Asian football roared 20 years ago when the World Cup first came to the continent.
On home soil, South Korea pulled off a dream run to finish fourth in 2002 while co-hosts Japan progressed to the round of 16, performances which remain Asia’s best showing at a single tournament.
As the World Cup returns to Asia on Sunday, a record six teams – Australia, Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and hosts Qatar – are representing the continent.
S. Korean hopes rest on Son
Asia can also finally boast a player of genuine world-class quality in South Korea’s Son Heung-min.
The 30-year-old Tottenham Hotspur forward, however, is nursing a fracture around his eye suffered just two weeks ago, and may have to don a protective mask when he takes to the pitch in Qatar.
South Korea is desperate for even a half-fit Son to lead the team, said Lee Yong-ik, a sports journalist at Maeil Business Newspaper.
“What can we do without our captain? The problem is we don’t have a Plan B,” said Lee.
“(Head coach Paulo) Bento has been in charge for four years but he has used all that time to (only) play his best XI.”
Bento has been able to build a formidable side. Drawn in Group H, they will aim to upset Uruguay, his compatriots from Portugal and see off the World Cup’s lowest-ranked team in Ghana.
South Korea have real quality at both ends of the pitch. While Son leads the attack, Kim Min-jae is an unshakeable presence at the back, having starred for Italian Serie A leaders Napoli this season.
Former South Korea striker Kim Shin-wook told ST that the team’s speed will be key to upending their opponents.
“The attackers have quick attack-to-defence transitions and are very quick with their feet individually (going forward) as well,” said the 34-year-old, who plays for Singapore Premier League side Lion City Sailors. “I feel that Korea will perform well if they were to defend first and work on counter-attacking.”
Kim, whose last cap was in June 2021, believes the team have enough quality to make it out of the group.
The Taegeuk Warriors’ chances of replicating their 2002 run, however, are slim, given that the Group H runners-up will face the winners of Group F – likely to be the world’s No. 1 team and tournament favourites Brazil.
Tough for Samurai Blue
Japan, meanwhile, have the unenviable task of trying to emerge from a group that features the champions from 2010 (Spain) and 2014 (Germany). Few would give the Samurai Blue or the other Group E team, Costa Rica, any hope of progressing.
But the Japanese, who are at their seventh straight World Cup, believe in themselves.
Winger Kaoru Mitoma told ST in a recent interview that, despite the tough group, the team’s target is to better their previous best finish and reach the quarter-finals.
The 25-year-old, who has two goals and an assist in his last three games for Brighton & Hove Albion, said the players have been lifted by encouraging wins over the last 18 months against World Cup aspirants Serbia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Ghana and the United States.
“The good performances and good results bring out our confidence,” said Mitoma, who has scored five goals for Japan this year.
Hosts no pushovers
The first World Cup in the Arab world will feature three teams from the Persian Gulf: the hosts, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
In theory, the three sides have a competitive edge over their opponents thanks to their familiarity with the dry desert climate. But how big an advantage this will be is up for debate.
Some may feel that debutants Qatar are just happy to be a part of the tournament as they attempt to avoid becoming only the second host nation to be knocked out in the first round of a World Cup, after South Africa in 2010. But they are no pushovers.
They are the Asian Cup champions, although that triumph was in 2019. Since then, they have also tried to gain exposure at international level.
They participated in the 2019 Copa America, rubbing shoulders with South American sides, and the Gold Cup in 2021, where they reached the semi-finals of the competition, which featured Caribbean as well as North and Central American sides.
However, the fact remains their squad comprises only players from the Qatari league, and the lack of sustained experience at the highest levels may prove detrimental to their hopes of making an impact.
Saudis bank on tactician
The only other team at this World Cup to feature only local-based players happens to be Asian, too.
Saudi Arabia will rely on the success of Al Hilal in Asian club football – they are record four-time Champions League winners – and 12 of their players, including the skilful veteran playmaker and skipper Salman Al-Faraj, are in the final 26-man squad.
They will also hope the tournament experience of coach Herve Renard, the French tactician who led Morocco four years ago in Russia, will serve them well as they try to upset Poland, Mexico and Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Group C.
