The Jordanian national team will be welcomed with flowers and carried on the shoulders as heroes of the nation. Prior to reaching the quarterfinals, the “Eagles” had never advanced this far, and, it must be admitted, few believed in such success for Hussein Amotta’s team after the group stage. After defeating Malaysia, the “Eagles” drew with South Korea and lost to Bahrain. However, even finishing third in the group, Jordan managed to shine in the playoffs. The heroic and determined victory over Iraq in the first round, with two goals in extra time, was worth mentioning. In the quarterfinals, Tajikistan was narrowly defeated, and in the semifinals, South Korea. Just take a look at the statistics to understand the course of the match: 17-8 in shots, 7-0 in shots on target! And yet, the Koreans controlled the ball for 70% of the time!
The Qatari national team, as the continental champion and the host of the tournament, breezed through the group stage with three clean victories over Lebanon, Tajikistan, and China. The first team to breach the “Maroons'” defense was Palestine in the first round of the playoffs (2-1), and Uzbekistan managed to halt Qatar in the quarterfinals, with the fate of the semi-final spot decided by a penalty shootout. In the semi-final, Qatar, not considered the favorite, surprised experts and pleased the local audience. The match against Iran was highly competitive and ended with Qatar’s 3-2 victory. Iranians scored first, but by the end of the first half, the “Maroons” were leading 2-1. In the second half, Iran leveled the score with a penalty, and Marques’s accurate shot secured Qatar’s victory.
