Do you want to hear a reversal? Grab out the popcorn and I'll tell you a story. From the bottom to the top, not a movie, it's true!
In other words, the performance of the Iraqi team in the Asian Cup this time can really make an inspirational blockbuster. Imagine starting two goals behind and lying straight at the bottom of the standings. No one is optimistic, who knows that they later played a big reversal, won two games in a row, and finally had the last laugh and qualified directly.
Here's how: in the first game, against Thailand, Iraq was booming from the beginning, grabbing opportunities one after another, but they just couldn't score goals. As for the Thai team, they counterattacked a few times and actually got two goals. Thailand won, Iraq is at the bottom.
However, the plot begins to take a turn at this point. In the second game, Saudi Arabia vs Tajikistan, Saudi Arabia won by 4 goals. At this point, Iraq rose from the bottom to third. However, it still has to face strong opponents Thailand and Saudi Arabia, and the qualifying situation is worrying.
In the second game, the Saudi team continued to perform strongly, winning 5-0 against Thailand, with an easy victory. This victory was not only a joy for Saudi Arabia itself, but in fact a lifesaver for Iraq. Suddenly, Iraq's hopes of qualifying were soaring.
Iraq's next opponent was Tajikistan, and the game was exciting, with the two sides going back and forth, and finally Iraq won the game 4-2.
The victory moved Iraq up to third in the standings, but they are still under pressure to qualify. In the third round, Iraq vs. Saudi Arabia and Thailand vs. Tajikistan. The matches were played at the same time, and the positions of the four teams were constantly changing.
Saudi Arabia and Iraq scored one goal each in the first half, while Thailand and Tajikistan were 0-0. With such a score, Saudi Arabia is firmly in the first place, and Thailand and Iraq need to compete for second place.
However, in the second half, Iraq's Mustafa Sadoun received a cross from his teammate on 63 minutes and made a beautiful clearance error, and the net bulged up, giving Iraq a 2-1 lead. Thailand and Tajikistan are still playing a no-brainer.
It wasn't until the end of the game that Tajikistan finally found its chance and beat Thailand by 1 goal. In the end, Iraq ranked first in the group with 6 points, and Saudi Arabia also ranked second with 6 points and qualified. Thailand and Tajikistan have to watch their opportunities slip away.
So, look, from the bottom to the top, the Iraqi team didn't just win a few games, they won the respect and won the hearts of countless fans. This story teaches us that no matter where we begin, it's all about how we end. For example, you may not have much expectation when you start reading this article, but what about the end of the story, is it engaging and memorable?
What kind of spiritual embodiment do you think such a reversal story is? In your opinion, can such a performance in Iraq inspire more people not to give up in the face of difficulties? Welcome to leave a message to discuss and see what everyone has to say!