{"id":854,"date":"2019-11-18T14:12:37","date_gmt":"2019-11-18T03:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/?p=854"},"modified":"2026-09-23T13:31:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T04:01:35","slug":"behind-the-numbers-could-sri-lanka-stay-goalless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/ro\/behind-the-numbers-could-sri-lanka-stay-goalless\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the Numbers: Could Sri Lanka stay goalless?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 id=\"five-qualifiers-in-and-one-whole-ish-round-behind-them-sri-lanka-are-still-sitting-on-a-frustrating-and-unprecedented-zero-goals-scored-how-come-and-do-they-have-what-it-takes-to-eventually-break-through\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Five qualifiers in and one whole(-ish) round behind them, Sri Lanka are still sitting on a frustrating and unprecedented zero goals scored. How come, and do they have what it takes to eventually break through?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just to be clear off the bat, the\npoint of this piece is not to point fingers and laugh at Sri Lanka. They are\nthe weakest team in the mix, and we all knew that from the very beginning, so\nwhat would be the point? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time of the draw in June, Sri Lanka was the only Asian side outside the Top 200 in the FIFA rankings still present for this round of the World Cup qualifying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Four years ago, for reference, Bhutan was in the exact same position and they finished with a -47 goal differential. In the previous three World Cup qualifying cycles, meanwhile, Sri Lanka had only hung around for two games; now they are suddenly getting an extra eight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What makes the Sri Lankan case unique is the fact they have not yet scored six games into the cycle. Not even in the preliminary playoff against their \u2018peers\u2019, something that was only allowed by the Macao fiasco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sri Lanka looked distinctly second best against Macao and progressed simply by the virtue of their opponent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/ro\/the-asian-game-episode-30\/\">forfeiting the return leg<\/a>. That might honestly be the only reason they are even here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Again, for reference, Bhutan\nhad already scored six times by\nthe time November 2015 rolled in, putting three past Sri Lanka themselves in\nthe first round and then participating in a 3-4 epic against the Maldives.\nCambodia finished the second round with just a solitary goal scored, but they\ngot rid of that ugly zero as soon as October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Given the circumstances, there\nnaturally isn\u2019t a historic comparison to the current Sri Lankan struggles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But could it really be that\nserious that Sri Lanka become the only side in history to go through two rounds\nof qualifiers without celebrating a single goal? I refuse to believe. And no\none who\u2019s ever sipped a Sri Lankan tea should wish it upon them. So let\u2019s dig\ndeep for some reasons for (mild) optimism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"formation-and-mindset-need-to-change\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Formation and mindset need to change<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cruel irony is that even on the last two occasions when they didn\u2019t make it past the first round, Sri Lanka did find the back of the net. In 2015, it was a defender who\u2019s no longer part of the national team setup, and in 2011, it was thanks to a midfielder who\u2019s not suited up for them since September 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><a id=\"fdPRwCtDQfJ0FmAxmGNWZA\" class=\"gie-single\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com.au\/detail\/1176009292\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'fdPRwCtDQfJ0FmAxmGNWZA',sig:'62hPDKTXck6YI4SXelj471Y3sDsZlFijd1WIztHiiK8=',w:'594px',h:'395px',items:'1176009292',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});<\/script><script src=\"\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\" async=\"\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even counting 2018 SAFF Championship, Sri Lanka are still looking for their first competitive goal since the 2016 AFC Solidarity Cup. Landa Ishan is also the last attacker to do the job for Sri Lanka in a meaningful game with his strike against Macao exactly three years ago. Their last competitive goal against a side that\u2019s taking part in this World Cup qualifying phase? Oh boy, that\u2019d be Nepal at 2015 SAFF Championship; Sri Lanka\u2019s most recent competitive win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So yeah, the issue of getting the attack going has been a long-running one and much can be traced back to how Sri Lanka set up \u2014 in a negative 5-4-1 with a vastly isolated striker upfront.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These days, that striker is always very inexperienced which obviously isn\u2019t helping the cause. Both Mohamed Aakib (19) and Dilip Peiris Kurukulasuriyage (22), the coach\u2019s most trusted options up top, only debuted for Sri Lanka in 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this formation, very much\ndesigned to cede posession and invite pressure, both central midfielders are\nroutinely overwhelmed. At the same time, one of the pair \u2014 Mohammadu Fasal \u2014 is\nroutinely the only player capable of intricate passes. Or, at least, the only one\nwilling to attempt them somewhat regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Curiously enough, Sri Lanka by\nno means attempt the least passes of all teams in the second round. Maldives, Mongolia\nand Bangladesh all fall behind them on a per 90 minutes basis. Out of those who\nattempt marginally more passes, Nepal and Palestine are registering worse\ncompletion rates than Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The actual trouble is, Sri\nLanka are completing those passes incredibly deep on the field. North Korea,\nMalaysia, South Korea and Lebanon all recovered 17-24 balls high up the field,\nin the final third; an unhealthy trend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, Sri Lanka don\u2019t even register <em>one<\/em> touch in the box per 90; their passing just doesn\u2019t reach that far. A side that\u2019s so far produced a sole &#8211; <em>one<\/em> &#8211; chance that could be classified as a clear-cut (0.15 or more xG), and is only generating three shot attempts per game (in the second round), needs to change its approach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Sri Lanka, it\u2019s not just about\nthe gulf in quality, it\u2019s also about the mindset they take into the games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"playing-quality-is-scarce\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Playing quality is scarce<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then