The Iraqi and Jordanian national teams meet in a decisive struggle to obtain the second qualification card from the group led by the South Korean national team, which appears to be a strong candidate for first place and direct qualification for the World Cup. This confrontation is considered a turning point for Iraq and Jordan in their careers, as they are equal on points, while Jordan excels. By goal difference, which makes victory extremely important for both parties, the Iraqi team, known as the “Lions of Mesopotamia,” enters the match aspiring to make up for its previous failures in qualifying for the World Cup, as its only participation was in 1986, but Iraq has shown noticeable improvement recently. Especially after winning the Asian Cup title in the current millennium and continuing to provide good levels in regional and international tournaments. The team started the final qualifying stage in an acceptable manner, as it achieved victories against Oman and Palestine, and almost snatched a valuable point from the South Korean team, before losing by a score of 3- 2 in a match full of excitement, but this loss affected its ranking in the group, moving Jordan to second place on goal difference.
On the other hand, the Jordanian national team, which is nicknamed “Al-Nashama”, continues its strong path under the leadership of veteran coach Adnan Hamad, and despite its humble start in the qualifiers, where it tied with Kuwait at home, it quickly returned to its level with two major victories over Palestine and Oman. Its most prominent match in the recent period was the one in which it defeated Amman with a score of 4-0, as the match witnessed the brilliance of its players in the second half, which reflects the high physical capabilities of the Jordanian team.
So far, the Jordanian team shows superiority in terms of the number of goals compared to Iraq, as it succeeded in scoring twice the number of goals scored by the Iraqi team, which gives it an advantage in the qualification calculations, and with the South Korean team leading the group with 10 points, the competition remains intense between Iraq and Jordan, as They each have 7 points, but Jordan is ahead on goal difference, which is a positive point that it is trying to exploit to grab second place in the group and qualify for the World Cup for the first time in its history.
It is expected that the Iraqi team will seek to compensate for this difference in goals through an intensive offensive strategy, especially since the match will be held on its home soil in the city of Basra, which will give it great public support that may help it achieve victory. Observers expect Iraq to rely on offensive pressure from the beginning, taking advantage of The skills of his attackers and the speed of his wings to achieve a big win help him turn the scales of the standings in his favour.
Spanish coach Jesus Casas takes over the leadership of the Iraqi national team, and he has shown effectiveness in utilizing the potential of his players in an optimal way to achieve positive results, especially in the matches he played on his home soil. It is expected that Casas will intend to play in an offensive manner from the first minutes, relying on high tactics and quick counterattacks. To break the defenses of the Jordanian team, whose defense is among the strongest in the group.
As for the Jordanian team, led by Adnan Hamad, it is distinguished by its balanced plans, as it pays great attention to strong defense, and at the same time relies on organized attacks led in the middle of a cohesive field. The Jordanian team has high physical capabilities and the ability to exploit opportunities, as it proved in its last match against Amman and… It is expected that Hamad will adhere to a cautious approach in the beginning, focusing on snatching an early goal that will confuse the Iraqi team’s calculations and increase the pressure on it.
Today’s match is not just a sporting confrontation; Rather, it is a golden opportunity for both Iraq and Jordan to move a step closer to the dream of qualifying for the World Cup, and with the intense competition between the Arab and Asian teams, this confrontation is gaining a historical dimension, as neither Iraq nor Jordan has been able to reach the World Cup finals before, which makes the players’ motivation greater. And audiences alike.
It is expected that the public attendance will play a major role in pushing the Iraqi national team to victory, as the Iraqi public is known for its passion and enthusiasm in supporting its team, which may give the national team players additional motivation to give and give throughout the match.
This stage of the qualifiers is considered one of the most difficult stages, due to the strong competition between Iraq, Jordan and Oman, each of which is seeking to obtain second place in the group. As for the South Korean team, which leads the standings with 10 points, it seems that it is on its way to clinching the first qualification ticket, which leaves… The conflict is raging over the second card.
This conflict between Iraq and Jordan gave these qualifiers vitality and excitement, as each team considers each match as a “mini-final” in which there is no room for loss or retreat. Rather, victory must be achieved by the largest possible number of goals to improve the goal difference, which may be the decisive factor in the end. The end.
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