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The second round of group stage matches in the Asian Football Cup currently being held in Qatar witnessed a number of surprises when the teams that were strong favorites before the tournament were subjected to a real test, while the Arab teams proved that they had narrowed the gap separating them from the most prominent teams on the continent.
The Japanese team, which won the title 4 times and has the best ranking among the tournament teams, lost to its Iraqi counterpart 2-1, and the South Korean team almost lost to its Jordanian counterpart for the first time, but an own goal in the last seconds saved the Korean team from defeat.
The Iraqi team had a clear strategy to disrupt the cohesion of its Japanese counterpart, who suffered from the physical strength of its opponent in an enthusiastic atmosphere. The match witnessed a large presence of Iraqi fans to the point that the match seemed as if it was being held on the territory of the “Lions of Mesopotamia” team.
The Iraqi team could have scored more goals had it not been for the injury of its striker Ayman Hussein, who scored both of the team’s goals against its Japanese rival during the first half, but he was unable to continue playing during the second half.
However, the Iraqi team performed effectively even without the ball; The Japanese team was deprived of imposing its control and rhythm of play through several interventions and tactical errors.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said: “We analyzed things before the match and we knew how the Iraqi team would play at the beginning. They played very aggressively. Unfortunately, we could not deal with that. I know we need to do more.”
Summary of the match between Iraq and Japan (2-1) | The Iraqi national team defeats its Japanese counterpart and reaches the final of the Asian Cup Qatar 2023™#Asia Cup | #AsiaCup2023 | #Iraq_Japan#asiancup2023 pic.twitter.com/Gk4kcJ0lP7
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 19, 2024
Iraq’s coach, Jesus Casas, became a national hero after he led the team to its first victory over Japan in 42 years, and the Spanish coach said he was proud of the players he chose for the tournament.
“Since I took over, I have chosen players who can be fighters and also have good levels,” Casas said.
He added: “The difference when competing at this level is that you need a balance between fighting spirit and quality.”
🔥🇮🇶 The joy of the Iraqi fans after the victory over Japan
#Asia Cup | #AsiaCup2023 #AsianCup2023 #Asiancup #Qatar2023 pic.twitter.com/E1XKs8ab23
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 19, 2024
Tactical discipline for the Jordanian national team
The South Korean national team was also frustrated during the 2-2 draw with the Jordanian national team, which displayed tactical discipline.
The Korean team, coached by Jurgen Klinsmann, did not score any goal during the game, but scored a goal from a penalty kick, and the stoppage time of the match witnessed an own goal that saved it from defeat.
Not only was the Jordanian team cohesive in the midfield and defense lines, but its attackers succeeded in making things difficult for the Korean players, as they constantly pushed them to rush in decisions while forcing them to change the direction of the game.
“What they did really well was that they beat us one-on-one,” Klinsmann said. “There’s an old saying in football that you have to win one-on-ones.”
He added: “The Jordanian national team fought as a unit and as a team for every ball. And here the clash occurred between the different styles. In every match we play, against Jordan and against Bahrain, we learn. We need to find solutions.”
The German coach continued: “I am very happy to see the reaction after we fell behind 2-1. We won the last 7 matches and missed the feeling of being behind by a goal. The team had to understand the fact that the Jordanian national team led 2-1 and we had to provide a reaction.”
South Korea snatches an equalizer from Jordan in a deadly time
⏯️ Watch the match summary 👇#Asia Cup | #AsiaCup2023#AsianCup2023 #Asiancup #Qatar2023 pic.twitter.com/7CajKlZKLV
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 20, 2024
“They can get you.”
Physical strength was not a stranger to South Korean Son Heung-min, who plays for Tottenham Hotspur, a competitor in the English Premier League, but he said that this constitutes another example of the possibility of defeating teams from the Korean national team, whose players also faced strong interventions during the match against Bahrain.
Son opens the scoring for South Korea against the Jordanian national team#Asia Cup | #AsiaCup2023 | #Jordan_South_Korea#AsianCup2023 pic.twitter.com/Q4zNo5XacN
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 20, 2024
Heung-min said: “In the Asian Cup, there is no easy match. If you are not prepared mentally and physically, they can get you. I as a player, and we as a team, learned something from this match. Fortunately, this happened in the group stage.”
Jordanian coach Hussein Amouta said that “Arab teams playing on Arab soil” in Qatar must struggle with their rivals.
The Moroccan coach added that “every national team must trust in its abilities” and play its matches with high readiness.
He continued: “We went into the match with a positive approach.”
🇯🇴🤩The fans demand an additional goal from Al-Nashama#Asia Cup | #AsiaCup2023#AsianCup2023 #Asiancup #Qatar2023 pic.twitter.com/CUV0AXZjgV
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 20, 2024
