Aftermath
After the final round of matches, the standings looked as follows:
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| South Korea | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 5 |
| Japan | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Iraq | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Iran | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 11 | -3 |
| North Korea | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 12 | -7 |
Saudi Arabia took first place with its 4-3 victory over Iran. Japan and South Korea were even on points, but South Korea held the goal difference advantage after the 3-goal victory over North Korea, and won the tiebreaker.
Manager Marius Johan Ooft was fired weeks after the match, and the elimination from the tournament effectively ended World Cup aspirations for the majority of the team, most notably the midfield general Ruy Ramos. Only two Japanese players who appeared in the match, Nakayama and Masami Ihara, would go on to appear in Japan's 1998 FIFA World Cup squad.
However, the disheartening result would serve as an inspiration in future World Cup qualification campaigns, and to this day, Doha no higeki is invoked by the Japanese media and fans.
Read more about this topic: Agony Of Doha
Famous quotes containing the word aftermath:
“The aftermath of joy is not usually more joy.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)