With the third round of Asian Qualifiers give World Football Championship Currently at the halfway stage, a lot has happened in the race to Qatar 2022 but there is still much to play.
With five games left, every team could still qualify mathematically but some are almost out of the equation while others are firmly on the track.
– Unannounced players lit up the Asian World Cup qualifiers
– Biggest win ever in FIFA World Cup qualifying history
Before Match Day 6, let’s take a closer look at the World Cup qualifying picture of the Asia region.
Group A
The forerunner: Iran, south Korea
Only the top two teams in each group are guaranteed a place in next year’s World Cup and for now, that duo will be Iran and South Korea in Group A.
With both yet to taste defeat, Iran leads with 13 points and South Korea is behind by two points.
With them being two of the continent’s heavyweights, and considering both have featured in the past two World Cups, their dominance is hardly surprising and they can comfortably relax. moving forward without collapses of unimaginable proportions.
In an opportunity: Lebanon, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Syria
Reaching the playoffs by the top two might have been a bridge too far for the other four Group A contenders but, with the third-place team advancing to the playoffs, all is not lost.
With only 3 points separating Lebanon from the bottom of the group Syria, each team will be optimistic about their prospects provided they can end the campaign on a strong note.
With four draws and just one loss in their five matches so far, Iraq probably only needs an adjustment or two to switch gear and could be a good bet for third.
As good as removing: Not available
Considering the narrow margin separating them from the bottom four teams, none of them are really out of the question for a playoff spot.
Group B
The forerunner: Saudi Arabia
With four wins and one draw in their opening five qualifying matches, Saudi Arabia is currently at the top of Group B and that may come as a surprise to some as Japan and Australia are the favorites. earliest.
But the Green Falcons are where they are at and, having won an impressive 1-0 over Japan in October, have also passed their most recent test by hold the Socceroos 0-0 on Thursday.
They will face both of these sides again on the run home but can be satisfied with their performance so far.
In an opportunity: Australia, Japan, Oman
Until their two previous outings – lost to Japan 2-1 and 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia – Australia are also in pretty good form, although they still stay with a great chance with 10 points.
A serious knee injury for the star defender Harry Souttar will however be a blow before Tuesday’s game against China PR.
Meanwhile, one point behind the Socceroos, Japan are finally getting some results on the leaderboard after a slow start but haven’t quite reached their best form yet, and have yet to show the same dominance. Expectation of Samurai Blue.
In fourth place is Oman, who stunned the Japanese on Match Day One and now have seven points. Third place and a playoff berth may be the most realistic target for Oman although that could change if they can produce another loss to Samurai Blue on Tuesday.
As good as removing: China PR, Vietnam
With no points after five matches, Vietnam are falling in efficiency. Then again, just getting to this stage the first time is already an accomplishment.
The Vietnamese have been competitive in most of their opening matches, including single-goal defeats to Australia and Japan, and should aim for a win or two in the second half of the campaign.
And while China PR are in a relatively stronger position with four points, none of their performances so far suggest they will have the necessary qualifications to return to the top three of Group B.
