The Asian qualifying stage for the 2018 Russia World Cup’s final 12 teams kicked off last week, with Asia’s top national sides making their opening appearances. For Chinese fans, the 12-team tournament offers not only familiar faces from the national squad but also a host of well-known Asian foreign players currently active in the Chinese Super League (CSL).

China has been drawn in Group A alongside South Korea and Uzbekistan, which means several CSL teammates are now opponents on the international stage. In South Korea’s starting back four against China, three defenders—Hong Jeong-ho (Jiangsu Suning), Kim Kee-hee (Shanghai Shenhua), and Jang Hyun-soo (Guangzhou R\&F)—all play in the CSL. In the Uzbekistan vs Syria clash, Beijing Guoan’s Igor Sergeev and Changchun Yatai’s Anzur Ismailov both impressed. Over in Group B, Australia is not grouped with China, but CSL-based internationals like Trent Sainsbury (Jiangsu Suning) and Apostolos Giannou (Guangzhou R\&F) helped the Socceroos to a solid opening win over Iraq. The “8 billion yuan CSL era” continues to attract top-tier internationals from Asia’s strongest footballing nations.

For China, familiarity with South Korea’s defense could be a potential weapon. In their opening clash, R\&F’s Jang Hyun-soo conceded a free kick that briefly gave China hope of leveling the score. But familiarity is a double-edged sword—five South Korean internationals currently play in the CSL, giving Korea deep insight into China’s players. Reports in Korean media suggest that these players have shared detailed information with national coach Uli Stielike, and Korean coaches working in China have also provided scouting reports to their federation.

Still, this familiarity works both ways. While South Korea’s attack features Europe-based stars, their defense is CSL-heavy, which China exploited by scoring twice against them despite Korea’s perfect defensive record in the previous qualifying round. In that match, Kim Kee-hee, Hong Jeong-ho, and Jang Hyun-soo combined for 13 clearances and 7 interceptions, with Jang blocking a one-on-one shot from Wu Lei. Yet China found weaknesses—Yu Hai capitalized on a poor header clearance from Oh Jae-suk to score, and Wu Lei drew a foul from Jang to win the free kick converted by Hao Junmin.

Uzbekistan and Syria are also in China’s group, and in their opening game, Uzbekistan edged Syria 1-0. Changchun Yatai’s Ismailov marshaled the defense superbly, recording 2 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 6 clearances. The 31-year-old central defender has been with Yatai since 2011 and knows Chinese football well. On October 11, China will face Uzbekistan away, and breaking through Ismailov’s back line could be one of their toughest tasks.

In Australia’s case, the national team has long been strong in Asia since joining the AFC, with many of their internationals playing in the CSL. Against Iraq, Sainsbury played the full 90 minutes alongside ex-Shenhua player Mark Milligan, combining for 3 tackles, 8 interceptions, and 4 clearances. Giannou, who holds both Greek and Australian citizenship, came on as a late substitute. While his CSL performances have been modest, Australia’s coach sees him as an impact player off the bench.

For sports fans who follow both football and Live Cricket BPL updates, the 12-team qualifying stage shows striking similarities to cricket tournaments—success often depends on understanding your opponent’s strengths and exploiting small weaknesses. Just as in Live Cricket BPL, where reading the bowler’s tactics can change the game, China’s ability to analyze and break down defenses like South Korea’s and Uzbekistan’s will be critical. If they can crack Ismailov’s solid wall, much like chasing down a tough total in Live Cricket BPL, it could be the turning point in their qualification hopes.