Will the Japanese version of Son Heung-min be able to appear.
Chinese media “163” reported on the 4th (Korea Standard Time) that “the development of Japanese soccer will be determined by whether or not a star like Son Heung-min appears.”
Japan was eliminated after losing to Iran 1-2 in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation Qatar Asian Cup at Alayyan Education City Stadium in Qatar on Saturday (Korea time). With this victory, Iran will become the winner of the semifinal.
It was a duel of strong candidates. Japan and Iran are strong teams that are selected as the top three players in Asia including Korea. In fact, Japan ranks 17th in the FIFA rankings and Iran ranks 21st, vying for the first and second place among Asian countries. Korea is ranking third at 23rd.
Japan scored the first goal. At the 28th minute of the first half, Ueda held out from the front and handed the ball to Morita, who was rushing. Morita overcame defense and competition to break through the central region. Having a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper, he shook the net with calm right foot shot.
That was it for Japan. Japan sought additional points throughout the first half with aggressive attacks, but when the second half began, its momentum tilted toward Iran.
Iran scored the equalizer in the end. Azmoun scored a penetrating pass behind the defense in the 10th minute of the second half. Mohebi overtook Itakura inundation and scored a non-stop shot into the net.
Iran scored just before the end of the game. In the 4th minute of extra time in the second half, Itakura made a header mistake in the box and committed a foul with a clumsy tackle. Godos, who played as a kicker, shook the net with a powerful shot. In the end, the match ended with Iran’s 2-1 come-from-behind victory.
Japan’s journey, which was considered the ‘zero-ranked candidate’ for the fifth championship of the tournament, ended here.
In response, China 163 said, “Japan was eliminated after losing 1-2 to Iran. Japan needs an absolute star like Son Heung-min of Korea,” according to Japanese media.
South Korea’s national soccer team, led by head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, won 2-1 against Australia in the quarterfinals of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup at Al-Wakra Al-Zanup Stadium in Qatar on the 3rd after a neck-and-neck race to overtime.
South Korea were dragged throughout the match, losing points in the early hours, but Hwang Hee-chan’s penalty kick just before the end of the match led to extra time. In extra time, Son Heung-min scored with a direct shot from a free kick earned by Hwang Hee-chan to lead the win.
“Son Heung-min, who plays for Tottenham, is a player with overwhelming personal ability to control the game. Korea’s captain and absolute protagonist made a penalty kick that led to an equalizer in the second half of the quarterfinals and scored a free kick in overtime,” 헤라카지노주소 the media said.
He added, “It is a very important factor that a player who can save the team from the crisis with his or her individual ability amid the upward leveling of soccer is emerging. This factor is key for the Japanese national team to reach a higher level.”
In fact, 20 players from overseas have been selected for the Japanese national team at this year’s event. In particular, Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) and Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton) drew keen attention. However, they failed to play critical roles at the moment the team needed them.