AFC Asian Cup: Can Jordan Stun the Taegeuk Warriors and Pull Away in Group E?

Korea Republic vs Jordan

Jordan and Korea Republic started the AFC Asian Cup on a strong note, as Jordan dominated Malaysia 0-4, while Klinsmann’s Korea Republic leaned on Lee Kang-in’s brace to overcome Bahrain 3-1.

The two sides will have a chance to come out as the only team at the summit of Group E after the Matchday 2 smoke clears, and it’ll be exciting to see what these outfits have in store for us this time around.

A handful of narratives loom over this upcoming matchup, and one of the most intriguing headlines is: who will step up next for the Taegeuk Warriors? Korea Republic boast one of the deepest rosters in the whole tournament, and to have the luxury of not having to relying on just a single star player makes them one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Jordan flexed their muscles on both ends of the field against Malaysia, scoring four goals while keeping a clean sheet as well. This time, they will be facing one of the most formidable teams in Asia, and they’re keen on proving that their dominant tournament opener was no fluke.

Talking Points

Lee Kang-in upstages Son by scoring a brace

Korea Republic showed just how dominant they can be during their Asian Cup win against Bahrain. Son Heung-Min, their skipper and the tip of the spear for Jürgen Klinsmann, was tepid during their opener. The Tottenham star was evidently inaccurate, missing two convincing attempts at the goal and suffering a late yellow card to boot.

But even though their main catalyst was struggling, not an inch of worry was seen from the Taegeuk Warriors. Instead, they leaned and played through one of their other stars, Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in.

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder carried his side by scoring two second-half goals to breeze through Bahrain. Lee broke the 1-1 deadlock 10 minutes into the second half and netted an insurance goal 12 minutes later to seal the win for his nation.

Even with a dominant win, the Taegeuk Warriors keep their heads above their shoulders and are keen on improving their form even more.

“No one on our team, be it players or coaches, thought this was going to be an easy match,” Lee stated in a post-match interview. “We had some good moments and not so good moments in this one. We will try to play better in the next match.”

Their win against Bahrain is an attestation of how deep and talented their roster is, and with a hungry and spirited mindset, other outfits in their cluster should stay cautious.

Hussein Ammouta and his boys get ahead of Bahrain

Jordan’s thrashing of Malaysia makes them one of the favourites to top Group E, beside Korea Republic. Jordan and Bahrain are neck-and-neck in the FIFA rankings, which makes them the two wild cards in Group E.

But after their polarizing results in their tournament openers, Jordan appear to be the outfit that will make a more considerable splash in their cluster compared to Bahrain.

Ammouta and his boys dismantled Malaysia with a 0-4 clean sheet victory. This serves as Malaysia’s worst performance since manager Kim Pan Gon took over in 2022, claiming that big-game jitters got the best of his squad.

“Jordan made a good first half start but for us, I think, maybe playing on this kind of stage, we got a little bit nervous,” said Pan Gon.

Jordan’s main focus coming into their tournament opener was to be sturdy on the defencive end of the pitch, and boy did they do just that.

“The opening match is always crucial for all teams, and we are expecting a tough encounter tomorrow. Our primary focus is on a solid defence to secure the three points. We are fully aware that the match won’t be easy, so maintaining total concentration is key,” Ammouta stated, coming into the match.

Abu Laila and his mates on the defencive end held Malaysia to just three shots on target, showcasing their gritty playstyle on that side of the pitch. And SBOTOP football fans should expect more of the same when they try to halt the dangerous forwards of Korea Republic.

Mahmoud Al-Mardi and Musa Al-Taamari got it done for their outfit on the other end of the pitch, scoring three total goals in the first half and capping it off with a late Musa Al-Taamari goal in minute 85.  

History

These proud football clubs have faced each other five times since 2004. Among those games, the Middle Eastern side has yet to tally a win but was able to register two draws. While the Taegeuk Warriors won the majority of the matches with three total victories.

The last time these outfits met was during an international friendly back in 2014, when Korea Republic visited Amman International Stadium. The Taegeuk Warriors, thanks to Han Kyo-won, came out of the match as the victors with a 0-1 score line.

In recent form, Jordan have won two of their last five matches, which includes their dominant opening match in the tournament against Malaysia, where they trampled over their Asian rivals 0-4. Despite their emphatic win over Malaysia, Jordan have struggled to find consistency, as they’ve also lost to Japan 6-1, Lebanon 2-1, and Saudi Arabia 0-2, all within their last five outings.

Meanwhile, Korea Republic have been steamrolling against their Asian rivals, winning all of their last five matches in a dominant fashion. The Warriors’ offence has been on point, scoring a whopping total of 18 goals in their last five outings, a strong indication as to why my betting tip is what it is.

Betting Tip

Some may be wary, thinking that to expect over three goals in this contest might be a little too tall of an order for Korea Republic and Jordan, but based on the calibre of their rosters and the AFC Asian Cup 2023 results they garnered in their tournament openers, scoring over three goals doesn’t seem like a tall task for these Asian Cup aspirants.

Being the highest-ranked outfit in Group E, it’s no surprise that the AFC Asian Cup 2023 odds have Korea Republic as the heavy favourites to win this match at 1.21. Meanwhile, Hussein Ammouta and his boys are the underdogs, with a staggering price of 8.50 and 5.00 to tally a draw.

Going with the Taegeuk Warriors to win at 1.21 might be the sensible line for most punters, but it doesn’t pose enough value and excitement, in my humble opinion.

 

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