Who are the key players to watch out for?
The South Korean national soccer team, led by Jürgen Klinsmann (GER), will face Australia in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2023.
Klinsmann’s men will take on Australia in the Asian Cup quarterfinals at Al-Janoub Stadium in Al-Wakrah, Qatar, on March 3 at 0:30 a.m. ET.
Given the reputation of the squad, South Korea is expected to win easily.
Klinsmann’s squad includes “world-class” Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), as well as big European names like Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), 안전놀이터 Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), and Hwang In-beom (Zvezda).
There are also a number of players who have represented their country in Asia’s top league, the K League, including Kim Young-kwon, Cho Hyun-woo, Seol Young-woo (Ulsan HD), Kim Tae-hwan, Park Jin-seop, and Kim Jin-soo (Jeonbuk Hyundai).
Australia had a number of players in the 2000s who went on to play in Europe’s big leagues, including Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill, and Mark Viduka, but there are no big names in this squad. Most of the resources are from the lower leagues of the Netherlands, Belgium, Scotland, and England, or from their home leagues.
Still, there are some threats. Leicester City defender Harry Souttar, who is currently leading the league despite being relegated to the English Championship (second division), is one to watch.
A central defender, Souttar uses his 6-foot-4 frame to anchor a solid Australian backline. He doesn’t have a lot of speed, but he is a dominant force in possession. This is why the Socceroos have only conceded one goal in their four matches in the tournament. As good as he is with headers, he can also score goals himself from set pieces.
You should also watch out for midfielder Jackson Irvine.
He plays for St. Pauli in the 2. Bundesliga (German professional soccer) and is a good midfield option with strength, pressing, and linking up.
He doesn’t specialize in scoring goals, but he’s been an imposing presence in this tournament, either scoring himself or contributing to goals. Australian defender Matthew Ryan (AZ Alkmaar) is another player who could disrupt South Korea’s run to the quarterfinals.
Ryan is a veteran of the Dutch scene and is a reliable defender. Prior to playing for AZ, Ryan was one of the best goalkeepers in Asia, having played for Arsenal (England) and Real Sociedad (Spain).
At 184 centimeters, he’s not the tallest goalkeeper, but he has good reflexes and accurate kicks. He also has a lot of experience, 파워볼게임 having played in three World Cups and three Asian Cups. He was part of the team that won the final against South Korea in 2015 in Australia and reached the top.
It’s not going to be an easy game. “I think it’s going to be a war, I think it’s going to be a fight,” Klinsmann said.
