■ 31st Anniversary Special – Qatar World Cup D-20
Opening on the 21st… 32 countries participated in a total of 64 games ‘Great Blood Battle’
The average high temperature in November is 29.5 degrees Celsius.
8 stadium grounds and spectator seats
Creating an optimal environment for air conditioning installation
Europe’s top 5 leagues suspended during the tournament
It’s not easy to control players’ conditions, etc.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a global football festival, is approaching on the 20th. In the middle of the desert, especially, the World Cup is being held in winter for the first time, attracting attention in many ways.
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The Qatar World Cup kicks off at 1 am on the 21st (Korean time) at the Albeit Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, with the first group match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. And until the final, which will be held at Lusail Stadium in Lusail at 0 o’clock on December 19th, 32 countries will participate in a total of 64 games over 29 days. However, the Qatar World Cup, unlike other tournaments, is arousing curiosity even before the opening due to the unfamiliar environment of ‘desert’ and ‘winter’. The World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930, and this year is the 22nd. It is the first time in 20 years that the World Cup will be held in Asia since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. Usually held in June or July. However, for the first time ever, the Qatar World Cup will be held from November to December.
Located on the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar is surrounded on three sides by the Persian Gulf. The total area is 11,571 km2, which is similar in size to the Korean metropolitan area (11,868 km2). In midsummer, the average maximum temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius. Humidity is also very high. It is impossible to hold games in June or July.
But November, when winter enters, is a bit better. The average maximum temperature drops to 29.5 degrees Celsius, and in December it drops to 24.1 degrees Celsius. The average humidity also decreases to 20-60% in November and 5-20% in December. Of course, there are quite a few cases where the temperature exceeds 30 degrees even in winter. As a result, there was still a negative public opinion, but Qatar was equipped with a perfect air-conditioning system to silence objections.
In the eight stadiums where the Qatar World Cup will be held, air conditioning systems are provided on the ground and in the spectator seats, creating an optimal environment for games and spectators. Cool air is blown from around the ground and from under the seats in the audience, lowering the temperature to about 20 degrees. In addition, the air circulates quickly to be purified, and the stadium is designed to prevent hot heat from entering the interior.
Even so, the Qatar World Cup was held in November, in the middle of the European professional football season, so there were many variables. In particular, the five major European leagues, including the English Premier League (EPL), which have many star players, have to be temporarily suspended from November to December, when the season is in full swing, so there is concern about the deterioration of players’ performance due to the tight schedule. The risk of injury is also high.
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In this World Cup, the competition between Europe and South America for world football supremacy is expected to intensify. In the 21 World Cups held so far, Europe has won 12 times and South America has won 9 times. However, since the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Europe has won the title four times in a row. Brazil won the Korea-Japan World Cup 20 years ago, the last time South America won the championship. FIFA rankings 1st Brazil and 3rd place Argentina are challenging to reclaim the throne, while 4th place France, 5th place England, 7th place Spain, and 9th place Portugal are aiming for a domination.
Korea, led by coach Paulo Bento, is aiming to advance to the round of 16 for the third time in their career at the Qatar World Cup. World-class players such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) and Kim Min-jae (SSC Napoli) are expected to perform. Korea surpassed the ‘wall’ of the group stage for the first time in history by reaching the quarterfinals of the Korea-Japan World Cup, and advanced to the round of 16 in South Africa in 2010. However, at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the 2018 World Cup in Russia, they did not reach the round of 16 goal. 28th place Korea is in Group H and competes against 9th place Portugal, 14th place Uruguay, and 61st place Ghana to advance to the round of 16.
Reporter Heo Jong-ho [email protected]