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AFC U16 Championship: Thailand fight the statistic
Tuesday, September 18 2012
From 22 September onwards, Thailand's U16 is going to fight for a ticket to FIFA's U17 World Cup in 2013. On the given occasion we talked to Leones dos Santos, the Brazilian coach of the youngsters, about the youth system in Thailand, the preparation and the tournament.
For outsiders Thailand's youth system and development, mostly is a big riddle. Information about are sparsely available. Even if one may trip over one or other competition in the newspaper, nevertheless, the whole system seems rather vague. Almost nothing is done by the Thai FA concerning support, let alone young players are promoted. Youth Leagues, as they are self-evident in other countries, do not exist. A small exception is the recently half-heartedly introduced reserve league in which, only 9 out of 18 TPL-Clubs take part, and even do not compete in every game.
For outsiders Thailand's youth system and development, mostly is a big riddle. Information about are sparsely available. Even if one may trip over one or other competition in the newspaper, nevertheless, the whole system seems rather vague. Almost nothing is done by the Thai FA concerning support, let alone young players are promoted. Youth Leagues, as they are self-evident in other countries, do not exist. A small exception is the recently half-heartedly introduced reserve league in which, only 9 out of 18 TPL-Clubs take part, and even do not compete in every game.
Though all clubs are obliged by TPL club licensing rules, to pursue promising work and to set up youth teams, but whether this is carried out and above all is audited, is rather doubtful.
And yet, the introduction of championships for youth teams would be virtually compelling, if Thailand does not want to lose more ground in the FIFA world rankings. The usual excuse you got to hear from the FA and TPL Ltd. is: no money. If you take the latest reproaches against Worawi Makudi, after which you have to assume that profits of the TPL seep into dubious canals, where it should come from. In addition, you cannot escape the feeling, that one wants to invest nothing, but hopes to rather instantly get delivered full-fledged new Messi's and Ronaldo's. The fact, that even world stars had to train hard, is often overlooked on this side of the planet. If success and medals brought home, FA boss Worawi of course is the first with flowers waiting at the airport to congratulate and ready to get pictured with the team for the rags.
Thus the education of footballers still takes place in sports schools and colleges rather than in clubs. Of this the best known are Assumption Thonburi and Assumption Siracha which regularly the winner's of different tournaments. The construction of many, mostly roofed 7-a-side fields, lead to an increas of private engagement and especially in Bangkok and Pattaya there is a huge number of small clubs and academies who take part regularly in mostly local competitions.
Under such circumstances it is even more remarkable that Thailand's U-16 could qualify for the 2012 AFC Championship in Iran, without dropping points. During the qualification tournament in Bangkok last year, even hot favorite Australia could be beaten by 3-2.
Leones dos Santos - the Interview
The history of this team actually starts with the reoccupation of the teams manager seat with Mitti Tiyapairat, president of Chiang Rai United. His coach Stefano "Teco" Cugarra knew compatriot Leones dos Santos, who eventually has been appointed as new coach of Thailand's U16 in 2011.
So for most of the fans the under-16 counts as a youth team of Chiang Rai, however as Leones assured, all players come from different schools, even if they may train with one or the other club. Leones, meanwhile 53 years old, played football with Botafogo Rio de Janeiro and was known aerial powerhouse.
Moreover, he passed through several junior teams of his country and even received an invitation for the A-team. He trained his massive headers over and over again at home with a 1-kg medicine ball and perfected his to an extend, that an opposing goalkeeper broke his own hand when he was trying to defend Leones' header.
After last years successful qualification to the AFC Championships 2012, Thailand played a preparatory tournament in Laos in June where they faced Japan, Australia and Laos twice. All 4 games got lost. Now the AFC Championships are in queue and of course the big aim is to qualify for the U17 World Cup next year. But to get a ticket, Thailand needs to finish the tournament within the best four. At group stage Australia, Oman and Iraq are waiting. Therefore we talked to Thailand's current U16 coach Leones do Santos, who worked in several middle east countries and former Yugoslavia.
thai-fussball.com: Your preparation on the AFC championships started already at the beginning of August. Where do you see the biggest problems at current stage?
Leones: One of the big problems is to get the boys released from schools. In other countries it is common that they train with the national team at least twice per week. For example, we have played some small competitions this year. In March we were in Japan and played the "Sanix Cup", later this year the "Arena Cup" in South Korea. For the first tournament we had 10-day preparation time, for the second just 7 days and after the tournaments the boys went back to schools. At the Sanix cup, among others, we have played against youth teams of Inter Milan as well as U-17 of Japan and South Korea.
By the fact that they train regularly they simply have more routine. The other teams have entered the competition with boys, partly born in 1994, our boys are born in 1996. This means they are in training two years longer. Statistically, that comes equal to 400 training days and approx. 1200 hours of more information about the players. And moreover they have contested in 40 international games. So in Japan to win one game at least looked difficult. However, we have won three games and lost three.
But after the tournament we had a two months break before we took on the preparatory tournament in Laos where not all players could be present. If we add this together, we lost eight months of training since last year. Another thing is, some boys do not report to training because they have other problems or occasionally go back home. So at the beginning of the current preparatory stage just 15 players reported to the camp.
thai-fussball.com: How often the kids train at their schools and how does the training programme looks like?
Leones: To tell the truth, I do not know. The boys do not talk about it. The players sometimes also come to us injured and one never knows before how the state of fitness is. At a meeting we have come to an agreement with national coach Winnie Schafer that we provide him with player profiles, because there was not such a thing up to now. These are deposited with the football association. Then a new coach is able to check quite fast, how a player performed with Physio or Nutrition tests etc.
