The 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup is nearing its peak. The round of 16 is the first gateway to the tournament after going through the group stage. Was it said that people who have eaten meat eat it well? Teams that were evaluated as candidates for the championship showed their potential as they entered the tournament.
The teams that stand out the most are Korea and Japan. Korea had high expectations for the championship as strong favorites before the event, but fell short of expectations in the group stage. Korea ranked second with one win, two draws and five points in Group E, while Japan was also behind Iraq, which had three consecutive wins and nine points with two wins and one loss and six points in Group D.
As they failed to lead the group side by side, they looked uneasy. The prevailing view was that they would not have an easy match even in a single-game tournament. They both advanced to the round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, but they also raised their heads in a negative assessment that they would lose their pride at the Asian Cup.
In the round of 16, Korea and Japan displayed their potential to win the title. By overcoming their sluggish performances in the group stage, they secured victory and dominated the quarterfinals. They overcame their weaknesses in the group stage matches, and advanced to the round of 16 while maintaining their strengths. They consolidated their efforts and ran again vigorously to achieve the championship goal.
South Korea defeated another favorite, Saudi Arabia, in a close game. They were dragged away, conceding the first goal, but Cho Kyu-sung’s dramatic equalizer in the second-half stoppage time brought the game back to square one. In the ensuing penalty shootout, ‘Bit Hyun-woo’ Cho Hyun-woo led 4-2 and clinched a ticket to the quarterfinals.
In the round of 16, Japan defeated the “Middle East ambush” Bahrain. The team effectively penetrated the Bahraini camp with fast and accurate pass games and won the match 3-1. The team dominated the quarterfinals by addressing some of its weaknesses in defense and lack of offensive coordination that it had exposed at the group stage.
In international competitions such as the Asian Cup, the group stage and tournament matches are often played in completely different ways. The group stage is operated with three games in one set, but the tournament has no choice but to bet everything on a single match. In the end, the tournament is seen as a real match. The fact that South Korea and Japan, the favorites to win the tournament, have gained more power and settled in a higher place has great implications. 헤라카지노
Korea will meet the “Saccaru” Australia in the quarterfinal match on March 3. Japan will clash with Iran on March 3 on the way to the semifinal. It remains to be seen whether Korea and Japan, who have regained some of their pride as champions, will be able to smile in the quarterfinal match when they face off against a stronger opponent.