As it happened: Korea vs. Jordan — Asian Cup semifinals

Football

Published: 06 Feb. 2024, 23:35 Updated: 07 Feb. 2024, 08:36

As it happened: Korea vs. Jordan — Asian Cup semifinals

Make sure to keep refreshing the page for the latest updates.

Jordan's players celebrate after defeating Korea at the end of the Asian Cup semifinal. [AFP/YONHAP]

FULL TIME: Korea 0-2 Jordan. Jordan head to their first ever Asian Cup final and Korea head home, 64 years of hurt set to continue for at least another three years.

Korea were outclassed when they shouldn't have been, defeated by an underdog Jordan that exploited quick breakaways and a weakened defense to create countless opportunities. The Taeguk Warriors, meanwhile, faced the exact same all-out defense they struggled against two weeks ago and still did not have an answer.

The 2-0 loss is a painful pill for Korea to swallow, but it hardly comes as a surprise. Korea have dragged themselves through the tournament, one last-gasp goal after another, and that run was never going to last forever. Something had to change in the approach for Korea to see some serious results and it never happened.

Jordan will face either Qatar or Iran in the final on Saturday.

Korea's Son Heung-Min looks dejected as Jordan knock Korea out of the Asian Cup. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

90+7min: Kim Tae-hwan with another cross and Jeong Woo-yeong gets a head to it, but it's wide and its quite possibly the last chance Korea will get.

90+5 min: A corner for Jordan, but Lee Kang-in gets hold of the ball straight from the corner. Son drives up the length of the pitch, only to lose possession within a meter of the goal line.

Korea's head coach Jurgen Klinsmann reacts during the semifinal between Jordan and Korea. [AP/YONHAP]

SUBSTITUTION: Jordan take off Almardi and Al-Rashdan and bring on Ibrahim Sadeh and Rajaei Ayed.
There are eight minutes of stoppage time. Korea have scored in injury time in the last four games, but doing it twice in one night seems like a stretch.

88 min: Cho gets through on goal and is brought down in the box, but the referee is not having any of it. The ref won't consider a penalty and Cho gets a yellow card for diving.

87 min: Korea manages to get a ball into the box without finding a defender but Yang heads it the wrong way.

85 min: Kim Tae-hwan fires a cross in from the right and Yazeed is pulled off his line for what feels like the first time tonight. The Jordanian goalie punches it clear.

SUBSTITUTION: A first change for Jordan, Anas Hamma comes on for Yazan.

83 min: Jung gets a yellow for a foul on Yazan. He didn't even attempt to get close to the ball. Desperation is setting in now and it doesn't look pretty.

SUBSTITUTION: Two changes for Korea. Hwang Hee-chan and Lee Jae-sung are out for Jeong Woo-yeong and Yang Hyun-jun.

78 min: Korea have had a few corners in the last few minutes but have been unable to get the ball into the box. With the entire Jordan squad now on defense, the chance of Korea finding even a crack in that defense looks increasingly unlikely.

77 min: Altamari goes down on the touchline, but it's unclear what, if anything, happens. The linesman seems uninterested and play continues.

72 min: Still only the one change with 20 minutes left. Klinsmann looks fairly unconcerned, although it's hard to tell with the stoic German manager.

70 min: A clever Son-Lee Kang-in one-two gets the PSG midfielder in front of goal, but he's brought down before he can do anything and the ball goes out for a corner. Looked like a serious argument for a penalty, but the referee is having none of it.

GOAL: Korea 0-2 Jordan. Altamari doubles Jordan's lead. It's another quick counterattack and a shot from outside the box. There are three defenders in front of the goal but the Jordanian midfielder sends it right by them. Korea's hopes of redemption are suddenly looking a lot slimmer.

Jordan's Yazan Alnaimat, right, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal. [AP/YONHAP]

63 min: Another big chance for Jordan but Jo sends the ball over the bar. He also single-handedly clears the following corner — for a second-pick goalkeeper he's having a great game.

Don't forget, Jordan are the underdogs in the final four, but as things stand now they're en route to the final. Iran are the highest-ranked team, followed by Korea and then Qatar. Iran and reigning champs Qatar will face off in the other semifinal tomorrow.

Jordan's Yazan Al Naimat scores their first goal. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

63 min: Jordan's Abuhasheesh gets a yellow card for time wasting. It's a bit early for that, but Jordan aren't in any rush.

60 min: Brief visit from the physio for the Jordan goalie but he's back on his feet again.

