With the smoke of the second round of the Asian round of 18 of the World Preliminary Championships dissipated, the qualifying situation of each group is gradually becoming clear. In Group C, Japan leads the way with two consecutive wins, while the national football team is mired in a quagmire, having finished bottom of the group after two consecutive defeats, and the prospects of qualification are worrying.
Japan continued to show their strength in this round of matches, away to Bahrain, where they almost completely controlled the tempo of the game. Ueda's two shots and one pass and Hidemasa Morita's brace helped Japan win 5-0. The victory not only gave Japan three valuable points, but also extended their goal difference advantage. Japan, who have won two in a row, have opened up a gap to their direct rivals Australia, and it seems that it is only a matter of time before they qualify.
In contrast, the situation of the national football team is extremely difficult. Against Saudi Arabia, although the internationals showed better form than in the first round, a tactical mistake by manager Ivankovic cost them the three points they could find. The defeat dealt a serious blow to the morale of the national football team and brought Ivankovic's crisis of confidence to a peak. The outside media and players in the team have questioned it, and whether the Football Association will make the decision to change the coach before the start of the third round has become the focus of fans' attention.
What's more serious is that the next schedule of the national football team is not easy. They travel to Australia on 10 October to challenge their third opponent in the group stage, before facing Indonesia at home five days later. The home game against Indonesia will be crucial for the national team as it will be their most promising game at this stage to pick up points or even win. However, judging from the current form and strength of the Indonesian team, it will not be easy for the national football team to win this game. What's more, the Indonesian team has also naturalized two new signings, including the Eredivisie Twente central defender Hilgers, who is worth 7 million euros, which will undoubtedly further improve their strength.
For the national football team, they must adjust their form as soon as possible and get back to the feeling of winning. Otherwise, they will not only miss out on qualifying from the group, but may even continue to set a losing streak in the World Preliminary Tournament. For fans, they would rather see a national football team that can fight to the end for national honor, rather than a team that has lost its way in a difficult situation.
Overall, the results of the second round of the Asian round of 18 of the World Preliminary Championship once again prove that the competitive landscape of Asian football is changing profoundly. The strong rise of the Japan team and the plight of the national football team are just a microcosm of this change. In the upcoming matches, teams will be fighting to qualify, and the winner will have the opportunity to represent Asia at the World Cup.
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