ShareDOHA: Qatari media laid into a "weak" performance by the national team on Monday after the hosts' much-heralded World Cup debut ended in a tame 2-0 defeat by Ecuador. Any buzz from the opening ceremony soon fell flat as Qatar shipped two goals in the first half, with thousands of fans leaving Al Bayt Stadium well before the game had finished.
While Qatar's press praised the opening ceremony, which included US actor Morgan Freeman and a severely disabled Qatari man, they were critical of coach Felix Sanchez's team. "The Maroons stumbled," wrote Al Raya newspaper, adding: "Our players didn't perform as needed." Al Watan said: "Our national team skipped the opening."
"Our national team paid the price for its weak start," Al Watan added. "Our team was not at their best, even not their usual (standard)," it said. "It seems that the weight of responsibility and the pressure of the World Cup and the opening were an obstacle to the performance of all players." It was a grim evening for Qatar's team, the Asian champions who had been preparing for their big moment for years, backed by no-expense-spared facilities and coaching.
Ecuador had a goal disallowed for a barely visible offside before Enner Valencia scored a penalty and then a sublime header. Qatar barely threatened at the other end, finishing with zero shots on target. "It was always going to be a tall order for Qatar but the manner in which they crumbled against Ecuador would have disappointed the home fans," said the Gulf Times, an English-language daily. "Ecuador -- 44th in the FIFA rankings-are only six places above Qatar, but last night they showed they are miles ahead of the Asian champions."
The Qatar Tribune praised the "extraordinary" opening ceremony but lambasted a "nightmare start" by the team, highlighting the "nervousness" of goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb. Al Sharq said fans walked out "because they couldn't bear seeing the loss". But it added: "Fans should support the team in the next game against Senegal until the last moment." The Peninsula said Qatar, the first hosts to lose their World Cup opener, face a "daunting task" in qualifying from Group A, with games to come against Senegal and the Netherlands.
Empty seats
Meanwhile, thousands of empty seats told the sad story as Qatar's long-awaited World Cup debut ended in a bad case of stage fright on Sunday. Long before the final whistle at the spectacular Bedouin tent-inspired Al Bayt Stadium, the host nation's fans among the 67,372 crowd had started heading for the exits. The exodus began soon after Ecuador striker Enner Valencia headed his second goal shortly after the half-hour mark against the outclassed World Cup hosts. As the second half wore on, swathes of unfilled seats could be seen throughout the arena as an evening that began with joyous celebrations and heady optimism ended with a whimper.
The downbeat finale was in stark contrast to the mood in the hours before kick-off at the stadium in Al Khor, 50 kilometers north of Qatar's capital Doha. Thousands of people arrived at the vast Lusail train station where the subway line built especially for this tournament at a cost of $36 billion ends and spectators boarded a fleet of buses for the final leg of their journey. The security forces appeared tense, aware that the eyes of the world are on this Gulf state, which many critics say should never have been awarded the World Cup.
Once the spectators arrived at the spectacular venue, camels and horses lined the road to the turnstiles. Carlos Alvear, an Ecuadoran who lives in Ecuador, said: "It's really special to be here. It's the first World Cup in the Middle East, it's historic and Ecuador is here for the opening match. "To be honest, it's all a bit bizarre. It's pretty quiet, even if there are more Ecuadorans than I thought there would be. But all these buildings look pretty empty."
'Trust in our team'
For a Qatari supporter who gave his name only as Abdallah, it was an exciting moment. "We have been waiting for this moment for 12 years," he said. "We have every confidence for this festival.... We trust in our team. We have ambition but are realistic." He was confident of victory against the South Americans and predicted his team would be runners-up in their group and go through to the next round-where England could await.
"Today we will win, but we will be second behind the Netherlands. Then against England, we will win," he said with a smile. Danny, a supporter from the English city of Norwich, said he planned to "jump on the bandwagon today" and support Qatar. His friend who gave his name only as Abdul, from Sheffield in northern England, had brought a Qatari flag and was wearing a red top under his England shirt in case Qatar scored.
Danny was staying in the shipping container accommodation set up for visiting supporters for two weeks and said it "isn't quite what he was expecting". Away from the opening match, thousands of Mexican and Argentine fans thronged the Corniche seafront promenade in the centre of Doha. Leopold Fes, a 65-year-old Belgian, said he was finding it difficult to accept the last-minute decision to ban the sale of alcohol at stadiums in the strict Islamic state. "I don't think it will be like other World Cups," he said. "No alcohol makes it strange. Football and alcohol go together for a lot of people." - AFP