56 min: The goal has clearly shaken Korea — Jordan have already been on the attack three times since the game resumed and Korea are yet to calm things down again. SUBSTITUTION: Cho Gue-sung comes on for Park Yong-woo.

GOAL: Korea 0-1 Jordan. Yazan gives Jordan the lead. This one is entirely on Korea. Park Yong-woo gave the ball away with a poor back pass and Altamari sweeps in to steal possession. Jo is left flatfooted and Yazan slots the ball home.

51 min: Another chance for Korea but it goes nowhere as the cross in goes straight into goalkeeper Yazeed's hands.

49 min: Slightly disconcerting moment as Alarab celebrates a fairly routine clearance with a full fists clenched Dragon Ball-esque scream. The Al Shorta defender has perhaps had to hype himself up a bit for the job of man-marking Son.

Lee Jae-sung attempts a header behind Lee Kang-in, who tries a scissor kick. [YONHAP]

48 min: Lee Kang-in attempts to loft the ball into the box in front of Son but overcooks it and it goes straight to the goalkeeper.

And the second half is under way. No changes to the teams.

Korea's Hwang In-beom, right, compete for the ball with Jordan's Abdallah Nasib. [AP/YONHAP]

STATS: Korea have had 60% of the possession in the first half, but that's where the good news ends. Jordan have managed 12 shots, four on target, to Korea's four attempts with 0 on target. Meanwhile, Korea have committed six fouls to Jordan's one and both sides have been caught offside twice.

HALF-TIME: Korea 0-0 Jordan. It hasn't been quite the triumphant return to the Taeguk Warriors of old that the many very tired people sitting in front of TVs across Korea had hoped for, but it's still all square.

As well as passing, decisiveness seems to be a big problem for Korea. Every attack falters almost immediately as the players take one touch too many or take one second too long, allowing the five-man Jordan defense to close ranks.

CORRECTION: That Lee Kang-in bicycle kick — perhaps the most exciting part of the half — may not have been an Lee Kang-in bicycle kick at all. The attempt was definitely there, but whether it came off Lee Kang-in's foot or Lee Jae-sung's head isn't entirely clear from the replay. Either way, had it not hit the post it would have been oh so magical.

Korea's Hwang Hee-chan, right, and Jordan's Ehsan Haddad vie for the ball. [AP/YONHAP]

45+5 min: Perhaps Korea's best chance of the night. Seol plays the ball into an unusually empty box, but Hwang In-beom appears to stumble and hoofs it a country mile over the bar.

45+2 min: Nothing going from the free kick — Jordan head the ball clear and the danger passes.

Korea's Son Heung-min is helped up by the referee. [AP/YONHAP]

45+1 min: Hwang Hee-chan appears to have taken a boot to the head while competing for a header with Ehsan. It's a Korea free kick outside the box, but perhaps a bit too far away for an attempt.

There will be 5 minutes of stoppage time.

41 min: Hwang Hee-chan's pocket is picked outside the Jordan area and there's a quick counterattack. Jo, who is having an incredible game so far, saves the first attempt with his face and then manages to stop the second with his foot while not even looking before the flag eventually goes up for offside.

40 min: Corner comes in low and doesn't get very far. A Jordan counterattack also peters out with a shot sent well wide.

38 min: Lee Kang-in has a go after a back-and-forth in front of the Jordan goal but there's just too many bodies in the way. It's out for a throw-in and then immediately out again for a corner.

A Korean fan cheers for the team before the semifinal match between Jordan and Korea. [AP/YONHAP]

35 min: There's a real contrast visible between the two sets of fans in the stadium. The Jordan crowd is in full voice and looking cheerful, while there's a lot of concerned faces among the Korean contingent.

33 min: Korea are starting to build up some momentum now but passing accuracy is proving to be a real problem. Too many misplaced passes or balls kicked out of play.

Jordan's Mousa Altamari, centre left, has a shot during the Asian Cup semifinal between Korea and Jordan. [AP/YONHAP]

31 min: Lee Kang-in attempts a bicycle kick but ends up hitting the woodwork.

28 min: PENALTY for Korea. Still waiting on a replay to work out what happened. Looks like its a foul on Seol — VAR check now... VAR cancels penalty, goal kick.

26 min: Disaster nearly strikes for Korea as Kim Young-gwon passes the ball straight to Altamari in front of the goal, the Jordanian midfielder then sends the ball just wide of the target.

26 min: The 4-2-3-1 with Hwang Hee-chan in front looks increasingly like a Son Heung-min in front — maybe it always was and the graphics people got it wrong — with Hwang gravitating to the left wing.

