Jordan, who had accumulated stamina, turned the tables with two goals in the second half of the game against Iraq.
Jordan, who was in Group E like Korea in the group stage of the ‘2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup’, advanced to the quarterfinals. The strategy of leaving out the starting players in the last game of the group stage and choosing to take 3rd place in the group ultimately turned out to be a success.
Jordan advanced to the quarterfinals by winning 3-2 in the round of 16 against Iraq held at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar on the 29th (Korean time).
Jordan, who achieved a dramatic come-from-behind victory thanks to two goals scored in extra time in the second half, will face Tajikistan in the quarterfinals. Tajikistan is the first team to advance to the Asian Cup finals and lacks experience compared to Jordan. Although Tajikistan’s gusts are strong, some say that Jordan’s chances of advancing to the semifinals have increased.
Accordingly, there is an assessment that Jordan’s choice to pursue practicality in the group stage was the right one.
Before advancing to the round of 16, Jordan was in Group E along with South Korea, Bahrain and Malaysia. Although they were in first place in the group with 1 win and 1 draw until the second game, they did not do their best in the third game, leaving out five starting players, including ace Altamari. This was because advancement to the round of 16 had already been confirmed.
As a result, Jordan lost 0-1 to Bahrain in the third game. Bahrain took first place in the group, and Korea took second place in the group. In the round of 16, Bahrain faced favorites such as Japan and Korea and Saudi Arabia, but Jordan faced Iraq, which was relatively weak.
Jordan, who advanced to the round of 16, achieved a come-from-behind victory in the game against Iraq, with the opponent’s front-line striker being sent off for accumulating warnings. In the third game, sparing key players was the driving force behind the team’s efforts to score a come-from-behind goal until extra time in the second half.
The quarterfinals are Jordan’s all-time Asian Cup record tie. Jordan advanced to the quarterfinals for the third time following 2004 and 2011. If they defeat Tajikistan, they will advance to the semifinals for the first time in history.
Jordan’s strength is a counterattack led by strong forwards such as Moussa Al-Tamari (Montpellier), who plays in French Ligue 1 along with Lee Kang-in, and Yazan Al-Naimat. Some are even saying that the 2-2 draw with Korea in the group stage was due to skill rather than luck.
If Korea defeats Saudi Arabia in the round of 16 and also defeats Australia in the quarterfinals, they may have a rematch with Jordan in the semifinals. 섯다