DOHA – Jordan will make a slice of history when they face Son Heung-min’s South Korea in the first Asian Cup semi-final on Feb 6, with both teams’ coaches prepared for it to go the distance if required, with extra time and penalties.
On paper, South Korea would be expected to beat a Jordan side who are the lowest-ranked team left in the tournament and in the last four for the first time.
But Jordan held South Korea to a 2-2 draw in the group phase, with Jurgen Klinsmann’s men salvaging a point in injury time.
Under their admired Moroccan coach Hussein Ammouta, Jordan scored twice at the death to beat Iraq in the last 16 and then saw off fairy-tale debutants Tajikistan in the quarter-finals.
That put Jordan, who made their Asian Cup debut in 2004 and are currently 87th in the Fifa rankings, into their first semi-final.
Meanwhile, Klinsmann’s side needed a penalty shoot-out to beat Saudi Arabia before forcing extra time against Australia in the quarter-finals, playing 120 minutes on both occasions compared to a well-rested Jordan.
“Despite playing 120 minutes twice everyone knows the value of South Korea at an individual and collective level. Playing 120 minutes means they’re in good shape,” Ammouta said on Feb 5.
“They can easily recover physically and mentally in 48 hours. I don’t think playing 120 minutes will make a difference in tomorrow’s game... Our focus has to be strong and it’s going to be tiring... we will have to struggle.”
Of the semi-finalists, Jordan are the only ones never to have won the Asian Cup. The other last-four tie is between reigning champions Qatar and three-time winners Iran.
Their opponents South Korea, 23rd in the world rankings, have lifted the trophy twice, but the last time was in 1960 and they are under big pressure at home to end that barren run.
The Taegeuk Warriors have been unconvincing, however.
As well as the enduring quality of skipper and Tottenham Hotspur star Son, Klinsmann’s team have a habit of leaving it late, relying on injury-time goals to stave off defeats in their last four matches.
South Korean media have called it “zombie football”.
Son, who is his side’s joint top scorer with three goals alongside winger Lee Kang-in, said the team’s ability to keep coming back from the dead is proof of their resilience.
He said of the “zombie football” tag: “Whatever names people give it isn’t important – one thing I can say for sure is this is just helping us stick together even more.
“Playing 120 minutes is painful, it’s not easy.”
Klinsmann added on Feb 5: “The willingness to suffer, to go to the end if it’s needed – 120 minutes, penalty shoot-out we are prepared for that... We started in Seoul on Dec 26 to build fitness and we have only two injuries now. We are extremely hungry.”
He will be missing Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae, a rock at the heart of South Korea’s defence, because of suspension. AFP, REUTERS
