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After Japan’s elimination at the hands of Brazil, all Asian teams are out of the FIFA World Cup. Australia are the only remaining team from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) — but they are not an Asian nation.
Asia sent its largest-ever contingent to the tournament — nine teams. Now, only one remains, and they don’t belong to the continent. It is the continent’s smallest knockout presence since the expansion.
The numbers are damning. Iraq conceded 12 goals, scoring just once. Uzbekistan conceded 11, scoring twice. Qatar conceded 10, scoring twice. Jordan conceded eight, scoring three. Saudi Arabia conceded five, scored one. South Korea scored two and conceded three. Iran, the only team among the seven to avoid defeat, conceded three and scored three.
Together, the seven eliminated Asian teams won just one match, drew six and lost fourteen. They scored 14 goals and conceded 52.
