Five teams have qualified for the 16th Round of the AFC Asian Cup 2023: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Iraq, and Iran.
Moreover, the scoring rate decreased in the second round compared to the first round.
With 21 goals scored, an average of 2.52 goals per game.
Mentioning that Jordan is the most attacking team so far, having scored 6 goals in 2 games.
While Ayman Hussein of Iraq and Akram Afif of Qatar are tied for the top scorers, with 3 goals each.
AFC Asian Cup 2023 Updates
11 teams kept a clean sheet in the second round: Lebanon, China, Qatar, Oman, Thailand, Australia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Bahrain, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.
However, 8 matches were won, 2 were drawn, and 2 were tied.
Iraq defeated Japan 2-1, ending the Japanese team’s 11-game winning streak.
While UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eisa made 8 saves in the match against Palestine.
And was the only goalkeeper to save a penalty in the second round.
Own goals were scored in two matches: Palestine and UAE, and Jordan and South Korea.
Also, referees issued 30 yellow cards and 5 red cards in the second round.
And finally, Kyrgyzstan players received the most red cards, with 2, in the match against Saudi Arabia.
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Additional analysis:
- The 11 teams that kept a clean sheet in the second round are all still in contention to qualify for the knockout stage.
- The success of Iraq and Jordan in the second round suggests that the Middle East is a strong region in Asian football.
- The red cards shown to Kyrgyzstan players in the match against Saudi Arabia could prove costly for the Kyrgyz, who are now facing an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stage.
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Overall, the second round of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 was a competitive and entertaining affair.
There were some surprises, such as Iraq’s victory over Japan.
In addition to some disappointments, such as Kyrgyzstan’s red cards.The tournament is shaping up to be a close and exciting one.
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