WORLD SERVICEDisappointing...
the Australians had
expected automatic
qualification to Qatar
Falcons were deserved winners, playing
with increasing intensity and confidence.
The likes of Salem Al Dawsari and
Salman Al Faraj were standouts going
forward, with the defence solid for the
most part. A fine home victory against
Japan showed the team’s quality and
a fighting 0-0 draw on a wet Sydney
night showed
the necessary
fighting spirit.
For a while
Japan were
fighting with
Australia for
second spot
but pulled away in the second half of
the third round stage. The Samurai Blue
bounced back well from a shock1-0
home defeat to Oman in the opening
match, but there are concerns that the
team did not score enough goals – just
12 in the ten games – given the talent
available. Coach Hajime Moriyasu came
under criticism for his overly cautious
tactics and not getting the best out of
a talented group of players.
In the end, it was all clinched with
a deserved 2-0 win in Australia with
Kaoru Mitoma coming off the bench to
make the difference. It condemned the
Socceroos, looking for a fifth successive
World Cup appearance, to third and the
play-offs. In the end, Australia, shorn of
the Euro-based stars they boasted not
long ago, finished just one point above
an improved and organised Oman who
managed14 - a more than respectable
showing.
The less said about China, with just
six points, the better. Their campaign
was a disaster and while Vietnam were
bottom, they at least had the excuse of
appearing at this stage for the first time.
Full tables and results on page 94.UAE may have finished third but their
performances were very disappointing
and cost Bert van Marwijk his job with
two games remaining. Iraq, Syria and
Lebanon can be determined and hard
to beat but won just one game each out
of their ten qualifiers. No surprise then
that Iran and South Korea will feel theneed for some challenging friendly
games before Qatar.
Group B was better. Saudi Arabia
finished first, a fine performance and
a testament to the improvements head
coach Herve Renard has made since
taking over in 2019. With an entirely
domestic-based squad, the GreenDeadly duo...Iran’s front two Sardar Azmoun (L) and Mehdi Taremi hit17 goals combined in qualifyingThe Koreans can now look forward to
a tenth successive appearance on the
global stage, a streak bettered only by
Brazil, Germany, Argentina and Spain.
They started slowly with uninspiring
performances at home against Iraq,
Lebanon and Syria. There were even
suggestions that coach Paulo Bento, in
place since 2018, may be in for the chop.
But as the games came, matters
improved. Son Heung-min looked less
burdened by a nation’s expectations.
After a decent1-1 draw in Iran, there
were five wins in a row with no goals
conceded. Their best performance
came in the penultimate game, a 2-0
win over Iran in front of more than
64,000 spectators in Seoul.
Korea would have topped the group
had they not contrived to lose their final
game1-0 in Dubai to the United Arab
Emirates, despite having 77 per cent of
possession and16 corners. It may prove
to be a blessing in disguise though,
showing the work that still needs to
be done at both ends of the pitch.
Iran, for the third time in succession,
topped their group. The one negative
was the defeat to Korea, a result that
ended a seven-game unbeaten streak
against the East Asians and a growing
feeling that they
had a hold over
their rivals. By the
time of the loss in
Seoul, Iran, who
earlier swapped
Marc Wilmots for
Dragan Skocic in
the dugout, were already through. Team
Melli were, however, rarely in danger of
not qualifying with the likes of Mehdi
Taremi and Sardar Azmoun in attack.
That is why supporters, however, are
a little concerned: when the real tests
came against the Koreans, Iran took
just one solitary point.Jubilant...Japan
celebrate their
victory over
AustraliaThere will be drama to come in the June play-offs.
The two third-placed teams, United Arab Emirates
and Australia, meet in Doha, with the winner taking
on South American representatives Peru a week later