Vietnam ascend FIFA rankings after Japan draw

Before the game, the World Cup-bound Japan were on top of Asia with 1,560.82 points, with Iran in second on 1,559.19. A win against Vietnam would have secured the top spot for Japan in Asia and 21st place overall. However, the draw against Vietnam cost Japan 7.37 points and pushed Iran to the top of Asia.

The points that Japan lost were added to Vietnam’s FIFA ranking. With 1,215.38, Vietnam climbed from 98th to 96th. The Golden Dragons are 16th in Asia and number one in Southeast Asia.

If Vietnam lost to Japan, they would have been dropped out of the world top 100.

In the game Tuesday, the host Japan had 24 shots and 73 percent of possession but only managed to score one goal like Vietnam, who only had a single shot throughout 90 minutes. Nguyen Thanh Binh was the scorer for Vietnam with a header, while Mayo Yoshia tapped the ball into the net to equalize for Japan in the second half.

Vietnam concluded their journey in the final round of World Cup qualifiers with one win, one draw and eight defeats.