On November 19, in the 6th round of the 3rd stage of Group C in the Asian Qualifiers for the World Cup, China’s national team lost 1-3 to Japan, while Indonesia beat Saudi Arabia 2-0. As a result, Indonesia temporarily rose to 3rd place, and China dropped to 5th. If China can secure at least 2 points in the next two matches against Saudi Arabia and Australia, there is a strong chance of finishing in the top two of the group.
Before this round, Japan was leading the group with 13 points, close to securing a spot in the World Cup. China had accumulated 6 points by defeating Indonesia and drawing with Bahrain, putting them on par with Australia and Saudi Arabia. This performance even raised hopes of finishing second in the group. However, with China’s loss to Japan and Indonesia’s win over Saudi Arabia, the point situation and rankings in the group have changed.
Currently, Japan leads with 16 points, while the other five teams are closely competing, with four teams having 6 points each. China has dropped to 5th due to a goal difference disadvantage, while Indonesia has moved up to 3rd. If Bahrain maintains an unbeaten record against Australia, China could fall to the bottom of the group again.
In terms of the schedule, China will face Saudi Arabia (away), Australia (home), Indonesia (away), and Bahrain (home) in the upcoming matches. The opponents generally follow a trend from more difficult to easier.
If China can secure at least 2 points from the matches against Saudi Arabia and Australia, and continue to earn full points from the matches against Indonesia and Bahrain, they have a good chance of qualifying for the World Cup as the second-placed team in the group. However, the significant goal difference disadvantage might push China into the playoff zone at the last moment.
If China loses again to Saudi Arabia and Australia, they will need to ensure they take full points from the matches against Indonesia and Bahrain to secure a place in the playoffs as either the third or fourth-placed team in the group.