24 min: Chance for Jordan. Yazan plays his way around the entire defense with concerning ease, attempting a shot from the left of the box but Jo is able to get a hand to it.

23 min: Chance for Korea. Seol gets the ball down the left wing and manages to get a cross in from inside the box. The defense gets a head to it and Lee Kang-in sends the loose ball well over the bar on the volley.

Korea's head coach Jurgen Klinsmann looks on at the Asian Cup semifinal. [AP/YONHAP]

OFFSIDE: Son lobs the goalkeeper to send the ball into the net, but he's well offside and there's no need for a VAR check on that one.

18 mins: Korea rank at No. 23 to Jordan's No. 87, but you wouldn't know it from watching this game. Momentum has been overwhelmingly in Jordan's favor.

17 min: Jo Hyeon-woo just saves the day as Jordan break through on goal.

14 min: Yellow card for Hwang In-beom after a tackle from behind to stop a Jordan attack. Dangerous free kick outside the box, but nobody can connect to nod it toward the goal.

Korean fans before the semifinal match between Jordan and Korea. [AP/YONHAP]

11 min: Jordan are playing the same deep defense that frustrated Korea in the group stages. There are at least five white shirts between Son and the goal at any given time, and so far the approach seems to be working.

9 min: Almardi receiving some medical attention after a collision with Lee Kang-in. Up and walking now, so play goes on.

7 min: We're 7 minutes in and Korea have yet to show up. So far this is looking like another long zombie football slog for the Taeguk Warriors. It looks nervy out there. Real nervy.

Korea stands for their national anthem before the semifinal match versus Jordan at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar. [AP/YONHAP]

3 min: Nizar has a punt from outside the box. The shot goes just wide, but Jo has to dive for it and it is another Jordan corner.

2 min: Korea get a throw in deep in the Jordanian box. Possession is immediately lost and Jordan are on the attack again.

1 min: Korea just briefly managed to get the ball into Jordan's half before Hwang In-beom was called out for a foul.

0 min: Jordan aren't messing around tonight. That first corner was threatening and we haven't even hit the 1 minute mark yet.

KICK OFF: Jordan start and head straight up the pitch, a cross in from the left and a corner earned in under 20 seconds.

Klinsmann — once again in the black hoodie that appears to be the only item of clothing he took to Qatar — has opted for a 4-2-3-1 with Hwang Hee-chan out in front.

Here come players for the anthems. The referees on the pitch are all from the UAE, with the fourth official hailing from China and the VAR team from the UAE and Japan.

Plenty of Premier League interest in tonight's game, with Tottenham and Wolves both sending their best...

While Jordan are playing in their first Asian Cup semifinal, Korea are looking to advance and end a 64-year trophy drought in the competition.

The winner tonight will face either Iran or Qatar in the final on Saturday.

We're 10 minutes from kick-off now. As you might suspect, Korea go into the game as favorites. The Opta supercomputer predicts that Korea are the most likely side to progress to the final, as they won 55.9% of the pre-match simulations inside 90 minutes compared to 21.7% by Jordan.

Welcome to our minute-by-minute coverage of the Asian Cup semifinals between Korea and Jordan. It's a rematch of a Group E game just two weeks ago that ended in a 2-2 draw with two own goals and a penalty.

Starting lineups

Korea are without regular starting center-back Kim Min-jae, suspended for the game after getting his second yellow of the tournament in the quarterfinals, with his spot instead taken by Jung Seung-hyun. He joins Kim Young-gwon, Kim Tae-hwan and Seoul Young-woo to complete a back five — including goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo — that have all played for Ulsan over the last few years.

Further forward, Klinsmann has dropped forward Cho Gue-sung for an all-midfield, replacing him with Lee Jae-sung alongside familiar faces Son Heung-min, Hwang Hee-chan and Lee Kang-in. Hwang In-beom and Park Yong-woo complete the midfield.

It looks likely to be the Klinsmann favorite 4-2-3-1, with either Hwang Hee-chan or Son in front — my money is on Hwang.

Jordan are without three players, forwards Ali Olwan and Hamza Aldaradreh and defender Salem Al Ajalin. Salem and Olwan had both been regular picks, starting every game so far, and could be a big loss for Middle Eastern team.

Yazeed Abulaila is in goal, with five defenders listed: Mohammad Abuhasheesh, Abdallah Nasib, Bara Marie, Yazan Alarab and captain Ehsan Haddad. In midfield there’s Noor Al-Deen Al Rawabdeh, Mousa Altamari, Mahmoud Almardi and Nizar Alrashdan, with forward Yazan Alnaimat in front.