Expectations for '8강 Imjinrok'... Korea vs Brazil, Japan vs Croatia

2022 Qatar World Cup Round of 16 Bracket Complete
Asian Wave... First Ever AFC 3 Countries in Round of 16

On the morning of the 3rd (Korean time), the Group H third match between South Korea and Portugal was held at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, during the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage. Son Heung-min and other players are cheering with their teammates after successfully advancing to the round of 16.

All 16 teams advancing to the knockout stage have been decided among the 32 countries participating in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

After the group stage, matches will be single-elimination to determine who advances to the next round.

The round of 16 begins with the match between the Netherlands and the United States at 0:00 KST on the 4th at Khalifa International Stadium, with a total of 8 matches scheduled.

Matches continue with Argentina vs. Australia (4th at 4:00 AM), France vs. Poland (5th at 0:00), England vs. Senegal (5th at 4:00 AM), and Japan vs. Croatia (6th at 0:00).

Korea, advancing as the second place in Group H, will face FIFA-ranked No. 1 and the strongest favorite for the championship, Brazil, at 4:00 AM on the 6th at 974 Stadium.

Following that, Morocco vs. Spain (7th at 0:00) and Portugal vs. Switzerland (7th at 4:00 AM) matches will take place.

◆Group Stage 'Asian Wave'...For the First Time Ever, 3 AFC Countries in Round of 16

The main topic of the Qatar World Cup group stage was the 'Asian wave.'

A record number of six Asian Football Confederation (AFC) member countries participated in Qatar.

Korea, Japan, and Australia dramatically secured their tickets to the round of 16 by winning their final group stage matches.

Among the 13 UEFA countries, 7 (Netherlands, England, Poland, France, Spain, Croatia, Switzerland) advanced to the round of 16.

Compared to the 2018 Russia tournament, where 10 European countries reached the round of 16, the European teams showed some decline in this Qatar World Cup group stage.

On the 1st (local time) at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, after the Group F third match of the 2022 Qatar World Cup between Morocco and Canada ended, Walid Regragui, the coach of Morocco, was lifted in celebration by the players. On that day, Morocco won 2-1 against Canada and advanced to the round of 16 for the first time in 36 years since the 1986 Mexico World Cup.

From the Confederation of African Football (CAF), 2 out of 5 countries, Senegal and Morocco, advanced to the round of 16.

In the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), traditional powerhouses Brazil and Argentina secured their round of 16 tickets, while Ecuador and Uruguay were eliminated.

Among the four teams from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), only the United States passed the group stage. Mexico, which had reached the round of 16 seven consecutive times, failed to advance this time.

◆No Absolute Dominant Team...First Round of 16 Without a 3-Win Team in 28 Years

The highest-ranked team in FIFA rankings among those who failed to advance was Belgium (2nd).

On the other hand, Australia, ranked 38th, achieved the remarkable feat of advancing to the round of 16 among strong teams.

There was no 'absolute dominant team' in this Qatar World Cup group stage.

Even Brazil was caught off guard by Cameroon in their third Group G match, resulting in no team achieving a perfect 3-win record in the group stage.

Football statistics company Opta reported, "The absence of any team with 3 wins in the group stage is the first time in 28 years since the 1994 USA World Cup."

On the 2nd (local time), citizens in Tokyo, Japan, cheered as their national soccer team secured a victory over Spain and advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. On that day, Japan defeated Spain 2-1 in the final third match of Group E in the Qatar World Cup group stage held at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.

◆Fateful Rivals Korea and Japan...Will They Meet in the Quarterfinals?

One of the key points to watch in the round of 16 knockout stage is the potential meeting between Korea and Japan.

If Korea and Japan defeat Brazil and Croatia respectively, they will face each other in the quarterfinals. Korea and Japan have never faced each other in the World Cup finals before.

It seems the Korean and Japanese squads are fully aware of this possibility.

Lee Kang-in (21, Mallorca), the youngest member of the Korean national team, shared an anecdote about his same-age Japanese friend Kubo Takefusa (Real Sociedad), saying "See you in the quarterfinals."

After the Portugal match, Lee Kang-in met with reporters in the mixed zone and said, "I checked the results in the morning and contacted Kubo, who said, 'Let's meet in the quarterfinals after (Korea) wins today too.'"

Lee Kang-in and Kubo, considered the future of Korean and Japanese football, are also friends who play together at Mallorca.