2024-01-16 00:38:00
Moussa al-Tamari of the Jordan national team is celebrating following scoring in the first match of the AFC Asian Cup group stage once morest Malaysia on the 16th. AP = Yonhap News
Klinsmann started in second place in Group E of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. They defeated Bahrain 3-1, but in the following game, Jordan defeated Malaysia 4-0. Jordan is Korea’s opponent in the second round of the group stage.
Jordan, ranked 87th in the FIFA rankings, won by 4 goals once morest Malaysia in the first match of Group E of the tournament held at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar on the 16th (Korean time). Malaysia’s FIFA ranking is 130th, and its head coach is Kim Pan-gon, former head of the Korea Football Association’s national team strength strengthening committee.
As Jordan won by 4 goals, the first round rankings of Group E were ranked with Jordan in the lead and Korea in 2nd place with 3 points. Jordan’s goal difference is +4 (4 goals, 0 conceded) and Korea is +2 (3 goals, 1 conceded). This is followed by Bahrain (-2 goal difference) and Malaysia (-4), which failed to accumulate any points.
In this Asian Cup, the 1st and 2nd place teams from each group will advance directly to the round of 16, and the top 4 teams with the best performance among the 3rd place teams from 6 groups will additionally advance to the round of 16 tournament. If they advance to the round of 16 in first place in Group E, they will clash with second place in Group D, and if they advance to the round of 16 in second place, they will clash with first place in Group F. Currently, Iraq is in second place in Group D, and Group F has not played a game yet.
Given that Korea’s opponent in the final match is Malaysia, the ‘weakest team’, whether or not they advance to first place in the group actually depends on the result of the match once morest Jordan on the 20th. If Korea beats Jordan, it is possible to secure first place in the group. In the Asian Cup group stage rankings, if the points are equal, the winner is considered first. Korea’s previous record once morest Jordan is undefeated with 3 wins and 2 draws. This is also the team that lost 1-6 in the friendly match once morest Japan held right before the Asian Cup.
On this day, Jordan used a 3-4-3 pattern with the ‘only European’ Moussa Altamari (Montpellier, France) positioned on the second line. Yazan Al-Naimat (Al-Ahli) was positioned at the front, and Ali Olwan (Al-Shamal) was positioned on both sides. Noor Alawabdeh (Slangor) and Nizar Alashdan (Al-Faisalli) were in the midfield, while Mahmoud Almardi (Al-Hussein) and Ehsan Haddad (Al-Faisalli) played the role of wingbacks. Salem Al-Azaleen (Al-Faisali), Yazan Al-Arab (Al-Shorta), and Abdallah Nasib (Al-Hussein) guarded the defensive line, and Yazid Aboulaila (Al-Zabalain) guarded the goal. It is mostly made up of players who play in their home league or the Qatari league.
Jordan and Malaysian players are engaged in a fierce competition for the ball. Archyde.com = Yonhap News
Jordan quickly broke the balance. Almardi’s first goal came 12 minutes into the first half. A mid-range right-footed shot from the left side went straight into the Malaysian goal. On this day, Jordan’s goal came to fruition following only his second shot.
An additional goal was scored in 4 minutes. While Alnaimat was digging into the box, he fell following being fouled by his opponent. A penalty kick was declared following a video review (VAR), and Altamari, who took the kicker, hit the net.
Jordan gained momentum and secured victory early in the 32nd minute of the first half. Al Naimat passed the goalkeeper and passed to the front of the goal, and Almardi, who was rushing in, finished the shot. Jordan took a 3-0 lead in regarding 30 minutes of the first half. The game was decided early.
Malaysia, who was cornered, suffered enough difficulties that they only recorded their first shot in the 40th minute of the first half. Malaysia’s ball possession rate in the first half was slightly higher at 52%, but it was meaningless. The number of shots in the first half was 6 for Jordan and 2 for Malaysia. Jordan showed decisiveness by scoring half of the six shots.
A Malaysian goalkeeper attempts to save an opponent’s shot in the first leg of the AFC Asian Cup group stage once morest Jordan on the 16th. AFP = Yonhap News
Malaysia went on the offensive early in the second half to ignite the chase. However, successive shots in the second half did not threaten the opponent. Jordan also fought back to score the fourth goal. A fierce battle of defense continued in the second half.
The one that bore fruit was Jordan. In the 40th minute of the second half, Altamari, who received a long pass from behind, shook the opponent’s net with an exquisite chip shot that passed the goalkeeper’s key. It was a goal that put a wedge in the game.
In the end, the game ended with Jordan winning 4-0. Jordan was slightly behind in terms of game possession (48%), but led the game by taking a 14-8 lead in shots. More than half of the shots, 8, were effective shots. It was a game where the score gap might have widened further, such as a score being canceled by VAR or a goal being hit.
Jordan coach Hussein Amouta (Morocco) said, “We gained confidence by scoring three goals in the first half alone. “It’s a good start, and I’m looking forward to the next game,” he said, expressing satisfaction. Malaysia coach Kim Pan-gon said, “Jordan had a physical and technical advantage over us. This was a team that deserved to win. I’m sorry to the Malaysian fans. “We need to recover from our defeat quickly,” he said.
The match between Korea and Jordan, which will actually be the match for first place in Group E, will be held at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, at 8:30 pm on the 20th. Although Korea is undefeated with 3 wins and 2 draws in their previous record, they played such difficult games that all 3 wins were 1-0. Jordan is a team that is challenging its best performance ever, reaching the quarterfinals in 2004 and 2011.
Korean Football Present and Future (Doha = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Do-hoon = The 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup Group E match between Korea and Bahrain held at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar on the 15th (local time). National team captains Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in are talking before kicking a free kick. 2024.1.15 [email protected]/2024-01-15 23:42:32/ Lee Kang-in, who scored multiple goals (Doha = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Do-hoon = 2023 held at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar on the 15th (local time) A match between Korea and Bahrain in Group E of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. Lee Kang-in is being congratulated by Cho Gyu-seong (left) and Hwang In-beom (right) following scoring an additional goal in the second half. 2024.1.15 [email protected]/2024-01-15 22:13:57/
Meanwhile, Korea, led by coach Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany), won 3-1 over Bahrain in the previous match. After Hwang In-beom (FK Crvena Zvezda)’s first goal, the team faltered by conceding the equalizer, but won a complete victory thanks to multiple goals from Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain, PSG). On this day, Klinsmann had a significant lead over Bahrain in ball possession with 71%, and also had a 14-9 advantage in the number of shots. It has been 52 years since Korea won its first Asian Cup match by more than a two-goal margin, since its 4-1 win over the Khmer Republic in 1972.
Reporter Kim Myeong-seok [email protected]
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