The team that lost to Vietnam team created a miracle at Asian Cup 2023

For the first time in Asian Cup history, the final of the tournament did not feature any of the "big five" - Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Australia. Contributing to this exciting cup match was the fairytale of Jordan - the team ranked 87th in the world .

Made Son Heung-min cry

Jordan qualified for the 2023 Asian Cup group stage as one of the four best third-placed teams. However, viewers who watched the performance of coach Hussein Ammouta's team can confirm that their place in the next round was not a "last resort".

Son Heung-min was helpless against Jordan players. (Photo: Getty Images)

The West Asian side proved that in their two matches against South Korea. Yazan Al-Arab's own goal in the 6th minute of added time cost Jordan a victory in the group stage. However, in the rematch in the semi-finals a few days ago, there was no similar mistake to avoid defeat for Son Heung-min's team.

"Jordan deserved this victory. They deserved to be in the final. The Jordan team played fiercely. They won most of the battles," South Korea coach Jurgen Klinsmann admitted defeat by acknowledging the strength of his opponents.

It is worth noting that Jordan defeated South Korea in the context of veteran striker Hamza Al-Dardour (who played more than 100 matches for the national team) being expelled from the Asian Cup due to a conflict with the head coach. In addition, two other pillars of the team, central defender Salem Al-Ajalin and striker Ali Olwan, were suspended due to card penalties.

Jordan won with just 30% possession, but that doesn't mean the West Asian team was outclassed by South Korea in the semi-final. Jordan had more chances and shots on target than their opponents. Meanwhile, apart from Lee Jae-sung's shot hitting the post, South Korea didn't have any significant threats.

The team ranked 23rd in the world, third in the FIFA rankings, was eliminated by an opponent who had never known the feeling of playing in the semi-finals of the Asian Cup before. Son Heung-min cried again, but this time they were not tears of joy like in the previous two matches.

Fairy tale at Asian Cup 2023

Jordan's journey is the most interesting story of the 2023 Asian Cup, not just because of the two matches against the Korean team. Fans and media often talk about the team's "misstep" in the final round, causing them to fall from the top of the group to third place and accidentally avoid Japan in the round of 16.

The Vietnamese team defeated Jordan at the 2019 Asian Cup.

The way coach Ammouta and his team won their first Asian Cup knockout match was also very attractive. The image of Jordanian players sitting on the field and making a gesture of eating after scoring a goal, then Iraqi players being red-carded for "imitating" that celebration and finally the comeback in 2 minutes of extra time created one of the best matches of the tournament.

Before entering the 2023 Asian Cup, Jordan went through 9 consecutive matches without a win in half a year (including 8 defeats). They conceded 23 goals and scored only 6 goals during this period. The Hindustan Times used the word "no hope" to describe Coach Ammota's team.

Jordanian football in recent years is probably on par with Vietnam. They also have 2 professional leagues with a total of 26 participating teams. On the FIFA rankings, the current position (87 - after several years outside the top 90) is also the highest position of the Jordan team since 2017.

Jordan have never won a match in the knockout stages of the Asian Cup before 2024. Five years ago, this team was the loser of the Vietnamese team. Dang Van Lam's successful save and Bui Tien Dung's decisive shot eliminated Jordan after a penalty shootout in the round of 16.

Returning to the Asian arena this time, Jordan's feat is even more impressive than what the Vietnamese team did at the 2019 Asian Cup. They need one more victory to complete the beautiful ending to the fairy tale in Doha.

Phuong Mai

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