again, when volleyball is widely considered your country\u2019s national sport and cricket enjoys by far the greatest attention (and has brought Sri Lanka the most success by even further), you <em>might<\/em> have a problem as a football coach. And it does show; over the five qualifiers, a mere 18 players have been used. <\/p>\n\n\n<p><a id=\"ydwgGviYSBJKltGweIkQeQ\" class=\"gie-single\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com.au\/detail\/1175319503\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'ydwgGviYSBJKltGweIkQeQ',sig:'SzKX1OWtXd5Es9wjxdMHohZsLKeZ2hvYYdPR4UNLp7Y=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1175319503',caption: true ,tld:'com.au',is360: false })});<\/script><script src=\"\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\" async=\"\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s therefore totally\nreasonable to ask whether Sri Lanka aren\u2019t, in fact, already hitting their\nceiling by, say, restricting North Korea to five shots on target to the tune of\na mere 1.07 expected goals. That\u2019s by all means a decent foundation, and when\nyou have vastly limited tools, maybe it\u2019s OK to not build on it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Halfway through this round,\nafter all, Sri Lanka are on pace to finish with 28 conceded goals; a total\nthat\u2019d rank above as many as four\nsides who didn\u2019t see any of their eight games forfeited at this stage in\n2015-16. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But here I am thinking: \u201cIf Bhutan could\u2019ve done it \u2014 if Bhutan could\u2019ve entertained \u2014 why not Sri Lanka?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe corner kicks could be the way to break out of the slump. They created four apiece against Lebanon and Malaysia, and one fifth of their shot opportunities (three out of 15) have come this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe that could be the \u2018Sri Lanka Way\u2019, maybe that could be their face. Bhutan had the trickster in Chencho Gyeltshen, and that was kind of their selling card; Sri Lanka could use one too. Anything works at this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, it might be\ntoo late already. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With three trips ahead of them\nand the only remaining visitors being the mighty South Korea, one can easily\nimagine Sri Lanka going goalless down the stretch. Their best shot is arguably this\nweek when they travel to Turkmenistan, who defeated North Korea 3-1 last week, while\nSri Lanka had the bye last Thursday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And so here I am, thinking once again: \u201cIf Guam did it against Turkmenistan in 2015, why not\u2026\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>All advanced stats courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/wyscout.com\/\">wyscout.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Photo:<\/strong> SAFF Suzuki Cup<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Listen to Sri Lankan international Zarwan Johar talk about football in Sri Lanka on Episode 27 of The Asian Game podcast<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio aligncenter\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/theasiangame\/The_Asian_Game_Episode_27.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Five qualifiers in and one whole(-ish) round behind them, Sri Lanka are still sitting on a frustrating and unprecedented zero goals scored. How come, and do they have what it takes to eventually break through? Just to be clear off the bat, the point of this piece is not to point fingers and laugh at [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":855,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_gspb_post_css":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[284,512,126,14],"class_list":["post-854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analysis","tag-asian-qualifiers","tag-national-teams","tag-south-asia","tag-sri-lanka"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Behind the Numbers: Could Sri Lanka stay goalless? - The Asian Game<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/ro\/behind-the-numbers-could-sri-lanka-stay-goalless\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ro_RO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Behind the Numbers: Could Sri Lanka stay goalless? - The Asian Game\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Five qualifiers in and one whole(-ish) round behind them, Sri Lanka are still sitting on a frustrating and unprecedented zero goals scored. How come, and do they have what it takes to eventually break through? Just to be clear off the bat, the point of this piece is not to point fingers and laugh at [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/ro\/behind-the-numbers-could-sri-lanka-stay-goalless\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Asian Game\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-11-18T03:42:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-23T04:01:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Sri-Lanka-SAFF.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tomas Danicek\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/TomDanicek\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tomas Danicek\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.theasiangame.net\\\/behind-the-numbers-could-sri-lanka-stay-goalless\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.theasiangame.net\\\/behind-the-numbers-could-sri-lanka-stay-goalless\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Tomas Danicek\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.theasiangame.net\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9a5b1a90bad1061508d649120f359f30\"},\"headline\":\"Behind the Numbers: Could Sri Lanka stay goalless?\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-11-18T03:42:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-23T04:01:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.theasiangame.net\\\/behind-the-numbers-could-sri-lanka-stay-goalless\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1189,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.theasiangame.net\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.theasiangame.net\\\/behind-the-numbers-could-sri-lanka-stay-goalless\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.theasiangame.net\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/Sri-Lanka-SAFF.jpg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"AFC Asian Qualifiers\",\"National Teams\",\"south asia\",\"sri lanka\"],\"articleSection\":[\"ANALYSIS\"],\"inLanguage\":\"ro-RO\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.theasiangame.net\\\/behind-the-numbers-could-sri-lanka-stay-goalless\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.theasiangame.net\\\/behind-the-numbers-could-sri-lanka-stay-goalless\\\/\",\"name\":\"Behind the Numbers: Could Sri Lanka stay goalless? 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How come, and do they have what it takes to eventually break through? 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