In the Asian Cup on January 31st, South Korea skillfully avoided a direct confrontation with Japan, and with a series of subtle tactics successfully thwarted their opponents, but Bahrain regretted to say goodbye to this year's Asian Cup. Japan is the favorite to win the Asian Cup.
Despite the Chinese national team's early farewell to the Asian Cup, the tournament is still burning with passion. Today, a much-anticipated match came to an end. We must admit that it was a supreme example of opponent selection strategy. South Korea managed to advance to the next round, while Bahrain, who did not actively choose their opponents, were ruthlessly eliminated by Japan. What exactly happened? Read below and it will all come out.
In the Asian Cup, Japan suffered an unexpected defeat to Iraq against Bahrain. Due to mistakes in the group stage, Japan ended up in second place in the group, while Bahrain actually topped the neighboring group, a result that was a miracle. At the time, Jordan and South Korea, who were in the same group as Bahrain, were first and second in the group after two matches, with Bahrain only existing in third place. In the end, Jordan and South Korea teamed up to beat Bahrain in the last round of matches.
Jordan, as group leaders, went so far as to lose on purpose, lifting Bahrain from third to first in the group. South Korea's behavior was even more staggering, when they faced Malaysia, they were potted three goals and drew three times in three matches. With such a performance from South Korea, there was no place for them, was the Malaysian national team so unbeatable? They were just trying to avoid the most feared team, Japan, and this behavior is so shameless.
The tacit cooperation between these two teams has seen Bahrain jump from third to first in the group after a victory. But they may not have realized that they were in a desperate situation. South Korea are second and Jordan third, meaning Bahrain, as group leaders, must face another set of strong opponents. In second place was Japan, the favorites to win the Asian Cup, and no one dared to go head-to-head with them. As a result, South Korea and Jordan opted for a deliberate let-down, leaving Bahrain to top the group.
What can be said about Bahrain's victory? They were eliminated 1-3 against a strong Japanese team, and the only goal they conceded was an own goal. Had it not been for a hilarious mistake by goalkeeper Chae-Yan Suzuki, Japan could have shut out their opponents. Japan's strength is not to be underestimated, and the "wise" choices of South Korea and Jordan allowed them to advance to the last eight. However, Bahrain's defeat in the first round of the knockout stage proved the importance of avoiding their rivals. If they are to beat Japan, they will have to win the real thing, or go home in disgrace.
