Even Qatari newspapers were stunned…”Jordan dominates South Korea from start to finish”
Qatar’s local media made a big deal out of Jordan’s defeat of the South Korean national soccer team.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by Jürgen Klinsmann, fell 0-2 to Jordan in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2023 Asian Cup Qatar on Sunday (July 7) at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
South Korea advanced to the semifinals after defeating Saudi Arabia and Australia in the tournament. Jordan defeated Iraq and Tajikistan to reach the Asian Cup quarterfinals for the first time in its history.
The result was a shock defeat for Klinsmann’s men, as all eyes turned to whether favorites South Korea would reach the final or Jordan would make history once again. South Korea conceded an early goal to Yazan Al-Naimat in the eighth minute of the second half and then added a second in the 21st minute through Musa Al-Tamari.
Players from some of Europe’s top leagues, including Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Lee Kang-in (PSG), and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers), fought hard to open the Jordanian goal, but they were unable to register a single shot on target, leaving Jordan to punch their ticket to the final.
The result shocked many. Prior to the match, Jordan had never reached an Asian Cup final and had been outclassed by South Korea in their six previous meetings, drawing three and losing three.
Jordan’s FIFA ranking of 87th, 64 spots lower than South Korea’s 23rd, led many to expect a South Korean upset, but it turned out to be quite the opposite, with Jordan coming out on top.
While the Taegeuk Warriors and Red Devils were speechless at the shocking result, Jordanian fans were in a frenzy. The official crowd count for the match was 43,850, but it was estimated that over 30,000 of them were Jordanian fans. They couldn’t contain their joy after the game, unfurling Jordanian flags and honking horns in the streets to celebrate their first-ever Asian Cup final appearance.
The day after the match, local media in Qatar also made a big deal of the upset in the Asian Cup semifinals. “Jordan stunned South Korea to reach the Asian Cup final for the first time,” the Qatar Tribune reported in its sports section.
“Jordan, who were dominant from start to finish, booked their first ever AFC Asian Cup final after beating South Korea, who were unable to match their opponents’ pace and determination,” the publication explained.
“South Korea’s attempts to find a way through were too easily rebuffed by Jordan, who stood firm in their belief that they deserved to be in the final of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.”
After reaching the final for the first time in their history, Jordan will face either Qatar or Iran for the 2023 Asian Cup title at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, on June 11 at 0:00 am. Hosts Qatar and Iran will meet in the semifinals on Aug. 8 at 0:00 am at the Altoumama Stadium for a ticket to the final.