'Shock Elimination' Then... Japanese Media Warns "Jordan's Possibility of Finals"

South Korea's Power Advantage but Jordan's 'Upset' Mentioned

Japan, considered a strong favorite to win the Asian Cup, was eliminated in the quarterfinals, raising local media interest in the upcoming Korea-Jordan match scheduled for the 7th.

On the 5th (local time), Japanese sports media outlet 'The World' published an article suggesting that "it is not certain that the Korea national team will advance to the final."

On the 4th (local time), Son Heung-min and Kim Young-gwon of the national team are training with bright smiles at the Al Egla training ground in Doha, Qatar. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The outlet assessed that objectively, Korea is stronger than Jordan, but Jordan's momentum is remarkable. The media also compared Jordan to Morocco, the team that defied expectations by reaching the semifinals in the 2022 World Cup.

Previously, Jordan defeated Malaysia 4-0 in the group stage. They also upset Iraq, who had frustrated Japan, by winning 3-2 in the round of 16, and overcame Tajikistan 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

The World described Jordan's strategy as "solid defense followed by quick counterattacks." Although Jordan had lower ball possession in each Asian Cup match, they managed the games based on strong defense and were skilled at sudden surprise attacks.

Jordan also has a notable overseas player, Mousa Al-Tamari, who plays for Montpellier in France's Ligue 1. The World called him a "key player," stating, "They are doing exactly what Morocco did in the World Cup. With counterattacks centered around Tamari, there is a good chance they will reach the final."

Korea and Jordan have already faced each other in the group stage, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

Meanwhile, the Korea-Jordan match will take place at midnight on the 7th. On the 3rd, football statistics specialist media 'Opta' estimated Korea's probability of defeating Jordan in this semifinal at 69.6%.