The status of the traditional powerhouse in Asian football may be replaced by Qatar!
We must give Jordan a round of applause. Since Iraq won the Asian Cup in 2007, there has never been such a shocking incident in Asian football. While it's uncertain whether Jordan will be a big dark horse at Euro 2004, a team that has never made it to the last four of the Asian Championship is enough to shock Asian football. In particular, Jordan have played South Korea twice, winning one and not losing one, and even at that time, Jordan had the absolute upper hand and did not tie the result until the end of the match.
It can be seen that the standard of football in Asia has improved in recent years. Although winning or losing once or twice is of little significance, there are still many national team players in Japan and South Korea who have just returned from Europe, and their strength has not yet reached their peak, but Japan and South Korea do not have much advantage when playing against second-tier Asian teams. Perhaps Asia's top teams like Japan, South Korea and Iran are no longer as strong as they once were.
Which strong team stands out the most?
Let's take a look at the Asian Cup. Let's start with 1984. In 1984, Saudi Arabia won the Asian Championships. Although Japan has won many championships since then, as have Iraq and Australia, they have been creating their own glory since 1984.
At that time, Saudi Arabia was the most dynamic and competitive country in Asia, or rather the leading force in Asia.
However, the glory of the Saudi national team came to an end in 2007. Saudi Arabia lost to Iraq in the World Cup, and so far, Saudi Arabia has not reached the final of the World Cup. Since 2007, Saudi Arabia has not even entered the quarterfinals, and Saudi Arabia has been eliminated from the World Cup. "In 2019 and this year, Saudi Arabia has entered the top 16.
Before and after this comparison, has Saudi Arabia lost its former glory? It's a huge chasm. So, in the Saudi competition, the strength of Asia has changed a lot. Once the most powerful team in Asia, it is now in the top four, which can be seen from the Asian team rankings, Saudi Arabia is obviously more than one level behind Japan, South Korea, and Iran.
In the past, when we mentioned Asian powers, we would mention Japan, South Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Australia, which are the fifth largest countries in Asia. But now? Although Argentina was able to beat Saudi Arabia, it was also a very rare thing. Saudi Arabia have shown their weaknesses in their matches against Poland and Mexico. As for the Asian Cup, Saudi Arabia is the worst performing team in Asia, which has happened in recent years.
Perhaps Saudi Arabia's place on the Asian football stage is gradually being replaced by other clubs.
Qatar, a city.
Right? Qatar has been active in recent years, having hosted the World Cup as well as the Asian Cup. Despite Qatar's poor results in this World Cup, it is also an unavoidable path because it is a new team. Qatar, on the other hand, shined in the Asian Cup, winning the championship in 2019, and that alone was enough for Qatar to surpass Saudi Arabia in the group stage of the World Cup. Perhaps it's a change of identity.
Qatar played well in this Asian Championship and successfully advanced to the final round. In stark contrast, Saudi Arabia won the group against Oman, but in Thailand, they were unable to win. After qualifying for the final, although it was a pity to tie South Korea in extra time, we must say that in the second half, they were completely pressed by South Korea and ended in a heavy defeat. So, it is only natural that they will be eliminated by South Korea in the end.
The two teams are now very close in the global standings, with Saudi Arabia at 56 and Qatar at 58. Despite this, Qatar is ahead of Saudi Arabia. If you think about Japan, South Korea, Iran, Australia, their strength is more than Saudi Arabia, it can be seen that Asian football has firmly occupied the position of the world's top four, except for the current battle for the top five, has reached a stalemate. If Saudi Arabia has been able to maintain this status in the past, in recent years, we have felt more and more that Saudi Arabia does want Qatar to replace it. It may not be long before the 5 best teams in Asia will go from Japan, South Korea, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Australia to Japan, South Korea, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.