There\u2019s learning the ropes rapidly. Then there\u2019s tightwiring across them over the Masaya Volcano with no previous training.<\/p>\n
Victor Vasques has done the sanded equivalent. Seven-and-a-half years ago he was a physical education teacher beside the shark-infested waters of Recife. Now, despite having never previously played beach soccer or worked in the sport, he\u2019s preparing to challenge its great whites in Dubai.<\/p>\n
As the 34-year-old prepares to guide no less than the host nation into the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup\u2122, he speaks to FIFA about why he welcomes pressure, United Arab Emirates\u2019 ambitions, the indispensability of Walid Mohammad and why this is the widest-open global finals of all time.<\/p>\n
United Arab Emirates had a magnificent 2023. Has this left you confident going into UAE 2024 Dubai?
\nVictor Vasques: Yes. I think the result are a consequence of everything that has been done. The dedication of our players, the great support we have received from the [federation\u2019s] board of directors. We had an idea. It\u2019s a long process to turn an idea into reality, but everybody bought the idea. I believe last year, because of our collective hard work and dedication, it started to bear fruit. I believe greatly in the work we have been doing here.
\nHow exciting is it to kick off your campaign with an all-Arab clash?
\nIt’s really exciting for everybody involved, for the spectators. I\u2019ve been here eight years and I identify with the Arab culture a lot. People here are really passionate about beach soccer. To have three Arab teams in the World Cup is really gratifying. It also raises the bar. Last year we had the Arab Cup, which was a wonderful event. I think the standard of Arab teams has improved drastically. The Untied Arab Emirates against Egypt is a derby, a huge game in the Arab world. It\u2019s going to attract the public, the attention. I\u2019m really happy to be a part of it.<\/p>\n
With two higher-ranked sides to play thereafter, is winning that game fundamental?
\nYes. At the last three World Cups, small details have cost us getting through. The first game is crucial. We know you always have pressure on your debut, and that we\u2019ll have extra pressure as hosts, but we\u2019re preparing for that. Our group is wide open. This game is a reflection of that. I think we have a good chance of winning the game.<\/p>\n
What do you think of this USA side?
\nA really mature team. The United States have been getting better year after year. They have a lot of experience, the players have been working together for years. They have a really good, experienced coach. Francis [Farberoff] has been in beach soccer for years, he knows the game inside-out. I\u2019ve been watching Chris Toth for years. He\u2019s a goalkeeper who has a big influence on the game. He dictates the tempo of the play, is a great passer, can shoot. They have a very well-coached team with great individuals and are also superb collectively. We\u2019ll have to be on our game and not let our concentration drop for a second against them.<\/p>\n
What about Italy?
\nWhat Italy did last year speaks for itself. Europe is the strongest continent in this discipline, and Italy are the champions of Europe. To become European champions you have to be on a different level. They have a mix of good, experienced players and really good youngsters. Italy are really strong. I believe they are one of the favourites for the title. It will be a really tough game for us.<\/p>\n
What is the UAE\u2019s target for the tournament?
\nI like to think step by step. Our first goal is to qualify for the knockout phase. We\u2019ve never got out of the group. At three World Cups running we\u2019ve been very close to qualifying. We were one victory away, but didn\u2019t make it. So getting out of the group is what we\u2019re focused on. We\u2019re thinking about Egypt, the United States and Italy. If we get through, we\u2019ll start thinking about finals. Every game is a final in the knockout phase.<\/p>\n
How important is Walid Mohammad to your hopes?
\nOn the pitch, everybody knows what a quality and important player he is for us. He has great technical ability and what he delivers in games is outstanding. When you talk about beach soccer In Asia, he\u2019s a role model. He\u2019s done it over the long-term. He\u2019s extremely respected. What nobody realises is the determination and leadership qualities he has. The way he leads the squad, the way he brings everyone together and puts them on the same path is remarkable. I don\u2019t need to tell you what a great player he is. The world knows that. But I don\u2019t have words to express what an exceptional captain he is. He\u2019s a born leader.<\/p>\n
How do you find the pressure of coaching the host nation in the World Cup?
\nIn my role, you have to live with pressure. I can feel the responsibility I have, but I feel very well prepared to deal with it. The players also have to deal with responsibility and they\u2019re also well prepared to deal with it. Responsibility isn\u2019t a weight on your back. It\u2019s a privilege. It\u2019s a privilege for us to be at the World Cup. It\u2019s a privilege for us to be hosting the World Cup. It\u2019s a privilege that people want us to get through to the knockout phase. The World Cup is the dream of everyone involved in the sport. Imagine being involved in it in your country, in front of your family and friends. I have a lot of friends here. Everyone\u2019s always asking me about the World Cup. I know there\u2019s expectations, but I consider them a privilege.<\/p>\n
Who do you consider the favourites to lift the trophy?
\nI think it\u2019s the most wide open World Cup in recent times. Obviously you have Iran. They\u2019re an excellent team coming off a really good year. They\u2019re very strong collectively. Brazil are always one of the favourites. They have great individuals such as Filipe, Bobo, Datinha and Rodrigo, who is absurd. Italy are an excellent side. Belarus are really, really good. Spain have a lot of experience. I don\u2019t think you can say that any one team will win the title with any confidence, though. I think a number of teams could win it. We\u2019ve seen a lot of surprises in previous tournaments, and I think we could see more surprises this year. In, say, 2009 you had two or three teams who could win it. Now those two or three teams have to worry about getting through the group. This underlines the evolution of beach soccer, which has been remarkable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There\u2019s learning the ropes rapidly. Then there\u2019s tightwiring across them over the Masaya Volcano with no previous training. Victor Vasques has done the sanded equivalent. Seven-and-a-half years ago he was a physical education teacher beside the shark-infested waters of Recife. Now, despite having never previously played beach soccer or worked in the sport, he\u2019s preparing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":940500,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20966],"tags":[9648,27192],"class_list":["post-940499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-news","tag-fifa","tag-fifa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/940499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=940499"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/940499\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/940500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=940499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=940499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/91varzeshi.ir\/portal\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=940499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}