Jordanian luminaries break the “Asian” knot… and “Korean Son” assassinates Australian dreams
The Jordanian team, nicknamed “The Starchy,” finished the semi-finals in the Asian Cup, and reached this round for the first time in its history through the current edition held in Qatar, by defeating Tajikistan 1-0 at Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium in front of 35,530 spectators.
Tajikistan defender Vahdat Hanunov scored by mistake against his team, the only goal of the match in the 66th minute, after Jordanian defender Abdullah Nasib’s header collided with him and turned into the net.
Jordan’s best result was reaching the quarter-finals in the Chinese editions in 2004 and Qatar in 2011.
On the other hand, the adventure of Tajikistan, which was participating in the continental championship for the first time in its history, was halted in the quarter-finals, after it skipped the group stage, before eliminating the UAE on penalties in the final 16.
Next Tuesday, Jordan will meet South Korea after the latter defeated the Australian Kangaroos with a score of 2-1.
Jordan’s coach, Hussein Amouta, said after the match: “We started the match with a clear intention to win. “We were the better team through control and the chances we created.”
South Korean Son scored a fatal goal against the Australian net (Photography: Ali Khamaj)
He continued about the ultimate goal in the tournament: “We reached the semi-finals, contrary to expectations that preceded the tournament, and we must play our card now and harness all capabilities to go to the furthest stage possible.”
As for the Jordanian team’s centre-back, who was chosen as the best player in the match, Yazan Al-Arab, he said: “Qualification did not come from nowhere. We made great efforts to reach this point. “The ambition is growing now. We celebrate and then start focusing on the next match.”
South Korea repeated the same scenario against the Saudi team, and scored the equalizer against Australia in the last breath to force extra time and win the confrontation with a score of 2-1.
Australia was moments away from qualifying after taking the lead through a goal by Craig Goodwin, the Saudi Al-Wahda striker, before the end of the first half.
But captain Son Heung-min, Tottenham Hotspur’s top scorer, won a late penalty kick, and left it to Hwang Hee-chan, who equalized one minute before the end of stoppage time.
Son scored the winning goal with a wonderful free kick in the first extra period, which ended with Australia midfielder Aiden O’Neill being sent off after a violent tackle on Hee-chan’s ankle.
The German coach, Jurgen Klinsmann’s team, will continue its journey towards achieving a third title, which has been absent for 64 years, while Australia’s hope of repeating its only achievement in 2015 has been dashed.
For its part, host Qatar hopes to continue its title defense campaign successfully when it faces the Uzbekistan national team today in the quarter-finals at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, preceded by a heavy-caliber confrontation between Japan and Iran.
Al-Annabi hopes to continue the momentum and achieve its twelfth successive victory in the continental finals, after achieving the full mark so far in its four matches in the current edition.
Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, Crown Prince of Jordan, congratulates the players after the Asian achievement (AFP)
Qatar succeeded in curbing Palestine’s adventure in the 16th final when it overturned its deficit to a 2-1 victory, after defeating Lebanon 3-0, and Tajikistan and China by one score, 1-0, in the group stage.
Qatar has winning cards in its ranks, as its striker, Akram Afif, stands out, who went from being a skilled playmaker in the previous edition in the Emirates in 2019, which witnessed Qatar winning its first title, to a top scorer, as he has 4 goals so far, in which he ranks second among the top scorers, with a difference of two goals from… Leading Iraqi striker Ayman Hussein, who bid farewell to the competition.
The Qatari team also relies on the experience of its captain, Hassan Al-Haydos, who scored one of the most beautiful goals of the tournament against China, while Al-Moez Ali represents a strong point on the front line, although he has not yet succeeded in scoring more than one goal, which came in the opening match against Lebanon. .
For its part, Iran is seeking to avenge its loss to Japan 0-3 in the semi-finals of the last edition, when they face off at the Education City Stadium.
The Iranian national team won the title three times in a row, in 1968, 1972 and 1976, and since the last coronation, Iran has not reached the final.
In the front line, in Taremi’s absence, the reliance will be on Sardar Azmoun, the Italian Roma striker, and the elusive winger Mehdi Qaidi.
On the other hand, the Japanese team did not appear as the team that was nominated for it before the tournament, as it suffered a surprising loss to Iraq 1-2, and also conceded at least a goal in each of its four matches so far in the tournament.
2024-02-04 15:07:48
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