Iran want to make history
Iran, meanwhile, are hoping to squeeze into the last 16 for the first time in their history, after being drawn in a competitive Group B.
While England, ranked fifth in the world, are favourites to progress, the world No. 20 Iranians can consider themselves to be on a par with Wales (19th) and the United States (16th).
They are coached by Carlos Queiroz, who returned to the helm in September after a previous stint from 2011 to 2019, when he led Team Melli at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.
Queiroz will count on a high-quality attack featuring Bayer Leverkusen man Sardar Azmoun and Porto’s towering Mehdi Taremi, with the creative Alireza Jahanbakhsh of Feyenoord pulling the strings behind them.
Goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, who shot to fame after saving a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty at the 2018 World Cup, told local reporters in Teheran last week that the squad believes they have a “big chance” of progressing to the knockout rounds.
“We could have advanced in the previous edition but, this time, we are fully prepared to make history. We want to make our nation happy,” said Beiranvand.
Socceroos giving ‘last drop’
Australia – who left the Oceania Football Confederation to join the Asian Football Confederation in 2006 – make up the last of Asia’s representatives in Qatar. Literally.
They were the last of the six to book their berth, having had to go through an intercontinental play-off in June against Peru, which they won after a penalty shoot-out.
As a result of their unimpressive performances in qualifying – they dropped points to China and Oman – there is not a lot of expectation on the Socceroos, who are at their fifth consecutive World Cup.
The squad also does not boast any spectacular talent like it did in the past with the likes of Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka or Tim Cahill.
But coach Graham Arnold promised that his side, which will feature raw but exciting attackers in former South Sudanese refugees Awer Mabil and Garang Kuol, will be competitive.
Arnold told the ABC: “I want the public to know that we are going to give everything we’ve got, every last drop. As long as I can get the best out of every player and we’re not looking back with any regrets, that’s the most important thing.”
Only their best will be enough, as Asia looks to rise once again.
Asia’s Golden Moments at the World Cup
Australia
Tim Cahill’s peach of a strike against the Netherlands at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. A powerful first-time volley - with his weaker left foot - that crashed into goal off the underside of the crossbar. The strike drew comparisons with Marco van Basten’s iconic goal at the 1988 European Championship. Watch it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA7oCfsHwnc
Iran
A superb goal by Hamid Reza Estili - who played for Geylang United in the S-League in 1996 and 1997 - that drew first blood for the Iranians in their 2-1 win over the United States at the 1998 World Cup in France. It was the Iranians’ first win at the World Cup, and Estili’s passionate celebration highlighted just what it meant to his nation. Watch it here. https://youtu.be/TLNMmDZdhfU?t=172
Japan
Keisuke Honda’s brilliant “knuckleball” freekick that travelled over 35 metres and flew past Denmark goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen to bulge the net at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Honda’s genius - he later set up a goal with some sublime footwork - sent Japan on their way to a 3-1 win and into the knockout rounds. Watch it here. https://youtu.be/k1YK0e-UWNg?t=53
Saudi Arabia
In their World Cup debut in the United States in 1994, attacking midfielder Saaed Al-Owairian picked up the ball in his own half and beat five Belgian players before firing home the only goal to help Asia progress to knockout rounds for the first time since North Korea in 1966. Watch it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQoD40d9APU
South Korea
Ahn Jung-hwan outjumping Paolo Maldini to glance home the Golden Goal past Gianluigi Buffon to send South Korea to the quarter-finals of the 2002 edition on home soil. Arguably the biggest giant-killing feat in World Cup history, and set South Korea on their way to a historic fourth-placed finish. Watch it here. https://youtu.be/Ym4fLNvcbX0?t=134
Qatar
The tournament hosts will make their World Cup debut against Ecuador on Sunday looking to create one. If they need inspiration, they can go back to Almoez Ali’s stunning overhead kick against Japan in the 2019 Asian Cup final, which helped them win their first continental title. Watch it here. https://youtu.be/Qf51PUorFbI?t=14
