Jordan is set to face South Korea in their first semi-final appearance at the Asian Cup this Tuesday at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium.
Jordan narrowly beat Tajikistan 1-0 in their last game thanks to an own goal in the second half, while South Korea overcame Australia 2-1 in extra time.
Match Preview
Jordan finally made it past the quarter-finals in their third attempt at this tournament, after not succeeding in their previous two tries.
Luck played a part in their win against Tajikistan, as their opponents missed key chances and hit the post in the first half.
Jordan achieved their second shutout of the tournament on Friday, marking their first win in a quarter-final of any international tournament.
Their luck seems to be in Qatar, where they reached the semi-finals of the WAFF Championship between 2013-14 but lost in the final.
They aim for their first final in this tournament and a third consecutive win on Tuesday, which would be their longest winning streak since June-September 2022.
Jordan has never beaten South Korea but was close during this competition’s group phase until a last-minute own goal by Yazan Al-Arab.
South Korea’s journey in this tournament has been marked by late goals, scoring in the dying minutes of their last three matches.
Despite criticism towards Jurgen Klinsmann for his player selection and perceived disrespect towards the Korean league, he has led them to the brink of their first Asian Cup final since 2015.
Klinsmann’s attacking approach has resulted in South Korea scoring in 11 consecutive matches.
South Korea has had a strong defense against Jordan, keeping them scoreless in four out of six meetings.
Jordan Asian Cup form:
W D L W W
Jordan form (all competitions):
L W D L W W
South Korea Asian Cup form:
W D D W W
South Korea form (all competitions):
W W D D W W
Team News
Jordan will be without Hamza Al-Dardour due to a red card in the round of 16. Noor Al-Rawabdeh replaced Nizar Al-Rashdan in their last game.
Yazid Abu Laila aims for his third clean sheet of the tournament.
Kim Seung-gyu is injured for South Korea, with Park Yong-woo and Hwang Hee-chan stepping in for the quarter-final.
Kim Young-gwon is nearing his 110th cap, while Lee Kang-in is close to his 25th.
Hwang Hee-Chan’s penalty and Son Heung-min’s free-kick pushed South Korea into the semi-finals.
Jordan possible starting lineup:
Aby Laila;
Nasib, Al-Arab, Al-Ajalin;
Haddad, Ayed, Sadeh, Al-Mardi;
Al-Taamari, Olwan;
Al-Naimat
South Korea possible starting lineup:
Hyeon-woo;
Tae-hwan, Min-jae, Young-gwon, Young-woo;
Jin-seop, In-beom;
Kang-in, Heung-min, Hee-chan;
Gue-sung
Prediction: Jordan 1-2 South Korea
Jordan’s journey has been impressive, but facing South Korea might be too big a challenge. South Korea’s knack for late goals and their superior quality could lead them one step closer to their first Asian Cup title since 1960.
