Yet one of the most surprising failures came in the demise of current Asian champions, Qatar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recent symbol of how best to create a winning formula at youth level, having made the latter stages of nearly every youth continental tournament over the last few years, Qatar meekly exited with three draws from three, edged out on progression by a little more than functional Syria team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Failure to earn a single victory in Thailand will come as a severe jolt to the system to those involved, given this squad was billed as heavy contributors to the senior side that is set to debut at the World Cup come 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was only twelve months ago that Qatar threatened to break a new dawn in Asian football, in not merely winning their first continental title, but doing so playing positive, fluid attacking football with a squad entirely made up of players playing their trade in the local Qatar Stars League.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A young squad, developed over the last decade through the enviably-resourced Aspire Academy, under the tutelage of a boss given a wide scope for control across all ages in Felix Sanchez, Qatar were seen to have hit upon the holy grail of long-term conveyor belt success, which could only be foreseen to improve heading into a new decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The subsequent year, however, hasn\u2019t exactly seen them grow from a position of relative strength. Cracks started to show in an admirable but creaking Copa America campaign over the summer, while the start of World Cup qualification in the autumn suggests little deviation from the tried and trusted Plan A that brought with it occasional frustration, if not always the consistency it desired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In one regard, you\u2019d be right to question – why should they change such a successful approach after only 12 months? If Qatar names their strongest eleven, they remain one of the best in Asia, and a worthy match for those waiting on the international stage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n