South Korea, led by head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, is set to play against Australia in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup Qatar at Al-Zanub Stadium in Al-Wakra, Qatar, at 0:30 a.m. on the 3rd.
Due to the nature of the tournament, the winning team takes everything. The winning team will advance to the quarterfinals with momentum, while the losing team finishes the tournament exactly as it is. Everything is at stake. U.S. media ESPN predicted the match on Sunday.
The media said, “It’s interesting that the two strongest teams from the AFC will face off in a tournament for the first time in nine years. They faced off in the final of the 2015 Asian Cup, which ended in Australia’s victory. Son Heung-min, one of the three players in the squad who still play at the time, will serve as a painful reminder to the current squad of the pain of failure.”
“I think the Taeguk Warriors have a golden opportunity to end their 64-year wait for their third Asian Cup championship, but the match against Australia will not be easy. Australia may not be the strongest team of the past decade, but they cruised to three wins and one draw in the tournament. They also scored eight goals and only allowed one run in the process,” he said.
He added, “Australia is expected to pay attention to Son Heung-min’s world-class lockdown, but the midfielder showdown comes as (just as important). Hwang In-beom and Lee Jae-sung (of midfielders) are expected to own the ball, but the Australian midfielders, where Jackson Irving and his teammates are holding out, will put pressure on them to take possession.”
BY: 스포츠토토