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AL-RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — Up in opposition to one of many pre-tournament favorites, Jordan reached the ultimate of the Asian Cup for the primary time after beautiful South Korea 2-0 on Tuesday.
Yazan Al Naimat and Mousa Tamari struck within the second half at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium to upset the chances and finish coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s hopes of including one other main trophy to his assortment.
“I consider the primary factor I advised my gamers was to not respect the South Korean workforce greater than you must,” Jordan coach Hussein Ammouta mentioned afterward. “I feel this gave my gamers that confidence.
“We had nothing to lose.”
Jordan will play Iran or defending champion Qatar within the remaining this weekend. Their semifinal is on Wednesday.
South Korea, in the meantime, is left rue a missed alternative as its anticipate a 3rd Asian Cup title goes on.
“The coach is at all times answerable for how a match goes for a workforce. The aim was to get to the ultimate. We did not get to the ultimate,” mentioned Klinsmann, South Korea’s coach who as a participant helped West Germany win the World Cup in 1990. “We could not use our probabilities. We congratulate Jordan. They need to be within the remaining.”
Al Naimat fired Jordan forward within the 53rd minute by flicking a shot past goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo, who had already pulled off a collection of saves to maintain the rating degree.
Tamari made it 2-0 within the 66th with a long-range effort that despatched followers within the stadium wild and prolong his workforce’s unlikely run within the competitors.
Jordan had solely superior to the spherical of 16 as top-of-the-line third-place groups within the group stage and had completed under South Korea in Group E.
However below Moroccan coach Ammouta, it retains arising with the proper solutions and dominated the semifinal.
Klinsmann admitted Jordan “gained virtually each one-on-one battle within the first half hour.”
South Korea wanted a stoppage time personal aim to safe a draw with Jordan within the group stage and mounted late comebacks within the spherical of 16 and quarterfinals in opposition to Saudi Arabia and Australia, respectively. However a repeat by no means seemed doubtless on this event.
Whereas the two-time champion was aiming to win its first Asian Cup since 1960, Jordan was enjoying within the semifinal for the primary time.
There was little signal of the gamers being overwhelmed by the event.
“They had been the weapons they usually delivered an heroic efficiency,” Ammouta mentioned.
It was South Korea’s gamers who seemed inhibited as Jordan utilized the strain.
Noor Al Rawabdeh and Al Naimat each compelled saves from Jo within the early phases and Tamari fired narrowly extensive with one other effort.
South Korea struggled to create openings however got here near going forward simply after the half-hour mark. Lee Jae-sung stooped to satisfy Hwang In-beom’s cross from the proper, however his header got here again off the foot of the submit.
Jordan then had its finest likelihood of the half shortly earlier than the break when Al Naimat twisted and turned his manner by the realm and stabbed a shot at aim from 5 meters out. He was solely denied by the face of Jo, who appeared to know little about his save.
With the keeper dazed and attempting to gather himself, he then repelled the rebound from Al Rawabdeh together with his heals whereas dealing with the incorrect course.
Jordan emerged after halftime with renewed risk and took the lead eight minutes after the restart.
A unfastened go from Park Yong-woo was seized upon by Tamari and he fed Al Naimat.
The ahead wasn’t to be denied on this event and he flicked a shot over the advancing Jo to spark wild celebrations throughout the crowd of 42,850.
The cheers had been even louder when Jordan doubled the lead 13 minutes later by a superb solo aim from Tamari.
Operating from deep in South Korea’s half, he carried the ball to the sting of the field earlier than curling a low shot into the underside nook.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
