Japan and Saudi Arabia, qualified for the World Cup

Sports Writing, 24 Mar Japan and Saudi Arabia have won the direct ticket to the World Cup in Qatar thanks to the victory of the Japanese team in Sydney (0-2) with two goals at the last minute by Kaoru Mitoma, striker of the Belgian football revelation, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. Mitoma awarded the superiority of Hajime Moriyasu's team in the final stage of the match, which he reached with the Accor Stadium scoreboard even when he had deserved much more per game and chances. A crossed shot after the passing of Miki Yamane's death, at 89 minutes, and a low shot by the striker himself, after a brilliant personal action, which could not hold the goal of the Royal Society Matt Ryan, threw Japan into their seventh consecutive world championship final phase and Saudi Arabia sixth in its history and second in succession after his presence in Russia 2018. Japan leads group B with 21 points, for Saudi Arabia's 19 points (this afternoon it will face China), unattainable for Australia, which will have to play its presence in the World Cup in a tie against the third in group A, which is currently the United Arab Emirates, and then in the intercontinental playoff to the fifth in Conmebol. There are, therefore, 17 ranked selections. In addition to the 'samurai blues' and the Saudis, Qatar (host), Brazil, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Argentina, South Korea, Serbia, Denmark, Croatia, England, Switzerland, Netherlands and Iran had their ticket taken out. The Japanese were superior in the Sydney rain to the 'Socceroos', who trusted their luck to rapid transitions to try to surprise the network of their rivals, who opted for combinative football and order. Although the local team had the occasional occasion, Japan had the clearest. Liverpool striker Takumi Minamino met the wood twice in the first half and once, after a spectacular move inside the box, shot outside. The attacker 'red' and his team could not believe it. The draw brought him closer to the World Cup but he would have had to endorse it with other tables on the last day against Vietnam. He knew how to handle the match aware of the bullet that was left in the chamber. He therefore had patience until he found the goal path, which came with Mitoma's success in the end. Saudi Arabia, which will visit China this afternoon, will only play in this match and in the next match against Australia the first place in the group to which Japan also aspires. The 'Socceroos' will have a sad trip to Jeddah, with no options but with the obligation to prepare from now on the tie that gives access to the repechage. CHIEF jap/og