With the FIFA World Cup already underway, we can presume upon which teams look likely to make next round cuts and which do not. In this year’s 2014 World Cup, the Asian teams include Iran, Japan, South Korea, and—debatably—Australia. Unfortunately, chances look dreary for these teams as their first couple matches have already taken place. However, it’s never been easy for any Asian teams during the World Cup.
Australia and Iran simply aren’t consistent enough in football to be expected to do well in this year’s event. Australia has already lost all their games and Iran has drawn a tie and a loss. Japan finished 9th in both the 2002 and 2010 World Cups. However, before 1998, Japan did not play in any World Cups because they failed to enter or qualify. This year, Japan has already lost their first game and ended up with a draw in their second.
The Asian team that has gone furthest in previous tournaments and has also proven to be the most consistent is South Korea. The Korean national team placed 4th during their dreamlike run in the 2002 World Cup and has also qualified nine times in the tournament’s history. However, 2002 was the first year that South Korea succeeded in scoring a goal. In Brazil, South Korea has a tie and a loss.
However, even with the statistics proving rather bleak, we must remember that this is the World Cup. Anything can happen. The defending champion—Spain—has failed to produce this year and already lost their chances of getting out after losing their second match. Historical evidence may exist, but so do statistical outliers. So, who knows? Perhaps this year, an Asian team will end up winning the whole tournament. All that we can do is hope as fans and trust the determination of our teams.