If Paulo Bento and South Korea were to face off at the upcoming Asian Cup, it would make for an intriguing storyline. However, it’s unlikely.
The UAE Football Association announced on its website on Tuesday (June 10) that it has appointed Bento as the national team coach. He will be in charge of the national team for the next three years.”
Bento is South Korea’s longest-serving coach and led the country to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after 12 years in charge. Since parting ways with South Korea, Bento has been linked to the Polish and Ecuadorian national teams, among others, before turning around and returning to Asia.
On the 9th, European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano said, “Bento has agreed to become the UAE coach. A three-year contract, valid until 2026, has been reached. It will be signed tomorrow.”
A day later, Bento’s appointment was confirmed. “The national team has important competitions ahead of it. The most important are the 2026 World Cup qualifiers starting next November and the Asian Cup in Qatar next January. Our ambition is to fulfill our ambitions in these competitions.”
While it’s possible that South Korea could face the UAE in the second round of Asian qualifiers for the 2016 North and Central American World Cup in November, the Asian Cup could provide some interesting matchups for Bento. It will be interesting to see how Bento tackles the likes of Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and Kim Min-jae, starting with the former coach against the current coach.
Jürgen Klinsmann has made it his mission to win the Asian Cup since his appointment, as the Korean national team has not won the tournament since 1960.
For starters, the UAE were not drawn in the same group as South Korea in the Asian Cup draw. South Korea is in Group E with Jordan, Bahrain, and Malaysia. The UAE is in Group C with Iran, Palestine, and Hong Kong. So, what are the chances of seeing Bento as an opponent at the Asian Cup?
Realistically, it’s very unlikely. Even when analyzed coldly, it is unlikely that South Korea will reach the round of 16 as the second-ranked team in the group, facing Jordan (82nd in the FIFA rankings), Bahrain (86th), and Malaysia (137th). If South Korea advances to the round of 16, they will face the second-ranked team from Group D in the round of 16.
Currently, the most likely opponents for Group D’s second-place finisher in the Round of 16 are Iraq or Vietnam. Japan has the best record in Asia, so they have a good chance of moving up to the top of the group. If they manage to get past Iraq and Vietnam, they will face the winner of Group C, which is the UAE, and one of the winners of Group A, B, or F in the quarterfinals.
If the UAE wins Group C and then faces the winner of the third-place team from Pools A, B, and F, they could meet South Korea in the quarterfinals. However, Group C features one of Asia’s strongest teams, Iran. We all know that Bento is a good coach, but it’s hard to see how the UAE can top the group and get past Iran.
It’s going to take a long time for Bento’s colors to fully take hold, and the Asian Cup is still six months away. Even when he was coaching South Korea, the team had a poor showing at the Asian Cup due to tactics that were not fully integrated into the team and were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Qatar.
Another option is for South Korea to finish third in their group and reach the round of 16, then take the top spot in Group D and face the second-place team from Group C, which came up after knocking off the second-place team from Group A in the quarterfinals. The aforementioned is also less likely. If South Korea finishes first in Group E and the UAE finishes second in Group C, the only way the two teams could meet is in the final 꽁머니사이트.
If South Korea finishes first in Group E and the UAE finishes third in Group C and reaches the round of 16, they could meet in the quarterfinals. A third-place finish in Group C would be the easiest way for the UAE to advance to the knockout rounds, as they could face the winner of Group A. This is because there are no absolute powerhouses in Group A like South Korea, Iran, and Japan.
No matter how you slice it, the odds of Bento and South Korea meeting are very low.