The Asian Cup ushered in two more 1 8 finals, namely Japan vs Bahrain, and Iran vs Syria, although these are two games with a huge gap in strength and ranking, Japan and Iran are both two notches higher than their opponents, but the process of these two games is not smooth. The Japanese team made many mistakes in the game, the goalkeeper defender made a mistake and almost ruined the game, the striker wasted many chances, and finally the Japanese team had a thrilling 3-1 Bahrain to advance. Iran and Syria are inseparable, the two sides drew 1-1 on penalties, and eliminated Syria in a penalty shootout to advance.
At present, the top 8 of this Asian Cup have all been released, and the matchups of the 1 4 finals have also been determined, so let's take a look at the specific situation. The last eight matches are Jordan vs. Tajikistan, South Korea vs. Australia, Japan vs. Iran and Uzbekistan vs. Qatar. The first two games will be played on the evening of February 2, with the other two on the second day. The benefits and advantages of the opponent-picking behavior that appeared in the final round of the group stage have been reflected in the round of 16 and the round of 8, and the strong dialogue that would have appeared in the round of 16 has finally appeared in the round of 8.
Japan vs Iran and South Korea vs Australia, these two matches should be the highest level of this Asian Cup, and can even reach the level of the last 16 of the World Cup. Japan, South Korea, Australia and Iran are the big4 in the Asian arena, and the strength of the 4 teams belongs to the first echelon in Asia, and Saudi Arabia and Qatar are a notch behind these 4 teams. Japan are currently ranked 17th in the world and Iran are ranked 21st, and the two teams are currently the strongest representatives of the technical and physical flow in Asia, and the impact of this clash could be even stronger than the final. It's just a pity that one of these two teams will inevitably fall outside the top 4.
South Korea and Australia are also very exciting, with South Korea with some of Asia's top stars and Australia fully European. The two teams had completely different paths to qualify, with Australia beating Indonesia 4-0 and South Korea knocking out Saudi Arabia on penalties, who didn't quite show their strength advantage. The South Korea vs Australia match is played at 23:30 p.m. on February 2, and the Japan vs. Iran match is played at 19:30 p.m. on February 3, at the discretion of fans**.
Looking at the level of Asian football getting higher and higher, our fans are really anxious, the national football team has created the worst record in history in this Asian Cup, and has not won a single goal in the group stage. Such results are accumulated over the years, and they do not cause such results overnight, and there are problems in all aspects of the players, coaches, the Football Association, and the league. Let's hope that these problems will be resolved soon. Otherwise, it would be too bitter to be a fan of the national football team.