Paul Williams

2 weeks ago | theasiangame.net | Paul Williams

It’s a sentence that just feels good to write down, and even better to say. Uzbekistan are going to the FIFA World Cup. If ever a nation deserved qualification, and the euphoria that comes with it, it’s Uzbekistan. With the blow of the referee’s whistle at the end of a nervy night in Abu Dhabi last week, the pain of the past was washed away in an instant, replaced by emotions of a different kind: relief, ecstasy, unbridled joy and tears of happiness. So many tears.

2 weeks ago | theasiangame.net | Paul Williams

It was a bold call by the president of the PSSI so close to the end of Asian Qualifiers, and at a time when Indonesia were still in with a chance of not just progressing to the Fourth Round, but qualifying automatically. By making such a call, he gambled on that eventuality playing out. While they failed to secure automatic qualification, they did seal passage through to the Fourth Round where the final two automatic berths are up for grabs. So has the gamble paid off?

2 weeks ago | theasiangame.net | Paul Williams

And with good reason; Australia has qualified automatically for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2014, avoiding the treacherous and nerve-wracking path of the playoffs required for both 2018 and 2022. All this from a side that looked completely lost at sea after the opening round of matches which saw them lose at home to Bahrain and only manage a dour 0-0 draw with Indonesia in Jakarta.

2 weeks ago | theasiangame.net | Paul Williams

Having qualified automatically for the past two World Cups, this is uncharted territory for Saudi Arabia who must simultaneously look back at where things went wrong, but also have an eye on the crunch games to come in October. When they undertake their post-mortem, there’s one hard conversation coach Herve Renard needs to have with his best player, Salem Al-Dawsari.

2 weeks ago | theasiangame.net | Paul Williams

This loss, or draw as it was, was largely of their own making. Leading 1-0 when Oman were reduced to ten men with the dismissal of Harib Al-Saadi with 20 minutes remaining, they should have been able to see the game out, secure their place in the Fourth Round and keep their World Cup dream alive. Whether it was the pressure of the moment, or an expectation that it would just happen after they had the man advantage, they didn’t handle the game state well.