The unseen Quazem who gave Hamza the licence to attack
Bangladesh’s attack should be the talking point after the 4-0 win over Sri Lanka. Hamza Choudhury’s attacking presence, Shamit Shome’s goal and the pacy raids down both wings were all eye-catching.
But the important work behind that attacking football was done quietly by Quazem Shah. Holding his place in midfield, he snuffed out the opposition’s attacks and helped Bangladesh keep hold of the ball.
Above all, his role meant Hamza did not have to drop back into defence again and again. The Bangladesh star was free to play with greater licence going forward.
To understand Thomas Dooley’s tactics, you have to watch Bangladesh’s midfield. Against Sri Lanka, Hamza was played in the number ten role.
Positioned in the space between midfield and the opposition defence, he directed the attacks. Behind him were Quazem Shah and Shamit Shome. The partnership of these two midfielders was one of the foundations of Bangladesh’s game. In football language, it is called a double pivot.
The job of the two players in this position is not merely to stop the opposition’s attacks. They must also retain possession, set the rhythm of the attack and build moves by supplying the ball to both wings.
In this pairing, however, Quazem’s duties were comparatively more defensive. Shielding the defenders, snuffing out the opposition’s attacks, keeping control of the midfield space and closing the opposition’s passing lanes were his main responsibilities.
Because of his role, Hamza did not have to keep dropping deep. Instead, he could focus more on directing attacks from in front of the opposition defence.
Quazem’s own words also reveal this plan.
Speaking to Daily Waadaa, he said, ‘Our plan was exactly that. Shamit and I would stay deep, and Hamza would stay high up the pitch the whole time. And sometimes both Hamza and Shamit would go forward, and I would stay back alone. So that we could play well as a team and stop the opposition’s counter-attacks.’
After the match, Dooley also explained his thinking behind Hamza’s change of position. In his view, when Hamza plays as a defensive midfielder, he ends up covering a huge area while trying to help everyone. Played at number ten, he can support the wingers and strikers far better.
Once possession was won back, Quazem sometimes kept control with short passes and sometimes started attacks by getting the ball to teammates ahead of him. Alongside handling the defensive work, this role of supplying the ball brought balance to Bangladesh’s midfield.
Shamit’s role beside Quazem was effective too. Both played in the double pivot, but their roles differed slightly. Quazem held his position and managed the defensive side, relatively speaking.
Shamit, on the other hand, read the moment, went forward and joined the attack. His goal in the eighth minute of the match is an example of that attacking approach. In other words, one midfielder held the balance at the back, while the other joined the attack as an extra man when the chance arose.
The effect of this tactic was felt on both wings as well. With Hamza’s presence in the middle keeping the opposition defence busy, space opened up on the two flanks for Rakib Hossain and Farhaan Ali Wahid.
Our plan was exactly that. Shamit and I would stay deep, and Hamza would stay high up the pitch the whole time. And sometimes both Hamza and Shamit would go forward, and I would stay back alone. So that we could play well as a team and stop the opposition’s counter-attacks.
Quazem Shah, Bangladesh midfielder
Dooley’s plan was for the wingers to create one-on-one situations against the opposition full-backs and attack from there. Whenever Hamza received the ball in the middle, opposing defenders had to step up to stop him. That opened up space on both wings, and Bangladesh used it to go forward.
The change of position showed in Hamza’s own performance too. His goal from outside the box late in the first half is a prime example. Playing at number ten, he was able to stay close to the opposition defence and get involved in attacks.
Not only did he score, but he was also seen active in building understanding with teammates, raising the tempo of the attack and piling pressure on the opposition defence. The duties that kept him so far back when he played as a defensive midfielder were now shared out, so Hamza made a bigger impact going forward.
Quazem said the coaching staff also understood the importance of his role. He said, ‘The coaching staff also told me that because I stayed deep, Hamza could play up front without pressure. They also asked me to go forward now and then, which is why I went up a few times in the second half. I played the way the coach told me to. The team is doing well, and I am happy about that.’
In the second half, Quazem too came forward to join the attack. One of his shots from well outside the box had Sri Lanka goalkeeper Sujan Perera diving at full stretch to his left to keep it out of the net.
However, a single match is not enough to fully judge how effective Dooley’s tactic is. The bigger test will be how well Quazem can cover the defensive midfield space against stronger opponents, and how well the Quazem-Shamit double pivot can keep possession and control the game when facing a high press. If the pair lose control of the midfield, there is a risk of the link between defence and attack being cut. Hamza would then have to drop back to help in defence, and his attacking freedom would shrink.
The more effective the Hamza-Shamit-Quazem combination becomes, the greater Hamza’s influence on Bangladesh’s attack will be. And the match against Sri Lanka has hinted at just how important Quazem’s quiet role is behind that attacking freedom.