Asian Team At The Qatar World Cup: Can Anyone Match South Korea's Achievements 20 Years Ago?

JAKARTA - The 2002 World Cup is history for Asian countries. How come? For the first time, AFC member countries, Japan and South Korea managed to host. Although other participating countries have severely criticized the unpreparedness of infrastructure and the difficulty of logistical accommodation for the participants and spectators, in fact this World Cup has become an opening for the development of football in Asia.

Many countries who subscribe to the World Cup turn a blind eye to the strength of Asian teams. And this trivial assumption ended up being a surprise for them when South Korea amazingly managed to get rid of two of Europe's elite teams.

In the eighth final, South Korea defeated Italy with a score of 2-1 through a golden goal scored by Perugia's Ahn Jung Hwan in the 117th minute. In the quarter-finals, it was Spain's turn to lose on penalties. South Korea's steps just stopped at the hands of Germany in the semifinals.

Several European media considered the achievements of the Ginseng Country Team to be the fruit of rottenness and the referee's internal politics. But in fact South Korea has succeeded in making football a new hope for the people in their country. The top four achievements obtained by the Ginseng Country have become valuable assets for other Asian countries to achieve good achievements in organizing the World Cup in the future.

Unfortunately, until the 2018 World Cup, not a single Asian country has been able to match South Korea's achievements. At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, all representatives of Asia failed to qualify from the group stage. In South Africa 2010, two teams from East Asia, Japan and South Korea were only able to qualify for the eighth final after being defeated by two Latin American teams, Paraguay and Uruguay. Four years later in Brazil, again, not a single Asian team has progressed from the group stage.

When compared with the development of European football, the condition of Asian football can be said to be lagging behind. During the implementation of the World Cup, starting in 1930, the contribution of Asian countries was minimal.

This was exacerbated by the stability condition of Asian countries before and after World War II. The Asian continent football federation was only formed in 1954, in Manila.

In that year South Korea managed to become the first sovereign Asian country to qualify for the quadrennial soccer event. The next team to qualify for the 1966 World Cup in England was North Korea. This South Korean kin managed to escape from the group phase and reached the quarter-finals, before being defeated by Portugal 5-3.

Next was Israel - at that time still part of the AFC - who were in Group 2 of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico with Italy, Uruguay and Sweden. However, the country failed to qualify from the group stage after only two draws and one defeat.

Then there was Japan who qualified for France in 1998. Even though the Samurai Team's performance at that time was considered bad. However, their escape to this grand football party made the football atmosphere in the Land of the Rising Sun permeate all fronts. Both in terms of developing football for the better as well as in terms of the euphoria of the people who support it.

Expectations for slick achievements from Asian teams re-emerged at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. With more and more talented players born on the Asian continent playing regularly in top European league teams, Asian football should be able to speak from an experience and mental perspective.

Before the tournament takes place, the captain of the Japanese national team, Makoto Hasebe is expected to be able to show his winning mentality in leading the Samurai Team. The mainstay defender of Eintracht Frakfurt has shown his expertise in maintaining defense as well as bringing his club to win the DFB Pokal this season. Even though he is 34 years old, Hasebe's leadership can still be relied on.

Likewise with the experience and leadership of the captain of the Australian team, Tim Cahill, who is expected to determine Socerroos' steps. Plus the anchor midfielder Mile Jedinak who in the 2017/2018 season almost brought Aston Villa to qualify for the Premier League before it ran aground from Fulham in the play-off round.

For South Korea, the sparkling action of attacking midfielder Son Heung-Min is expected to be a differentiator. The Tottenham Hotspur star has a total of 18 goals in all competitions this season, making him the most fertile player in the history of Asian players who have played in Europe's top leagues.

Those sleeping on Son have woken up this season! ️🇰🇷😴@Sonny7 | @theKFA pic.twitter.com/chzBbnoCYL

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) May 17, 2022

Then Iran has a top player who is predicted to be a star in this World Cup, namely the goalkeeper, Alireza Beiranvand who has kept the Iranian defense strong during the qualifying round with a record of 12 clean sheets.

Meanwhile, the last Asian team to qualify for the Russian World Cup is Saudi Arabia, which has high hopes for its star, Nawaf Al Abed. This local club player Al Hilal managed to score 8 goals from 44 matches with Saudi Arabia.

In fact, Japan is the only Asian wakin to qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup in Russia. Blue Samurai troops occupy the runners-up Group H under Colombia. Uniquely this time, Akira Nishino's children passed through a fair play assessment, eliminating Senegal in the group competition even though both teams have the same points and goal difference.

Japan managed to steal the hearts of world football lovers despite being dramatically eliminated from the 2018 World Cup after a 2-3 defeat to Belgium at the Rostov Arena. The Samurai Blue had a 2-0 lead through Genki Haraguchi and Takashi Inui. However, that advantage failed to be maintained. Belgium bounced back scoring three goals through Jan Vertonghen, Marouane Fellaini, and Nacer Chadli.

The ticket for the quarter-finals is in the hands of the Belgian national team. However, the fighting spirit of Akira Nishino and Japan at that time can certainly be used as an example that in football nothing is impossible.

The 2018 World Cup in Russia, of course, will never be forgotten by South Korea, who at that time was coached by the current coach of the Indonesian national team, Shin Tae-yong. After losing 0-1 to Sweden, South Korea lost 1-2 to Mexico in the second match. That's right! The two defeats made South Korea the first team to be eliminated in Group F.

In the last match, South Korea had to face the defending champion, Germany, who still had a chance to qualify. As a result, Kim Young-gwon scored a goal in the 90+2 minute, followed by Son Heung-min four minutes later.

The results of this match made Germany eliminated with the status of the last rank in Group F under South Korea. Despite being eliminated, Shin Tae-yong and South Korea made history, becoming the first team from Asia to beat the reigning World Cup champions in an official match.

At the Qatar World Cup which will take place from November to December, Asia is represented by six countries. The first country, of course, the host who automatically qualify for the four-year football party.

Then there are Iran, Japan and Saudi Arabia who will participate for the sixth time at the World Cup, and South Korea which will play for the tenth time.

Representatives from Asian countries will likely add one more after Australia won the play-off match against fellow Asian countries, United Arab Emirates with a score of 2-1. To ensure a move to the Qatar World Cup finals, Australia must beat Peru in the play-off match which will be held on 14 June.