After the expansion of the Asian Cup, a traditional strong team became the sixteenth lang
When it comes to football's 16 teams, there is no doubt that between 2005 and 2010, Real Madrid will be the name in our minds. That year, Real Madrid lost six games in a row in the group stage of the Champions League, and the round of 16 has become an insurmountable barrier. This is also the reason why Real Madrid is known as the last 16 of the Champions League. Arsenal did once possess that quality, just not as well-known as Real Madrid.
In addition, in this World Cup, there is also a famous team - Mexico. Many are furious that Mexico failed to be eliminated at this World Cup in South Africa, which they have single-handedly ruined a glorious history – they have been eliminated seven times in a row in this tournament. However, it is a shame that Mexico were eliminated in all seven groups, all in 16 and 4. They struggled to qualify in the group stage, but Mexico's potential was limited and there was no way to go further. That's why winning the 16th race was so wonderful for them.
Well, our Asian Cup has begun. Unlike the World Cup and the European Championship, the Asian Cup has been expanded for a longer period of time, from 16 teams to 24 teams this year. In a game, more than 24 teams will have a break, which is the birthplace of the top 16. Since the beginning of this edition, there have been two times when the top 24 teams have appeared. This year, with the eight-in-one competition, we can see that Lang Ping's version of the Asian 16-in-8 is slowly taking shape.
That's right, these are the only two teams to face each other in the 16-4 finals, and they are seen as the most intense clash between South Korea and Saudi Arabia so far.
*What will fans of this game have to say about how exciting the game is? Both teams still need to improve their goalscoring skills, and the South Korean players did not work as well as expected, but it did not detract from the excitement of the game. Both sides had more than 40 shots on goal, which was very exciting, and it tasted like an Asian derby.
Unfortunately, one of the two Asian powerhouses will eventually reach the round of 16 and the other will be eliminated. In fact, it was a pity for Saudi Arabia to be in control of the game from the start, scoring a goal at the beginning of the second half, and their attacks were more efficient. But does anyone think South Korea will be able to tie the score in extra time? The best Saudi goalkeeper of the game, Qasal, looked a little powerless in the face of the penalty.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia also regretted that it missed the round of 16 of the Asian Cup for two consecutive years. They lost 0-1 to Japan at the 2019 Asian Championship. In fact, the World Cup has only been held in recent years. However, in both games, Saudi Arabia was effectively intercepted. Although there is now a claim that Saudi Arabia is sixteen, such examples are too rare and too incredible. However, it is undeniable that today's Saudi Arabia has a very awkward position in the Asian football circle, with Japan and South Korea above, Iran below, and Australia below, without any advantages at all, while Qatar behind it is developing rapidly, or in other words, the five major powers in Asia do not have the name Saudi Arabia.
Of course, in the 16-4 match, Saudi Arabia was eliminated twice in a row, mainly because of luck. You know, both of them are playing against the strongest teams in Asia - Japan and South Korea. Ten years ago, Saudi Arabia beat Japan and South Korea in a 16-16 match, but in recent years they have been eliminated by Japan and South Korea. For Saudi Arabia, the most important thing is not to beat Argentina 2-1 and score a goal that has not been seen in a century, but to stabilize the foundation, temper the inside, and continue to improve its competitiveness.
First of all, we want to reach the top 16 in Asia.