Singapore
had failed in it bid to reach the Asian Zone World Cup Qualifier Final Group
but quite frankly, I am very delighted with how this World Cup Qualifiers
campaign had progressed.
By now,
after viewing the entire qualifiers starting from the first round from last
November, it is clear Singapore has reached the Middle tier now in the Asian
arena whereas up to before the qualifiers started, one cannot be so sure if it
was indeed the case.
Although
expectations are at times on the high side (But still considered good as this
show Singaporean are following the event) like when we defeated Lebanon playing
some of the best attacking football and yet some can point at a 2-0 victory
against an Arab team, along with the fact we defeat them 2-1 the second time in
Beirut, as not enough.
We do
need to remind ourselves that Singapore only claimed their second ever
competitive win against an Arab team, Palestine, just back in 2003, a mere five
years ago, and now a double victory against Lebanon, a team that had pushed
South Korea all the way in the last World Cup Qualifiers, can be deemed as more
than satisfied.
Also
the Arab ‘weakest’ teams are almost considered equal if not above ASEAN best
for the Thai themselves have problem getting past them after all these years
struck in the middle-tier as the Thai failed to notch a single victory against
them in the World Cup Qualifiers.
Now
though come the hard test as it was ‘easy’ (compare to the tests to come)
getting into the Asian Middle-tier group for many have long considered the
Thais to have reach that level yet up to now they are still considered a lower
Middle-tier team; which Singapore should find ourselves bracket in at the
moment.
It can
be now ‘near-to-impossible’ to move up the ladder for the likes of China and
Lebanon etc have long reached the Middle-tier group before the republic yet
they are either struck like China or in the case of Lebanon; slide down the
ladder as neither can get close to the top of the middle-tier to be grouped
with the like of Uzbekistan, North Korea and Bahrain.
This
showed the difficulties ahead for
Both
So
before the Lions think of smelling the Asian Big 5 – Japan, Korea, Iran, Saudi
Arabia and Australia – who are always favourite to capture all the World Cup
spots and the Asian Cup trophy, we have to think of those in front of us with many
old-timers like Thailand and China etc.
Luckily
for
They will
no doubt have the aid of the revamp, thus stronger, ACL and AFC Cup to assist
them for the past four years involvement in the AFC Cup alone has helped the
national team and the domestic scene much as S-league Big Three are regulars in
the Asian arena with trips to West Asia yearly helping closed the gap.
All the
best to them for the ‘difficult’ time ahead as they now faced an expectation of
an Asian Cup 2011 spot and 2014 Asian Final group; as least judging from the
raising hopes.
View
of the Asian placing
Asian
Big 5
·
Middle
Tier
(Top
group)
·
(Middle
group)
·
(Lower
group)
·
Lower
Tier
(Top
group)
·
(Middle
group)
·
(Lower
group)
·
Philippines, Cambodia,
Timor Leste, Brunei, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan,
Chinese Taipei, Macau, Mongolia, Guam