Saudi Arabia Loses to Japan but Retains Top Spot

Saudi Arabia suffered its first defeat in the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign, losing 2-0 to host Japan on Tuesday, but still maintained its lead in the group. Takumi Minamino, a Liverpool striker, and Junya Ito scored in each half, reducing the gap for second-placed Japan to just one point behind Saudi Arabia in Group B. After six wins and a draw against Australia, coach Hervé Renard's team experienced its first loss in the group at Saitama Stadium, leaving them with 19 points with two matches remaining, compared to Japan's 18 and Australia's 14, who face Oman later. The top two teams from each group qualify directly for the finals in Qatar, while the third-placed teams will meet in an Asian playoff to determine the team that will enter the global playoff. Saudi Arabia, missing captain Salman Al-Faraj and top scorer Saleh Al-Shehri due to injuries, needed a victory today to secure qualification. Japan achieved its sixth consecutive win in the group, avenging its 1-0 loss in Jeddah last October.