Ahead of the round of 16 between South Korea and Saudi Arabia, a British media predicted a shocking result.
South Korea’s national soccer team, led by head coach Jürgen Klinsmann, will play Saudi Arabia in the round of 16 at the 2023 Asian Football Confederation Qatar Asian Cup at Education City Stadium in Al-Rayan, Qatar, at 1 a.m. on the 31st (Korea time). South Korea’s FIFA ranking is 23rd, while Saudi Arabia is 56th.
Korea is challenging to win the Asian Cup title for the first time in 64 years. The team has fully prepared for the Asian Cup by including players who are active at the center of European soccer, including “captain” Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in, and Hwang Hee-chan. Fans had high expectations for this year’s Asian Cup, as it was evaluated as the best ever.
It got off to a smooth start. There were certain areas that were lacking in terms of performance, but the team garnered a 3-1 victory in the first match against Bahrain to mark an advantageous start. However, it began to display various problems in the second match against Jordan, and ended up with a 2-2 draw. Korea, which failed to regain its top spot with the match draw, could not guarantee its group title even if it won in the third and final match.
The opponent in the third round was Malaysia, which is considered the weakest in the group. Naturally, he was expected to advance to the round of 16 as the No. 1 player in the group with a victory. However, he had a 3-3 draw after graduating from a high school, and eventually advanced to the round of 16 as the second-ranked player in the group.
Korea, which barely made it to the round of 16, will face Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, led by Coach Robert Mancini, advanced to the tournament stage as the lead team in Group F with two wins and one draw. Considering the power that defeated Argentina at the last World Cup in Qatar, Saudi Arabia is certainly not an easy match to play against.
Korea set to face off against Saudi Arabia A British media outlet predicted a shocking outcome of the match. British sportsmall predicted a Saudi victory after a penalty shootout, saying, “The two teams have contrasting styles of play, and we believe that Saudi Arabia’s defensive form can frustrate Korea. And the setback will give the Saudis a psychological edge when they are needed most.” 메이저사이트
“South Korea scored five points, the fewest points in the group stage of the Asian Cup since 2007 (4 points), and has not topped the group for the first time since 2011. In addition, South Korea has not allowed a single goal against Saudi Arabia in its four previous showdowns, but has never won the Asian Cup,” he explained.