To achieve a World Cup breakthrough, Asian teams need greater squad depth, mindset shift: Experts

SINGAPORE – A sign held by a fan at the Incheon International Airport that read “Hong Myung-boooo” summed up the mood in South Korea last week.

The Taegeuk Warriors had returned home in shame after suffering a group-stage exit at the World Cup, prompting coach Hong’s resignation.

The rest of the region is also feeling the blues after falling short at the global showpiece.

The round of 16 kicked off on July 4 without an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) representative for the first time since the 2014 edition in Brazil.

Asia had a record nine sides in this tournament, which was expanded from 32 to 48 teams.

Yet it was one of the region’s poorest showings with three wins, nine draws and 15 losses.

Only Japan and Australia made it into the new round of 32, where they were eliminated by Brazil and Egypt respectively.

At the 2022 edition in Qatar, six Asian teams managed seven wins, one draw and 10 losses combined, with three sides reaching the knockout phase.

Glass ceiling for Japan?

Notably, Asia’s top-ranked side Japan were unable to achieve the breakthrough they were seeking in North America. The defeat by Brazil marked the fifth time they had exited in the first knockout round of the World Cup, following last-16 exits in 2002, 2010, 2018 and 2022.

Sport business professor Simon Chadwick said in a Forbes article that the world No. 18 team have “hit a glass ceiling”.

He wrote: “It appears that continental dominance is no indicator of global success, which perhaps implies a deeper malaise afflicting Asian soccer – an absence of team and player quality that requires support from the continental governing body.”

Injuries to Kaoru Mitoma, Takumi Minamino and Wataru Endo had deprived coach Hajime Moriyasu of quality options, with forward Takefusa Kubo then ruled out after hurting his knee during the opening 2-2 draw with the Netherlands.

Philippe Troussier, who coached Japan at the 2002 World Cup, told Reuters that squad depth plays a crucial role in tournaments, adding: “Japan’s first team was competitive, but injuries limited their attacking options when they needed them most.

“That, in my view, is the biggest difference compared with many African teams.”

The Frenchman noted that in the second half against Brazil, Japan no longer had the resources to sustain their attacking pressure as the Selecao sealed a 2-1 comeback win, making it the third consecutive time that the Samurai Blue were eliminated in the knockout phase despite scoring first.

While Troussier said Japan have come a long way, a “final step” is still needed for that breakthrough.

Singapore Premier League (SPL) pundit Rhysh Roshan Rai believes the lack of quality opposition in Asia could also be holding the Samurai Blue back from bridging the gap.

“There aren’t any sides that can really challenge them on a consistent basis and so it becomes difficult for them as well to then improve and develop,” said the 41-year-old.

Keiji Shigetomi, technical director of SPL side FC Jurong, felt it all came down to the fine margins.

“Many Asian teams are now technically and tactically well organised, but at the World Cup, the difference often comes down to small details – decision-making under pressure, physical intensity over 90 minutes,” said the 47-year-old.

“Japan and Australia managed to reach the knockout stages because they consistently performed those details well. For the other Asian teams, there were positive performances, but not enough consistency across three group matches.”

Tampines Rovers’ former Japan international Yuki Kobayashi noted that while Japanese football is growing, with more players playing in Europe, the powerhouses are also improving.

“Overtaking them is no easy task,” said the 34-year-old midfielder, who has eight caps. “However, I am certain that the gap between us is shrinking.”

Socceroos’ ‘success’

While Moriyasu has not indicated if he would been extending his eight-year reign as Japan coach, Football Australia has backed Tony Popovic after the Socceroos reached the knockout stages for the third time and were beaten only on penalties by Egypt.

Its chief executive Martin Kugeler called their campaign an “enormous success”, prompting former Socceroos captain Mark Milligan to ask when would the mindset shift.

“When we qualify, is that just always going to be enough? What do we want moving forward?” the Newcastle Jets coach told broadcaster SBS.

Lion City Sailors defender and ex-Socceroo Bailey Wright said it has been a positive campaign for Australia, but “we still want to get better”. The 33-year-old added that the outlook is positive with the “young and exciting players who have broken through”.

Diaspora boost

While Rai expected more from South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, he believes debutants Jordan and Uzbekistan, who lost all their group games, should be given some slack.

He said: “It’s a big learning experience to be competing at that level and it would have been very valuable for them, not just the players, but also the staff.”

Fellow debutants Cape Verde made a greater impression, holding Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia to reach the round of 32, where they lost 3-2 to defending champions Argentina in extra time.

Rai called the West Africans, whose 26 players all ply their trade outside the archipelago nation of 530,000 residents, “an outlier”.

“We see such teams qualify for major tournaments, they have the element of surprise and get good results along the way, but we see that consistency is another matter,” he said.

Like some other teams, they could also tap on their diaspora – 15 of the Cape Verdeans were born in other countries – giving the coach more options.

Out of the 10 African sides, nine reached the knockout stage, with Troussier noting their “greater depth”, as more of their players compete in Europe’s elite leagues.

“In a World Cup, that experience often makes the difference,” he added. 

What’s next for Asia?

To lift Asian football, Shigetomi said every part of the eco-system needs to be improved.

“We need to continue developing better youth players, create more competitive domestic leagues and encourage more players to challenge themselves in the strongest leagues around the world,” he said.

Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro made the same point after their exit, noting that investments are needed.

The Italian said: “Uzbekistan football needs to continue investing money in academies, investing money in youth players, because it’s the only way to try to have Uzbekistan in the World Cup in the next 20-30 years.”