Jordanian presence continues in the AFC Champions League 2

Al-Hussein team squandered its (1-0) lead over Iraq's Al-Shorta, finishing with a killer draw (1-1) in a match held yesterday at Al-Zawraa Stadium in the capital, Baghdad, as part of the fourth group competitions of the AFC Champions League 2.

In the same group, Oman's Seeb drew goalless with its guest, India's East Bengal, leaving the group standings unchanged; Al-Shorta is in the lead with (7) points, Al-Hussein is second (5), then East Bengal in third place (2), and Seeb in last place (1).

In the first half, Al-Hussein delivered an ideal performance that allowed it to impose absolute superiority over the proceedings and take the lead with a goal signed by defender Abdallah Nasib. However, the three-time defending Pro League champions paid the price for their noticeable retreat in the second half, which cost them a late penalty kick that the Iraqi team succeeded in converting to snatch a precious draw in the final breaths of the match.

Names on the field

Al-Hussein represented by: Mahmoud Al-Kawamleh, Abdallah Nasib, Pedro Henrique, Ahmed Assaf, Adham Al-Quraishi (Ali Al-Hajbi), Mahmoud Shawkat, Salah Al-Farash (Mahmoud Kharouba), Ahmed Al-Salman (Yousef Qashi), Mohammad Al-Rayhi, Aref Al-Haj (Salim Obeid), Masoud Juma (Masoud Juma).

Al-Shorta represented by: Jalal Hassan, Ahmed Yahya (Abdallah Basem), Adam, Maytham Jabbar, Ahmed Zero, Bato, Hussein, Bassam Shakir (Barco), Ali Mohsen, Fidelis Koko, Mohanad Ali (Atiba).

Fruitful pressure

From the beginning, Al-Hussein exerted early pressure that enabled it to take the initiative and be strongly present in the forward positions. In addition, it succeeded in depriving its opponent of the freedom to handle the ball and build its attacking operations comfortably.

Al-Hussein appeared more aggressive moving forward with continuous attempts across all axes, especially the right flank, which the brilliant Al-Quraishi occupied effectively, exhausting the opponent's defenses and serving as a key for many crosses. This coincided with direct support from the depth, which gave the team effective numerical density in the operations zone.

Consequently, the Iraqi team found it difficult to deal with the attacking data imposed by Al-Hussein, which forced it to retreat to its back zones, remain almost completely absent from the attacking scene, and settle for counter-attacks that were mostly exposed.

All this paved the way for the northern team to get closer to its opponent's zones. Crosses from the flanks multiplied, then Juma and Al-Rayhi shot on more than one occasion, before Al-Haj executed a set-piece from outside the area that Henrique set up for Nasib, who struck it into the far right corner of Jalal Hassan's goal (28).

After that, it tried to calm the pace of the game and keep the ball for as long as possible in an attempt to exhaust its opponent and keep the danger away from its goal. It succeeded to a large extent in its endeavor, and even threatened its opponent's goal on some occasions, but a lapse in defense almost cost it a goal in the final breaths of the first half, had it not been for the post intervening to deflect Koko's ball.

Tit for tat

The rhythm of performance shifted in the second half after the Iraqi team's coach resorted to a series of substitutions that contributed to revitalizing the team's attacking system and increasing pressure on Al-Hussein's defenses in an attempt to return to the atmosphere of the match and equalize the score.

Consequently, the greatest burden fell on the defenses after the team lost the advantage of control and possession, giving its opponent enough space to advance and exploit the gaps that enabled it to threaten Al-Kawamleh's goal via Atiba's header, which went over the crossbar.

Al-Hussein's coach was then forced to use substitute cards to increase physical effort and revitalize defensive work to limit the opponent's danger, while relying on counter-attacks that did not provide the required addition due to slowness in transitions and the lack of necessary support to increase effectiveness in front of the goal.

