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Can Jordan's First Asian Defeat Come True? The Asian Cup winner's formula, and jinx, is in favor of Jordan, not the defending champion Qatar.

Jordan will play the final match of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup against host Qatar at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, on the 11th (Korea time).

Jordan, which advanced to the quarterfinals, its previous best performance, and advanced to the finals for the first time in history. The Korean national team won 2-0 in the semifinals to qualify for the championship.

Jordan overwhelmed South Korea in every aspect of the head-to-head match. Jordan dominated the flow of the game even though the objective power gap was large. It is not strange if they dominate Asia. Just like Qatar did five years ago.

In addition, Jordan's confidence is extraordinary as he has secured a clear winning formula. The country that beat South Korea in the tournament soon won the Asian Cup, and Jordan became the hero.

The Asian Cup used to be held in even-numbered years, but it started to be held every odd-numbered year in 2007. Then, if you beat South Korea in a tournament, the championship official began. They include Iraq in 2007, Japan in 2011, Australia in 2015, and Qatar in 2019.

Iraq was 0-0 in the semifinal match against South Korea in a penalty shootout. It also won the match after a neck-and-neck race, 4-3, and won its first championship by defeating Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the final.

Japan also met South Korea in the semifinals and played a 2-2 blood clot, winning 3-0 in the penalty shootout and beating Australia in the final for the first time in seven years since 2004.

Australia met South Korea in the final, and won 2-1 after a close game in overtime to secure its first championship. Qatar also became the first champion after beating South Korea 1-0 in the quarterfinals, and eventually defeated Japan 3-1.

Of course, history can change at any time. Qatar, which will face Jordan, is the defending champion and host country. The Lusail Stadium is a huge stadium that can accommodate nearly 90,000 fans. There will be many Jordanian fans, but Qatar cannot afford to take advantage of its home turf.

There is another jinx that increases Jordan's chances of winning the title. It is also a jinx that is very unstable for Qatar. It is the "Curse of Iran" from 2000 to 2019.

The "Curse of Iran" has been working since the 2000 tournament. A country that wins a tournament match against Iran will lose in the next round. Korea has been cursed with Iran as many as three times.

South Korea was defeated in the next round after suffering the "curse of Iran" three times in 2000, 2007, and 2011. South Korea defeated Iran 2-1 in the quarterfinals in 2000 and advanced to the semifinals, but lost to Saudi Arabia 1-2. In 2007, South Korea defeated Iran after a penalty shootout, but failed to make it to the final stage again after being defeated by Iraq in the semifinals. In 2011, South Korea defeated Iran 1-0 to advance to the semifinals, but was defeated again in the shootout by its archrival, Japan, after a close match of 2-2.

In 2004, China also advanced to the final after defeating Iran in the semifinals, but ended up losing 1-3 to Japan in the second place. In 2019, Japan beat Iran 3-0 in the semifinals, but suffered a crushing defeat to Qatar 1-3 in the final.

Iran advanced to the semifinals at the Asian Cup, but lost 2-3 after a close game against Qatar. It sought to win the final for the first time in 48 years, but failed. Qatar, on the other hand, advanced to the final for the second time in a row following the previous event. With all the existing favorites of South Korea, Japan and Australia eliminated, the team is highly likely to win the back-to-back title as it beat Iran.

One is "Iran's curse." Qatar immediately witnessed Japan's collapse at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Jordan's momentum is also extraordinary, and it is in a shaky ground.

If Jordan beats Qatar to win its first championship, another formula will be extended. The country that beat the host country in the Asian Cup tournament since 2000 will win. From 2004 to 2007, 2011, and 2019, it is another winning formula that boasts a 100% probability.

Except for Australia in 2000, when host Lebanon was eliminated from the group stage, and in 2015, when it won its own tournament, all countries that beat the host country in the tournament were winners.

The overall trend is Jordan's first championship title. However, Qatar could break all these formulas. Jordan has never defeated Qatar since 2008. However, since the latest event was a series of unexpected events, it doesn't matter what the outcome will be.