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The countdown to the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ is well and truly on as the 32 best football teams in the world are preparing to face off in Russia at the FIFA World Cup 2018. Asia is sending five representatives to grace the event as the likes of Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Australia are getting ready to square off against the best in the world.
Ever since South Korea’s dream run in the 2002 edition of the World Cup, Asian teams have emerged as a force to be reckoned with at the tournament and teams who take them lightly do so at their own peril.
This edition of the tournament should be no different. As we inch closer to the mega kick-off on June 14th, this article takes a look at five Asian players who could catch the eye in Russia this summers
(Stats Courtesy: squawka.com, whoscored.com)
#5 Mohammad Al-Sahlawi
Many pundits believe Saudi Arabia is the weakest amongst the five Asian teams travelling to Russia this summer and their fate is squarely on the shoulders of their talismanic striker Mohammad Al- Sahlawi.
The 31-year old, who plays for Saudi side Al Nassr, has a staggering goal scoring record for both club and country. He has been particularly sensational for his country, having scored 28 goals in just 36 appearances.
He has been in red-hot form on both fronts since the dawn of 2017. Sahlawi has scored 11 times in 23 appearances for his domestic side this season. The enigmatic striker was also the continent’s joint top scorer in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and has been instrumental in his nation’s progress to the Finals.
He established himself as the premier goal poacher in Asia during the campaign, scoring 16 times in just 14 qualifying games. It's worth mentioning that Sahlawi is leaving no stone unturned in preparing for the summer and as a part of the preparation he spent the last month in England training with Manchester United.
#4 Shinji Kagawa
The Dortmund playmaker is arguably the most well-known face in Japanese football at the moment. Kagawa had an indifferent first half of the 2017-18 season but seems to have re-discovered form under new Borussia boss Peter Stoger.
Kagawa has seen limited playing time with the German giants this season. Yet he has managed to score six goals and set up his teammates thrice in just 23 starts for the club.
The 29-year-old also played a pivotal role in the successful qualifying campaign for the Samurai Blues, emerging as the second highest scorer for his country with 6 crucial goals. His recent international form hasn't been bad either having netted twice in the last four appearances for the national team.
Japan are in a relatively easy group this summer and if their mercurial playmaker is in form, one won't be surprised if they progress much further than the group stages.
#3 Hee-Chan Hwang
South Korean starlet, Hee-Chan Hwang is one of the rising stars of Asian football. The forward, who plays for Austrian outfit RB Salzburg, was voted the 2017 “Asian Young Player of the Year”
Hwang has had a productive season in domestic football this year, scoring six times in just fourteen starts for Salzburg. The 23-year-old, who made his international debut in 2016, has already earned 9 caps for the ‘Red Devils’, scoring twice in the process.
He particularly caught the eye of many experts with his display in a make-or-break qualifying game against Uzbekistan in Tashkent last year. Though the game ended goalless, his performance as the lone striker in that match drew a lot a praise from all quarters.
Head coach Shin Tae-Yong has time and again praised Hwang’s efficiency in leading the line for the national side in pair with their talismanic superstar Son Heung-Min. The pair could be one to watch out for when South Korea takes the field against Sweden on 18th June.
#2 Sardar Azmoun
Many consider Sardar Azmoun to be the best young player in the continent at the moment. The Iranian hitman has a mindboggling record when playing for the national side having scored 23 goals in just 31 appearances for his country. In fact, he is already the fifth highest all-time scorer for Iran.
Already touted as the heir-apparent to the legendary Ali Daei, the striker emerged as the country’s top scorer in the qualifying campaign with 11 goals. He heads into the Russian summer in sizzling form having scored eight goals in his last nine appearances for Iran.
The 23-year-old, who plays for the Russian side Rubin Kazan, is being courted by several top European clubs for his signature. This comes as no surprise with the youngster having another solid season at the club level. Despite having started only 10 games in Kazan's league campaign, Azmoun has caught the eye of many, netting four times and setting up his teammates thrice this season.
Iran is in an extremely tough group that also has the European Champions Portugal, and the 2010 World Cup winners Spain. Though it looks unlikely that Carlos Queiroz’s men will progress past the group stage, there will be a lot of interest about Azmoun’s performance in his first real test on the grand stage.
#1 Son Heung-Min
The Korean maestro is almost an automatic selection to be the number one player on this list. Over the past two seasons, Son Heung-Min has done more than enough to stake a claim as one of the greatest Asian players this century.
His scintillating form for Tottenham Hotspur has seen him notching up 18 goals and 5 assists in 37 starts for the London side. His brilliant performances on the pitch earned him the KFA “Player of the Year” for 2017.
Son is one of the most experienced members of the present national side, having represented the 'Red Devils' 63 times, netting 20 times in the process. He played a pivotal role in the country's progress to their ninth consecutive World Cup Finals.
Over the past 18 months, he hasn't been able to perform as brilliantly for his country as he has done at club level, scoring just thrice in his last 12 appearances for his national side. However, the Korean fans would be hopeful that he would be able to make a big difference for the Red Devils this summer.