This is, as if one goes to see the doctor at the hospital, he also has medical record about you. Of course the whole thing would be much easier if there would be an under-12 and an under-14 selection. My hope is, if Thailand make use of such things, that they rank among the best footballing nations in Asia then. Technically you hardly need to teach the boys. You can train fitness, but the whole processes must be better organised. Not least the better the boys are trained during early years, the better they play later in the national team.
thai-fussball.com: How do you select the players? It is not so easy, because there are no competitions.
Leones: Yes, the problem is that there are no club championships. Overall the boys are sent here by their schools. Sometimes somebody contacts me on Facebook that there is a talent or, how this is usual here, they simply show up at training. The schools we primarily work together are Assumption Thonburi, Assumption Siracha, Assumption Korat and Bangkok Christian College.
» .....we complement the profiles every day to own a complete overview about the abilities of the players. «
thai-fussball.com: Do you know the "Prime Minister Cup"?
Leones: Yes, two or three of the U-16 boys are always playing there with their teams and I go there to observe them. The problem is, in the schools the quality of the players are very different. There they are individual players and play more for themselves. If they then come to the national team, we must teach them what we understand by training, how our system is and how fit they must be. Because we want to prepare them for international events.
In addition it is also necessary that they be mentally stronger. On TV, let's say, they see defenders like Rio Ferdinand. Then they think „oh God I am so small and he is a giant. I never can get around him". At the same time, they often do not see their own strengths, because you can compensate such physical differences with fitness, technique and suitable tactics.
thai-fussball.com: Do you know the coaches of the schools and are their arrangements with those?
Leones: No, therefore, it is so important to have these player profiles with corresponding statistics. Who plays well on the right side, who can hit long balls well or is especially good in short passing, just such things.
Hence, we complement the profiles every day to own a complete overview about the abilities of the players. Provided of course, that the players are there. Sometimes they go home overnight. We know that the family is very importantly for the kids and so we accept this. But for a well-arranged preparation it is not so good.
thai-fussball.com: How big are then the differences of the single players if they come of the schools to the national team?
Leones: Practically everybody comes to us with different quality. One must go one better in the tactical area, the next one has a fitness problem, another has a coordination problem. And so it needs a lot of time to make the players better. If I have 40 boys and take only 23 to the tournament, it would be also important to have a second coach who goes on working with the other 17. But we do not have this.
thai-fussball.com: Some countries try to set up an uniform tactical system throughout all the junior teams up to the national team. Is there something in process of planning here. Maybe in consultation with Winnie Schafer?
Leones: The players a coach has at his disposal, dictating him the system. For example if I don't like a 3-5-2, but if I have three strong defenders, why should I play a 4-4-2 where then only two defenders standing on the field? The most important thing is a good preparation, then we can adjust the system depending on opponent as we did in Japan, e.g., against Inter Milan.
thai-fussball.com: What you think about to mix Futsal and football?
Leones: Futsal is fantastic. On a small space you have to play very fast, but you also have the one aim, to score. This is, by the way, a small problem for us. The boys of Muang Thong, for example, train on a 40-metre-field at their club and the goals are small. When the come us, our task is to change them over from the small to the big field. Ball control or switching from defense to offense is simply different.
thai-fussball.com: How is the communication with the boys? Do some of them speak English?
Leones: Unfortunately, only two or three of the players are able to speak some English. Thus our assistant Songserm Maperm (former Thai international and Air Force coach) translates everything, also during the games. He was a good footballer and is a good friend for us.
thai-fussball.com: The most successful goal scorers of the last year were Kannoo, Puangbut and Pamornprasert? Are they still in the team?
Leones: Yes, all three. I even organised a trial with Groningen in Holland four months ago for Kannoo (Suankulap School). But the FA has failed to provide the papers on time for him. The insurance card has been missed. He is the best striker at this age we have currently. Now, however, he could be still much better if he had flown to the training to Holland.
thai-fussball.com: How does it look generally if the boys are allowed for participating trainings in Europe? It is said Thais generally do hard alone abroad.
» The Australians have passed more than 400-600 training units... «
Leones: All of them would be happy if they could train abroad. And I would not have sent Kannoo alone, another player should have had accompanied him.
thai-fussball.com: How do the players nourish? The typical Thai cuisine is only partly suitable for athletes.
Leones: Overall they nourish like every other Thai, also from rice dishes. Sometimes after the training they also get a coke …
thai-fussball.com: How do you see the chances at the AFC championship to qualify for the U17 World Cup?
Leones: The possibility is there. Indeed, it will no be easy with Australia, Oman and Iraq in our group. I know all three coaches quite well personally and all three told me that they could work with their respective teams since the qualification ended last year. Only Thailand has paused since then. Australia since then played countless international games, they have collected much more experience since the last year and passed 400-600 more training units, compared to us.
The other nations, now, investing in a team from what we will see some players making it to the national team in a few years. Only Thailand rests. Though the statistics speaks against us, but I think, nevertheless, we can make it.
thai-fussball.com: Thank you very much for the extensive interview and all the best for the tournament.
Dates for the AFC Championships 2012 are as follows: 22 September: Australia, 24 September: Iraq, 26 September: Oman. Quarter final: 30 September, Semi-finals: 3 October, Final: 6 October
Apart from the top picture, all other pics are courtesy by Leones dos Santos.
