The Chinese team needed at least 1 point in their away match against Saudi Arabia in the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia. Basically, the East Asian representative tried their best, holding out well against the home team in the first half. But Lin Liang Ming's red card in extra time turned the match in a completely different direction.
In the second half, under great pressure from Saudi Arabia, the Chinese team's defense could no longer stand firm. In the 50th minute, striker Salem Al-Dawsari scored the opening goal of the match. Coach Herve Renard's students continued to dominate and ended the match with a minimal victory. This was also the 5th defeat after 7 matches of the Chinese team.
China lost their fifth match in the third qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup.
This defeat leaves China at the bottom of the table. They have the same 6 points as Indonesia and Bahrain but are behind in terms of goal difference. In theory, Indonesia is in 4th place but their chances of qualifying for the World Cup are much slimmer.
Saudi Arabia now has 9 points, moving up to 3rd place. Australia has 10 points, 2nd place and a good secondary index. Japan with 6 wins and 1 draw became the first team to get a ticket to the World Cup.
World Cup 2026 qualifying group C standings.
In the next round, Indonesia will host Bahrain at home. If they lose, coach Patrik Kluivert and his team will likely drop to 5th place, or even 6th if China scores. If Australia and Saudi Arabia both score 3 points, Indonesia will officially lose hope of qualifying directly.
According to FIFA regulations, the third qualifying round of the Asian region will take the top two teams in the three groups directly to the 2026 World Cup. The third and fourth ranked teams will advance to the next qualifying round. The most likely goal for Marselino Ferdinan and his teammates is to aim for 2 positions to continue competing in the fourth qualifying round.
In the final matches, Indonesia will also face China and Japan. It is difficult to believe that they will win all 6 points.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/tuyen-trung-quoc-thua-tran-thu-5-day-indonesia-vao-the-kho-ar932892.html
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