Qatar and Japan opened the scoring against Iran thanks to a solo effort from midfielder Hidemasa Morita in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Asian Cup.
First half statistics
Japan Parameter Iran 4 Finish 7 1 Shot on goal 1 59% Ball possession rate 41% 2 Corner kick 0 0.49 Expected goal 0.20 45'+3
End of first half
Japan took a 1-0 lead against Iran thanks to a goal from Morita.
43'
Azmoun missed the ball.
Ghoddos received the ball on the left, crossed it to the far post for Azmoun to lunge and shoot, but he still couldn't make contact with the ball.
Azmoun's missed shot. Photo: Reuters
39'
Ghoddos' shot went wide of the post.
Receiving a pass from Shoja Khalilzadeh, midfielder Saman Ghoddos beat center-back Itakura to enter the penalty area, where three other Iranian players were also rushing in. But Ghoddos immediately shot from a difficult position, sending the ball wide of the post.
Right-back Ramin Rezaeian reacts after being penalized. Photo: Reuters
33'
Morita takes a long-range shot.
Both sides fiercely contested the ball in front of the Iranian goal, causing the ball to bounce out and allow Morita to shoot from over 25 meters, but a West Asian player managed to rush in and block the shot.
Japanese fans cheered after the goal. Photo: Reuters
28'
Japan opened the scoring.
Forward Ueda set up Morita, who raced in from the left. The midfielder dribbled past three Iranian players into the penalty area before firing a low shot that beat goalkeeper Beiranvand and went into the net.
Morita plays for Sporting in Portugal, and he celebrated his goal in a similar way to the club's striker Viktor Gyokeres, by interlocking his fingers in front of his face. Meanwhile, the Iranian defenders looked disappointed, blaming each other after the goal.
Morita (number 5) celebrates the opening goal. Photo: Reuters
24'
Japanese defender receives yellow card.
Iran counter-attacked, and midfielder Mohebi pushed the ball long from midfield past Itakura, forcing the Japanese defender to commit a foul and receive a yellow card.
19'
Japan scores their first goal.
Receiving the ball on the edge of the penalty area, midfielder Ritsu Doan shot straight at an opponent and out for a corner. Japan held possession for 70% of the match but created fewer chances.
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Japan will face Iran at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Asian Cup at 6:30 PM on Saturday, February 3rd ( Hanoi time). Chinese referee Ma Ning will officiate the match.
An artist writes Iranian and Japanese characters outside Education City. Photo: Reuters
Japan is ranked 17th in FIFA, four places higher than Iran. In terms of Elo rating, Japan is ranked 15th, five places higher than Iran. This match is considered world- class, played on a stadium that recently hosted the 2022 World Cup.
Japan is considered the favorite, with a 57% chance of reaching the semi-finals compared to Iran's 43%. The last time the two teams met was in the 2019 Asian Cup semi-final, where Japan won 3-0. Compared to that team, Iran's squad hasn't changed much, while Japan has replaced about half of its players.
Iran is currently led by a local coach, Amir Ghalenoei. He previously coached Iran at the 2007 Asian Cup, but they lost to South Korea on penalties in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Hajime Moriyasu has been coaching Japan since the 2018 World Cup, helping the team consistently reach the top of Asian football.
The winner of this match will face either host nation Qatar or Uzbekistan in the semi-finals. The first semi-final pairing has been determined, between Jordan and South Korea.
Quang Dung - Hoang An
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