Room for improvement: Mentality cost Nepal the game
By Ash Chetri
Ahead of the 2015 SAFF Championships, Stefanowski still hasn't cracked the formula for Nepal’s success. Is this a worrying prospect, or is there more to learn from Doha’s 3–0 Halloween nightmare?
Last night, Nepal’s woesome defending may have led to a disastrous climax. But there are many areas that we must discuss before we get the finger out. One being, the surprisingly poor performance from the Azkals. We knew the Philippines would be undermanned, with the absence of key Ceres FC players such as Jeffrey Christiaens, Juani Guirado, Manny Ott, and Patrick Reichelt. But exactly how the Philippines would handle their loss, was the question Nepal coach, Jack Stefanowski, was exploring.
Though in spite of this advantage, Nepal remarkably performed *even worse* than their counterparts. Was this the fault of the players, or the questionable decisions higher up the chain? And more importantly, what are the lessons to be learnt?
6 months ago, I joined GoalNepal through my post-game video analysis of Nepal vs the Philippines. Since then, I’ve covered several games but above all, I’ve understood the growth of the squad under Stefanowski vs the interim coaches. But what stood out during the match, was that there was one pertinent fact: Nepal was actually above par compared to their previous encounter. And for once, there had been an air of confidence within the ranks. The last 6 months has been a long time for fans. And so with the introduction of new faces and a reshuffle, fans began to wonder about being third-time lucky.
Round pegs in square holes
The starting XI included the likes of Bimal Gharti Magar, Rohit Chand, Jagajeet Shrestha. All three of whom have trained in Europe. But as the game panned out, it became ever more apparent that Nepal lacked leadership at the back. On several occasions, fans could witness various breakdowns in communication as (otherwise talented) players scrambled in confusion for the ball, almost clambering on top of each other at one point.
The players seem to not possess the correct synergy due to Stefanowski’s inconsistency in his squad. Most will argue, there are several players that did not deserve to start, and several others that did. This friendly should have been an opportunity to road test new players in new environments, but Stefanowski’s approach was a lot more conservative than I had hoped. The gaffer’s unwillingness to mix things up, and populate the squad with old and out of form players quite possibly was a factor in the performance that we witnessed last night.
For me, Skipper Sagar Thapa was largely accountable for the first goal. His role is to direct his defenders adequately in position through effective line of communication. This, of course, did not happen. Moreover, Sandip Rai appeared to be alive to the danger, but lacked pace. And thus allowed the Philippines to score out of nothing. Samuel was given too much time and space on the edge of the box and took full advantage, beating Kiran low between his legs.
We did also see Bharat Khawas drop back to his defensive duties and block critical attacks. But apart from a few ill-timed shots, overall Khawas failed to deliver a decent ball to the forward players throughout the game. Of course, fans were left bewildered by the decision to include Khawas in the starting XI, ahead of Ashim Jung Karki and Martyr’s Memorial League star, Karna Limbu. Especially given the poor form Khawas is in, due to his Military duties hampering his training for both club and country.
Time for a new captain
Tactically, Sagar Thapa as the skipper for Nepal sums up Nepal’s half-hearted defense-oriented approach to games. For it appears that fans and players alike, seem to to be losing faith in this system. Stefanowski, much like his predecessors before him, should be brave and make the decision to change things up. The Gorkhalis must adapt to play more dynamic football, especially given that modern day defenders often play upfield to join in with the attack. Without this, the Gorkhalis simply looked anaemic in the midfield (despite the injection of Jagajeet Shrestha). Is it time the gaffer discussed a change of hats? Is the aging Sagar Thapa’s days as captain over? Or will the Thapa’s experience be valued above all things? These are questions that will be mulled over Stefanowski’s head in the coming weeks, I’m sure.
Disrupting the rhythm
A widely known fact in football is the notion of ‘momentum’. Once the wheels start moving in a team, it doesn’t stop. That is, until you make it stop. The first goal from the Philippines allowed the Azkals to build pressure and gain steady momentum. Nepal, in reaction was forced into a corner, clearing the ball at any opportunity. When really, Nepal should have been attempting to disrupt the flow and rhythm of the Azkals. By slowing down the game, passing the ball downfield and across field (i.e. holding onto possession as long as possible), Nepal would be dictating the pace of the game and ensuring that momentum does not fall into the hands of the Philippines. This, again, did not happen. A nervy Nepal panicked at the prospect of the Azkals netting a second goal and fell apart from thereafter.
Youth gives Nepal hope
Nevertheless, perhaps the biggest positive is Stefanowski’s willingness to give youth a chance. Bimal Gharti Magar being in the starting XI against the Philippines allows for youngsters to gain swathes of experience, along with Anjan Bista, who made his senior team debut at the 60th minute. We saw some great link up play between Bista and Magar at the front, but the two inevitably lacked the sting in the final third. This could be attributed to the midfield’s lack of pace and thrust down the flanks, which worsened when Jagajeet Shrestha’s lack of discipline left Nepal without a 4-man midfield wall.
This was the turning point in the game, as Nepal simply didn't create enough chances to test the Filipino keeper. Equally frustrated was the fact that the Azkal’s defence was flawed, and this was evident in several counter attacks from Nepal. If Nepal had the quality to bring red shirts forward, and feed the ball into the danger area, I’m sure we would all be singing a different tune.
Playing to the end
At the end, a deflated Nepal effectively gave up and conceded 2 goals within a space of 2 minutes. There needs to be a guiding voice to usher players to keep fighting until the very end. Mentality is deeply significant in the dying minutes of the game, and we just saw a defeated Nepal hand victory to the Azkals through little merit of their own. The Azkals weren’t facing Germany, it was a 172 ranked nation, Nepal. The former Chelsea man, James Younghusband even had a poor game, shooting wide off-target to the relief of Kiran Limbu.
Nepal did not (and could not) punish the Philippines when they had the ball, and when they lost the ball, they opened up spaces and gave the game away. Nepal ultimately failed to find a way through a tepid Azkal squad made up of scattered players that’s undergoing transition due to Dooley’s aim of improving synergy. And that’s what hurt fans the most. This was a golden opportunity for Nepal to set the records straight. To make our battle cry before the SAFF Championships. This was match that could have been in the hands of the Gorkhalis. But we allowed it to slip away, much to the credit of the Azkals. This loss may be a bitter pill to swallow, but it is also one of positives. I look forward to the rejigging that will occur next summer as the team prepares for the much anticipated SAFF Championships in Goa. Mostly because this team is in desperate need of a good rejig.
Ash Chetri is a contributing writer and columnist for GoalNepal. He has also written for the 2014 Incheon Asian Games blog, as well as TouchlineTalk. For questions and enquires, you can reach him via twitter: @Ashtopher.
