The Hangzhou Asian Games women’s soccer quarterfinals, which were supposed to be a ‘group winner-take-all’ affair, have been slightly changed, raising the possibility that the Korea-Japan match could be postponed.
According to the Asian Games women’s soccer quarterfinal bracket posted on the tournament’s website on Aug. 18, the winner of Group E will face the second-place team from Group D or the first-place team from Group C. The winner of Group D will face the first-place team from Group C.
The winner of Group D will play the winner of Group C or the runner-up of Group E for a spot in the quarterfinals.
The women’s soccer group stage at the Hangzhou Asian Games has been divided into five groups, with three teams each in Groups A through C and four teams each in Groups D and E. The top five teams from each group will face off in the quarterfinals.
The five top-ranked teams from each group and the best three finishers from each group will meet in the quarterfinals.
The original bracket had the winner of Group D and the winner of Group E meeting in the quarterfinals.
As a result, South Korea, led by head coach Colin Bell, would face Japan, a women’s soccer powerhouse that was expected to finish first in Group D, in the quarterfinals.
This is because the two teams, in Groups D and E, respectively, are very likely to top their respective groups on objective merit.
However, with the shuffling of the brackets, the chances of facing Japan in the quarterfinals have dropped significantly.
If South Korea and Japan finish the tournament atop their respective groups, a Korea-Japan matchup in the finals is possible.
The Korea Football Association said it had not been informed by the Asian Games Organizing Committee about the changes to the bracket.
“No official letter or notification has been sent to the association and teams regarding the rescheduling of the tournament,” said an association official.
The federation claims it received a file from the Asian Games organizers on Aug. 8 outlining the rescheduling of all sports at the Games, but the document made no mention of the football rescheduling.
Instead, the guidelines received the same day printed a revised bracket with no mention of the rescheduling.
With no notice of the soccer rescheduling, he didn’t think the brackets would have changed and didn’t check the new brackets.
Bell’s game plan is also likely to change.
Previously, Bell had questioned the way the Asian Games were organized, expecting to face Japan in the quarterfinals.
“If you finish first in your group, you play Japan,” he told reporters at the National Training Center (NFC) in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on May 5, “I don’t understand. I don’t know why you have to play the first place. It’s complicated. Let’s see what happens,” he said with a determined expression. 파워볼게임