Thursday’s clash between South Korea and Malaysia in Asian Cup Group E ended in a stunning 3-3 draw, with Malaysia scoring an equalizer in the 15th minute of added time. The result saw Bahrain clinch the top spot in the standings after a 1-0 victory over Jordan.
Bahrain secured six points, courtesy of Abdulla Yusuf Helal’s decisive goal, leaving South Korea with five points. Jordan, finishing third with four points, advanced as one of the best third-placed teams.
In Group F, Saudi Arabia, already assured of a spot in the last 16, topped the group after a goalless draw with Thailand. Oman, however, failed to advance following a 1-1 draw with Kyrgyzstan, leaving them with two points. Indonesia (three points in Group D) advanced for the first time as a third-placed team, along with Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. Indonesia is set to face Australia, while Palestine will take on hosts Qatar, and Syria is set to face the formidable Iran.
South Korea, despite the draw, secured a spot in the last 16 and will face Saudi Arabia. Coach Juergen Klinsmann dismissed any intentional strategy to finish second, stating, “We didn’t want to avoid Japan, it definitely wasn’t our plan to concede three goals today. We wanted to go through in first place, that was our goal.”
The game witnessed South Korea opening the scoring in the 21st minute, followed by Malaysia’s comeback, taking a lead through a penalty. Late drama ensued as South Korea equalized twice, including a last-minute penalty converted by Son Heung-min. However, Malaysia’s Romel Morales scored the equalizer in the 15th minute of stoppage time, prompting jubilant celebrations among Malaysian fans.
Reflecting on the VAR decisions, South Korea’s Son Heung-min remarked, “With VAR decisions, we can sit down and talk about it all day. It’s out of our hands and control, the referee made the decisions. Obviously, you can argue or question the decision, but we have to respect their decision.”
Bahrain secured their victory with a counter-attack, setting up a clash with Japan in the next round, while Jordan is set to face Iraq.
In Group F, despite Saudi Arabia’s dominance, a missed penalty in the first half resulted in a goalless draw against Thailand. Both teams advanced to the next round, with Thailand set to face Uzbekistan.
Oman’s hopes of qualifying were dashed in a 1-1 draw with Kyrgyzstan, eliminating them from the tournament.
