AFC Asian Cup 2024: Iraq stuns Japan!

ASHOOR

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Iraq has managed to beat Japan 2-1 in the 2024 AFC Asian Cup thus ending Japan's 11-game winning streak. To say this was a shocker is an understatement!

Iraq is ranked No. 63 in the world compared to Japan at 17.

In addition to beating Germany and Spain at the world cup, they had a hot 12 month streak where they beat Peru 4-1, Salvador 6-1, Turkey 4-2, Germany 4-1, Canada 4-1, Tunisia 2-0, and combined 25-3 score against last 5 Asian opponents they played.

The "Lions of Mesopotamia" put an end to that streak. Japan is the heavy favorite to win this tournament, followed by Kora, Saudi Arabia and Iran. But Iraq may a chance after beating Japan today, and Indonesia 3-1 last week.
 
Japan (my equal second team with Thailand and Vanuatu) scored late in the match. It was a consolation goal. I watched the whole match and Iraq was awesome. They dominated from start to finish aside when they conceded that late goal. They have a great physical presence (like Australia) but their players are also skillful too (unlike Australia). They started at 34.00 with the bookies to win it and are now 13.00. Japan are still favourites surprisingly.

To motivate the Japanese team, the whole of Japan (not just the players) have been watching Iraq's goal against Japan in 1993 that knocked them out of qualifying for USA94. The match in 1993 was played in Doha, Qatar. In 2024, history has repeated itself. Japan cannot defeat Iraq if the match is played in Doha.

The number 5, Frans Putrus is Assyrian. He came on as sub in Iraq's first match. He started the second match but was subbed off. Difficult to ascertain his position but I believe he is a left sided defender.
 
Japan (my equal second team with Thailand and Vanuatu) scored late in the match. It was a consolation goal. I watched the whole match and Iraq was awesome. They dominated from start to finish aside when they conceded that late goal. They have a great physical presence (like Australia) but their players are also skillful too (unlike Australia). They started at 34.00 with the bookies to win it and are now 13.00. Japan are still favourites surprisingly.

To motivate the Japanese team, the whole of Japan (not just the players) have been watching Iraq's goal against Japan in 1993 that knocked them out of qualifying for USA94. The match in 1993 was played in Doha, Qatar. In 2024, history has repeated itself. Japan cannot defeat Iraq if the match is played in Doha.

The number 5, Frans Putrus is Assyrian. He came on as sub in Iraq's first match. He started the second match but was subbed off. Difficult to ascertain his position but I believe he is a left sided defender.

Interesting you bring up the 1993 game, which as you said correctly, has haunted the Japanese for decades. In fact, you can probably credit that goal for helping their football to rise in the decade since to dominate Asia and be able to qualify to the world cup consistently.

I remember that game, as I was nearly 13 year old and had left Iraq few months ago. Living in Turkey at the time and with no internet at the time yet, we had to rely on radio and newspapers to get the results. Iraq had already botched it from the first game, when they lost to North Korea 3-2, after being up 2-0. You kinda feel for the Japanese, since Iraq had nothing to play for and were already eliminated while the Japanese were on the verge of qualifying to their first world cup. Interestingly, the goal was scored by a player (Jafar Omran) who used to play for my favourite Iraqi club (Air Force) .

I still think Japan is the favourite to win it all despite the loss, and in fact it makes them focus more.

ASHOOR
 
Looks like there is an entire article about this match from 1993, which is not surprising to me!

And as I mentioned above, Japan never missed a world cup since that fateful day in October 1993. And really, who is better to learn from mistakes and disasters and come back better than the Japanese, given what they went through during the world war, and how their car and electronics corporations dominated their industries through the process of constant refinement.

Not only that, but they won 3 x AFC Asian Cup finals, and reaching the final of the last edition in 2019. So as you can see, not only have they been the most dominant team in Asia and by far, but probably in the world too. All thanks to this Iraqi goal. I think the Japanese should invite him, 30 years on, just like Korea did, and thank him for helping reset things lol.

 
It is funny you mention South Korea. I actually think they committed the first step in making Japan stronger, with Iraq merely tipping them over the edge.

In 1986, South Korea qualified for the world cup for the first time since 1954. They were in the same group as Italy (the defending champions) and Argentina (the champions previous to Italy and the team who would go on to win the World Cup). Now to say that Japanese and Koreans don't like each other is an understatement. Koreans to Japanese are what Qurdaye are to Assyrians. So when the Japanese football fans were watching South Korea on the same stage as Alessandro Altobelli and Diego Maradona, they were losing their minds and going green with envy. How could these inferior people be on the same stage as these football Gods, while we are sitting at home with envy when we are better people and a superiour culture to these Koreans?

This was the beginning of the rise of Japanese football. Their disdain and subsequent envy of Koreans meant that they need to do more and be better than Koreans no matter what it took. They won the Asian Cup in 1992. The J League started in 1993 where so much money was thrown around to get big name players such as Gary Linker and Zico to play in Japan.

Nowadays, they have the best league in Asia. They are regular qualifiers to the world cup since their first in 1998. They are always the favourite to win the Asian Cup. They regularly make the second round of the world cup, so they are not there just to make up the numbers. Last world cup, they beat Germany (thank goodness as the Germans were more interested in gay politics) and Spain. The one thing they have not managed to do is make a World Cup quarter final. And with South Korea having made a World Cup semi final, you can get on it that Japan is still envious and is desperate to equal or beat them.
 
In 1986, South Korea qualified for the world cup for the first time since 1954. They were in the same group as Italy (the defending champions) and Argentina (the champions previous to Italy and the team who would go on to win the World Cup). Now to say that Japanese and Koreans don't like each other is an understatement. Koreans to Japanese are what Qurdaye are to Assyrians. So when the Japanese football fans were watching South Korea on the same stage as Alessandro Altobelli and Diego Maradona, they were losing their minds and going green with envy. How could these inferior people be on the same stage as these football Gods, while we are sitting at home with envy when we are better people and a superiour culture to these Koreans?
Mmm very interesting Bani, I knew there was some competition between the two, but didn't know it was this intense. Always thought it was more intense between these two countries and China, but then again the latter doesn't have the same interest in soccer.

This reminds me of the rivalry between Qatar and Saudi Arabia: the latter wasn't comfortable seeing their small neighbor host a very successful world cup and getting all the spotlight. So they went ahead and won the bid for the 20234 World Cup: 12 years later, but I believe they will spare no dime to outshine Qatar and make it 10x better.
 
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