In the group stage of the 2024 Asian Cup, the match between the South Korean team and the Malaysian team caused an uproar, and an absurd "Hollywood drama" was staged in the audience, which was breathtaking. The match was full of dramatic reversals and unbelievable manipulations, which not only exposed the mentality of the South Korean team to protect the small and lose the big, but also highlighted the strong strength of the Japanese team that is reshaping the power structure of Asian football. At the same time, there are many upset performances of dark horses in this Asian Cup, indicating the overall improvement of the level of Asian football, and a new era is coming.
In a seemingly ordinary group stage, such a jaw-dropping "Hollywood drama" was staged, and the key was that the Japanese team was eliminated from the group, leaving the other teams in Group E facing an awkward dilemma - either to strive for the first place in the group to ensure advancement, but it is possible to meet the powerful Japan in the next round; Either release water to avoid Japan, but you may be eliminated and go home early. The match between South Korea and Malaysia highlighted this contradiction, with both sides holding on to their own problems.
Soon after the opening game, the stronger South Korean team took a 2-0 lead by scoring two goals in a row. It stands to reason that they only need to play steadily at this time to secure the top spot in the group, but what is surprising is that the South Korean team obviously intended to release the water after taking the lead, first allowing Malaysia to equalize and then overtake, and finally equalized through penalties, and finally the two sides shook hands 3-3. During the game, the South Korean players looked tangled, and the smile of coach Chrisman was full of meaning. It is not difficult to see that their deliberate "Hollywood drama" is probably to avoid meeting the Japanese team in the next round.
This move of the South Korean team is incredible, and it undoubtedly puts the interests of the second place in the group above the first. But if you think about it carefully, the strength of the Japanese team's strong rise has left South Korea and other traditional Asian powerhouses at a loss, and their choice can also be understood as a helpless move. Japan surprisingly finished bottom of the group in the first round of the Asian Cup, but they recovered in the next two games, beating the West Asian countries with a fierce attack. Japan's defeat was only a small probability, and their strength did not diminish in the slightest. Faced with a possible life-and-death battle, South Koreans are reluctant to take a desperate gamble.
Looking at the entire Asian Cup, the performance of the Japanese team is indeed strong, and they showed great mental quality and collective strength after their unexpected exit in the first round. This Japanese team has both great individual ability and excellent tactical execution, and is the strongest and most mature collective in the whole of Asia. Their strong performance in the group stage directly changed the key set of this Asian Cup, and other traditional powerhouses such as South Korea had to rack their brains to avoid Japan and staged an absurd "Hollywood drama".
It can be said that the Japanese team is rewriting the power structure of Asian football with its extraordinary strength. They have both world-class individual ability and top-notch collective cooperation, and are record makers in the entire Asian football world. In the face of Japan, South Korea and other strong teams are powerless to return to the sky, so they can only choose to release water to avoid the showdown, which has become a helpless "rigid choice". Japan's strong rise has deconstructed the traditional pattern of Asian football, and it has also forced people to face up to the fact that a new era of Asian football has arrived.
Of course, the progress of Asian football is not just reflected in the rise of a strong Japanese team. In this Asian Cup, many dark horses are also strongly attacking traditional strong teams. Malaysia's performance was particularly impressive, not only did they manage to "trap" South Korea, but they also beat Saudi Arabia in the last minute to reach the quarter-finals. In fact, in many groups of this Asian Cup, small and medium-sized teams have played well, and traditional strong teams can no longer win easily. This indicates that the overall strength of Asian football is improving, and small and medium-sized teams are also growing rapidly.
The progress of Asian football stems from the prosperity of the regional economy and the maturity of the talent training system. At a time when the economy has replaced politics as the main axis of society, Asia's economic growth has led to more and more families willing to let their children play sports. At the same time, from Japan to South Korea to China, Asian countries have popularized professional football training systems, and a large number of elite athletes have come to the fore. With the two-wheel drive of economy and talents, the strength of Asian football is steadily increasing, and small and medium-sized teams are also rising rapidly, which is an irreversible historical trend.
Although there is still some way to go before the world championship is truly competitive, the progress of Asian football has caught the world's attention. With the absurdist "exhibition matches" of South Korea and Malaysia, as well as the strong rise of Japan, Asian football is undergoing unprecedented changes. A new pattern is taking shape, and the traditional powers may decline, but the overall strength will surely increase. Asia is in the midst of a golden period of vigorous football development, and new forces are gathering momentum. Let's wait and see as Asian football enters a more glorious new era.