, China and Australia.

Australia has one of the best records of any team in the world in qualification games on home soil but due to travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine periods, they are playing their first home game against China not in Sydney or Melbourne, but Doha.

Football Federation Australia boss James Johnson is desperate to be able to change the government’s mind for home games against Oman in October and Saudi Arabia in November.

He said: “Our home game in September will be away, and that’s a significant sporting disadvantage. If you look at home records versus away records at this level, home records count for a hell of a lot, it’s an extra player on the pitch.

“That’s our big challenge at the moment. I’m confident that we will be playing at home by the end of the year if we can get things under control, particularly in Sydney.”

Despite such confidence, it is likely that Saudi Arabia will face the 2015 Asian champions in Qatar, a much more favorable proposition than making the long trip down under.

China has similar issues and after going to Qatar to take on the Socceroos, will stay there to host Japan five days later. The East Asians are, in fact, preparing to stay there for the next few months and under coach Li Tie are developing something of a club team setup.

While this will do away with travel concerns, it will also remove the noisy and passionate crowds that make a game in China a tough proposition for any Asian team. Taking on Team Dragon in West Asia is a much more comfortable task.

First up for Saudi Arabia is Vietnam on Thursday (the country’s National Day), and a game against Asia’s most-improved team in recent years. The Golden Stars have never been as far as this before but there will be no underestimation from the Saudi side.

There has always been talent in the Southeast Asian nation but South Korean coach Park Hang-seo has brought a tough, hard-working pragmatic streak (for example, in training so far in Riyadh, he ruled that the players swap shirts so any observers would be confused as to who was playing where) to a technically-gifted bunch of players who have grown up together, reaching the final of the 2018 U-23 Championships and then the last eight of the 2019 Asian Cup.

There remain some concerns for Vietnam, inexperienced at this level, and a lot has been said about the heat of Riyadh in August.

Star midfielder Nguyen Cong Phuong has not travelled to Riyadh due to family reasons, leaving the talented Nguyen Quang Hai to shoulder most of the creative burden with the hosts having to be wary of the Hanoi man’s free kicks. Left-back and midfielder Doan Van Hau and Tran Vinh Muong are injured but there was better news on Monday as central defenders Nguyen Thang Chung and Tran Dinh Trong were declared fit.

For Saudi Arabia, despite Vietnam’s improvements and fierce team spirit, kicking off against the lowest-ranked team in the group is an excellent opportunity for three points. Then comes the first away game against Oman five days later. The target has to be six points from six to provide a great platform to take advantage of the issues facing China and Australia.