Asian Cup 2019: A Look from the FIFA Rankings
(Baonghean.vn) - FIFA has announced the November 2018 world rankings, according to which Iran and Australia share the top two positions among the 24 teams participating in the 2019 Asian Cup. Vietnam's opponent, Yemen, is at the bottom, Turkmenistan is ranked 23rd, the Vietnamese team is ranked 17th, and host nation UAE is ranked 8th.
There are still differing opinions about the FIFA rankings, but generally, they accurately reflect the positions of the national teams. The 24 teams participating in the 2019 Asian Cup are mostly in the top ranks of the latest Asian national team rankings.
Group of candidates
Iran and Australia—the reigning Asian Cup champions—both moved up one place, ranking 29th and 41st in the world respectively, but first and second in Asia. Meanwhile, Japan and South Korea maintained their positions at 50th and 53rd, respectively, retaining their 3rd and 4th spots in Asia. These are truly four contenders for the 2019 Asian Cup title, with Iran currently in exceptionally impressive form.
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| Vietnam national team's match schedule. (Image from the internet) |
In 2018, the Iranian national team played undefeated, drawing 2 (against Venezuela and Portugal) and winning 3 (against Uzbekistan, Bolivia, and Trinidad and Tobago), leading experts to assess the Middle Eastern team's chances of winning the championship.
Defending champions Australia have been inconsistent recently. In their last five matches, they have won two, drawn two, and lost one, leaving manager G. Arnold still uneasy despite the 2019 Asian Cup approaching.
The group of teams that could spring surprises – Saudi Arabia, Syria, China, and host nation United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and Oman – are currently ranked 5th-10th in Asia. These teams, when in top form, can beat any opponent, but they lack the consistency to go far in the competition.
It is believed that this team also has a good chance of advancing from the group stage; whether they can reach the semi-finals depends on a bit of luck. With the home advantage, United Arab Emirates is considered the team most likely to go far in the tournament.
Thailand, the Philippines, Yemen, Turkmenistan, Jordan, and Bahrain are considered weak teams with little chance of advancing beyond the group stage. However, in our opinion, the situation would be different if they had four key players – Kawin Thamsatchanan, Theerathon Bunmathan, Chanathip Songkrasin, and Teerasil Dangda.
Vietnam aims to advance from the group stage.
According to the FIFA rankings released on November 29th, the Vietnamese national team gained 4 points and moved up 2 places compared to the previous month, reaching position 100 with 1,224 points. The AFF Cup is a tournament that FIFA counts towards its rankings. Therefore, the performance of the teams in the 2018 AFF Cup will affect their ranking on the FIFA rankings. In November at the 2018 AFF Cup, Vietnam won against Laos, Malaysia, and Cambodia, and drew with Myanmar.
If we consider only the region, Vietnam ranks 17th in Asia and first in Southeast Asia. Following behind are the Philippines (114), Thailand (118), Myanmar (139), Singapore (165), Malaysia (167), Cambodia (172), Laos (184), Brunei (195) and East Timor (196).
The last time the Vietnamese national team entered the FIFA top 100 was in 2011 (ranked 99th in the June announcement). This is only the second time in the past 10 years that the team, nicknamed the "Golden Dragons," has made it into the top 100. Historically, Vietnam's highest ranking was 84th in September 1998, when the team was coached by Alfred Riedl.
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| Coach Park Hang-seo and his team arrive at the tournament with the mindset of being the champions of Southeast Asia. (Image: Internet) |
In Group D, the FIFA rankings are as follows: Iran (29), Iraq (88), Vietnam (100), Turkmenistan (127). According to experts, Vietnam will have no difficulty earning 3 points against Yemen. Whether Coach Park Hang-seo's team can advance further depends on the results of their matches against Iran and Iraq. The chance of securing first or second place in the group will be difficult, but the opportunity to get a "secondary ticket" as one of the 4 best third-placed teams is within reach.
Coach Park Hang-seo and his team arrive at the tournament as the reigning champions of Southeast Asia, so the gaze of other teams in the Asian region will be different. This is the time for Que Ngoc Hai and his teammates to demonstrate the character of a team that recently made a name for itself at the AFF Cup.
