This has been a topsy-turvy Asian Cup, with plenty of upsets and eye-catching goals. As we head into the last eight, three of the six group toppers – Iraq, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia – are already out, and one shock semifinalist is guaranteed as Tajikistan take on Jordan in the first of the four quarterfinals. Elsewhere, two heavyweights will pack their bags after marquee clashes – Australia v South Korea and Iran v Japan – while Qatar continue their title defence against an impressive Uzbekistan side. RevSportz previews Friday’s matches.
Tajikistan v Jordan
This is the match-up that guarantees a Cinderella side in the semi-finals. Tajikistan are playing their first Asian Cup, and needed an injury-time winner from Nuriddin Khamrokulov against Lebanon to book their passage to the second round. Once there, few gave them a chance against the United Arab Emirates, but it was the Tajiks who scored first and held the lead pretty much into the dying embers of added-on time. The UAE’s late equaliser didn’t knock the stuffing out of them, and it was the rank outsiders who aced their penalty kicks to seal a place in the last eight.
Jordan started with a mighty impressive 4-0 thrashing of Malaysia, a result that they followed up by being minutes away from a shock win over South Korea. The loss to Bahrain was a small blip, and they again showed their resilience in an epic round-of-16 clash against Iraq, the 2007 champions. Yazan Al-Naimat, who plays club football in Qatar, had given Jordan a half-time lead, but a red card for Aymen Hussain, shortly after he had put Iraq 2-1 in front, transformed the game. Jordan poured forward and managed to find both a stoppage-time equaliser and a magnificent, long-range curling strike from Nizar Al-Rashdan that was worthy of winning any game. Quarter-finalists in 2004 and 2011, Jordan will certainly fancy going one better this time.
Prediction: Tajikistan 0, Jordan 2
Australia v South Korea
Australia did what they had to in the group stage, held to a draw by Uzbekistan after far-from-fluent wins against India and Syria. Jackson Irvine and Martin Boyle provided the odd moment of class, but it was mostly workmanlike and uninspired football that booked a passage to round two. Even in the round of 16, after Elkan Baggott’s own goal had given Australia the lead, it was Indonesia that looked more likely until Boyle ghosted in to head home a second on the stroke of half-time. The final scoreline of 4-0 flattered Australia, and was more indicative of Indonesia’s lack of cutting edge. After reaching the last 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and pushing Argentina, the eventual winners, to the limit, Australia won’t be intimidated by South Korea though.
Of the fancied sides, Korea have experienced the most misfires in Qatar. After a fairly dominant 3-1 win against Bahrain to start the campaign, they were defensively awful in draws against Jordan (2-2) and Malaysia (3-3). Even Kim Min-jae, The Monster looked shaky, and there was little cohesion against Saudi Arabia in the last 16 either. Saudi took a deserved lead through Abdullah Radif, and it was only Roberto Mancini’s reluctance to chase a decisive second that gave the Koreans a route back into the match later on. Cho Gue-sung scored the latest of equalisers after waves of Korean pressure, and Jo Hyeon-woo made two superb saves in the shootout to send the Green Falcons home. Lee Kang-in, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, has been Korea’s standout player, but they need more from Son Heung-min, whose two goals have come from the penalty spot. Three generations of Koreans have matured since the country last won the Asian Cup, but it’ll take a big upswing in performance for that to change here. Jurgen Klinsmann’s fast-fading reputation as a coach depends on at least getting to the final.
Prediction: Australia 1, South Korea 2
