'Han Messi Lee Kang-in vs Jordan Messi' fight for No. 1 in Group E at the Asian Cup |
Posted: January 18, 2024 |
South Korea's national soccer team, led by head coach Jürgen Klinsmann 60, Germany, will play its second match against Jordan in Group E of the 2023 Asian Cup finals in Qatar at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on the 20th. The national team, led by "Korean Messi" Lee Kang-in 23, Paris Saint-Germain, PSG, is determined to defeat Jordan and confirm the top spot in the group early. Jordan is one step lower than Korea in terms of overall performance. In the FIFA rankings, there is a wide gap between Korea 23rd and Jordan 87th. However, Jordan is atop in Group E, as it had a landslide 4-0 victory against Malaysia in its first group match, and led Korea in goal difference. Korea will have to go to the round of 16 as the No. 1 player in its group to not meet its toughest opponent, Japan. For this reason, if it wins the match against Jordan, it will be able to secure the No. 1 ranking in its group and advance to the round of 16 early on. Jordan was eliminated at the end of a playoff with Uruguay, ranking fifth in Asia, during the 2014 Brazil World Cup. It is not an easy target to watch. Korea has three wins and two draws against Jordan in all A-matches history. Although it has never lost a match, the team won all of its A-matches. Notably, it showed off its outstanding goal-getting ability in the match against Malaysia at this year's event. Out of 14 shots, eight were fired on goal, and four of them resulted in goals. The first player to be wary of is Moussa Al-Tamari 27, Montpellier HSC, one of the Jordanian Messi. Al-Tamari made his debut in Ligue 1 this season and has scored three goals just like Lee Kang-in. He has excellent personal skills and shows off his fast movement in the second line of attack between the sides and the center. On top of that, he has a strong left foot, which has many things in common with Lee Kang-in. Along with Al-Tamari, Al-Mardi two goals and Al-Naimat two assists, who form a triangle formation of Jordanian attacks, are also on the lookout. The key is how South Korea's four-back defense, centered on Kim Min-jae 28, Bayern Munich, will prevent a Jordan counterattack with individual skills and speed. In the first group match against Bahrain, South Korea's entire defense line, including left-side defender Lee Ki-je 33, Suwon Samsung, who provided an excuse for an equalizer in the 6th minute of the second half, is hardly complete. In the attack, we need to find a way to utilize captain Son Heung-min 32, Tottenham. This is because Jordan is likely to display a dense defensive formation by focusing on Son Heung-min. In this regard, it is fortunate that Lee Kang-in is playing his role as another offensive option when Son Heung-min stays. Lee Kang-in, who is in the spotlight as a "Korean Messi," is in very good condition, scoring two goals including the winning goal in the last match against Bahrain.
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