Coinciding with this, attempts continued on the other side, and Al-Shorta succeeded in keeping the ball most of the time in Al-Hussein's half, whose goal was again exposed to many dangerous balls that resulted in a penalty kick successfully executed by the Argentine Barco (90+4).

..Today

Al-Faisaly and Al-Taawoun.. Leadership and calculations

Amman - Habes Al-Jarah

Al-Faisaly enters the confrontation with Saudi Arabia's Al-Taawoun with great ambitions to confirm its ability to compete in the AFC Champions League 2, when they meet at 9:15 PM today at Amman International Stadium, as part of the third round of the third group competitions, in a match that carries double importance in the calculations of the lead and the chances of qualifying for the round of 16.

The importance of the match goes beyond the three points, as it represents a real test of Al-Faisaly's ability to continue its technical development and translate its remarkable local presence into positive results on the continental stage, facing a Saudi team that has proven its ability to deal with the details of difficult matches and succeeded in topping the group after two rounds.

Al-Taawoun leads the group with four points, followed by Al-Faisaly and Qatar's Al-Rayyan with three points each, while Oman's Al-Nahda occupies fourth place with one point. Al-Faisaly has the advantage of goal difference over Al-Rayyan, having scored five goals and conceded four, compared to five goals for and five against for the Qatari team, according to the group standings after the second round.

These data give the confrontation exceptional importance, as a win would raise Al-Faisaly's tally to six points and give it a strong chance to compete with Al-Taawoun for the top spot, while a draw is a result that keeps the calculations open, whereas a loss would put the team in the position of needing to compensate in the remaining rounds and increase the importance and difficulty of collecting points away from home.

Restoring balance

Al-Faisaly began its continental journey with an exciting 3-4 loss to Qatar's Al-Rayyan, in a match that showed its ability to reach the opponent's goal, but at the same time revealed defensive gaps that cost it to leave without points. The response in the second round was more convincing, after it overcame Oman's Al-Nahda with two unanswered goals, returning to the circle of competition and occupying second place, one point behind the leader.

On the other hand, Al-Taawoun began its journey with a 1-1 draw against Al-Nahda, before achieving an important 2-1 win over Al-Rayyan, to collect four points and advance to the lead, which forces Al-Faisaly to enter with high focus and avoid mistakes that might give the guests an early advantage.

Al-Faisaly enters the confrontation with good morale, having maintained the lead in the Pro League with 14 points at the end of the sixth week, following its 2-2 draw with Al-Jazeera. Before that, it had achieved a wide 4-1 win over Al-Ramtha in the fifth round, confirming that it possesses attacking tools capable of making a difference.

Ahmed Al-Ersan stands out with his ability to create chances and score, alongside Majdi Al-Attar and Malik Allan, while the experience of Seydou Simpore, Ihsan Haddad, and Noor Al-Rawabdeh gives the team important options in building play and achieving balance between the lines. Anas Al-Awadat, with his speed and attacking movement, also constitutes an additional card in diversifying solutions against the opponent's defense.

Egyptian coach Tarek Mostafa stands behind the development witnessed in the team's performance, by employing available elements and developing harmony between them, in addition to giving the team a clear attacking personality. However, the Asian challenge requires addressing the defensive retreat, especially in fast transitions and balls lost in the midfield, which are details no less important than effectiveness in front of the goal.

Managing effort and rotating players seem to be among the most prominent files for the technical staff, in light of the succession of matches locally and continentally, and the need to maintain physical readiness without affecting harmony. Also, investing in set-pieces, organized pressure, and limiting spaces for Al-Taawoun players are factors that may tip the scales in favor of Al-Faisaly in a confrontation that is balanced on paper.

Playing at Amman International Stadium and in front of the fans represents an important opportunity for Al-Faisaly, not only to benefit from moral support, but to impose its rhythm from the beginning and capitalize on its players' knowledge of the pitch. However, enthusiasm alone is not enough; the team needs discipline and patience, and not to rush into attacks that might leave spaces for the opponent to exploit.