Football match preview: Japan U23 vs Jordan, 18:30, January 16th
Football match preview: Japan U23 vs Jordan U23, taking place at 6:30 PM on January 16th, quarter-final match of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.
Link to watch the U23 Japan vs Jordan football match today, January 16, 2026
The match between Japan U23 and Jordan U23, taking place at 6:30 PM today, January 16, 2026, will be broadcast live on TV360, the unit that owns the broadcasting rights for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. VTV will also broadcast this match live on VTV5 and VTV Can Tho (formerly VTV6).
VTV5:https://vtvgo.vn/channel/vtv5-1,5.html
VTV6:https://vtvgo.vn/channel/vtv-can-tho-1,6.html
Live broadcast of the U23 Japan vs U23 Jordan football match.
Penalty shootout concludes – Japan U23 secures qualification to the next round.
Having defeated U23 Jordan 4-2 on penalties, U23 Japan officially secured their place in the next round of the AFC U23 Asian Championship.
4-2 – Japan U23 4-2 Jordan U23
Kawai successfully converted the penalty even though goalkeeper Abdel Rahman guessed the right direction.
3-2 – Japan U23 3-2 Jordan U23
Odeh coolly deceived goalkeeper Araki.
3-1 – Japan U23 3-1 Jordan U23
Sato took a spectacular penalty kick, the ball flying straight into the far corner of the goal.
2-1 – Japan U23 2-1 Jordan U23
Saleh successfully converted the penalty, reducing the deficit for Jordan U23.
2-0 – Japan U23 2-0 Jordan U23
Goalkeeper Abdel Rahman managed to get a touch on Michiwaki's shot, but the ball still rolled over the goal line.
1-0 – Japan U23 1-0 Jordan U23
Mohammad's shot was saved by goalkeeper Araki.
1-0 – Japan U23 1-0 Jordan U23
Ichihara opened the penalty shootout with a shot straight into the middle of the goal.
Time's up – Penalty shootout
After 120 minutes of stalemate, the two teams had to go to a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
120' – Extra time added
The second half of extra time had 1 minute of added time.
117' – Opportunity slipped away
Koizumi rushed in and took a one-touch shot, but unfortunately, the ball went wide of the post.
110' – Dangerous long-range shot
Ali unleashed a powerful shot, but the ball missed the target.
Extra time 2 begins
Jordan U23 kicked off to start the second half of extra time.
End of extra time 1
The two teams will switch sides and continue with the final 15 minutes of extra time.
105' – No goal scored
Ali beat the Japanese defender and shot from a tight angle, but Araki made a clean save.
99' – Opportunity slipped away
Baker took a shot after a good cross, but goalkeeper Araki made a clean save.
91' – A regrettable missed opportunity
Ogura's long-range shot after beating Baker was deflected and missed the target.
Extra time 1 begins
Japan U23 put the ball back into play.
90'+ – Time's up!
Japan U23 and Jordan U23 played to a 1-1 draw, with the match going into extra time.
90' – Entering injury time
The second half had a total of 7 minutes of added time.
86' – Opportunity slipped away
Jordan launched a dangerous counter-attack following a mistake by Ichihara, but Ali's curling shot went wide of the goal.
81' – Forced substitution
Yousef Qashi suffered a serious injury and had to be stretchered off the field.
73' – Referee changes decision
Odeh fell in the penalty area after a dribble, but VAR determined there was no penalty.
65' – The referee changes his decision.
Furuya's fall initially resulted in a penalty, but VAR ruled it was not awarded.
59' – Unable to capitalize
Umeki's mistake created an opportunity for Ali, but his final touch lacked precision.
56' – Missed!
Mahmoud's improvised shot was saved by goalkeeper Araki at the last moment.
50' – Equalizing the score at 1-1
Substitute player Shusuke Furuya scored to equalize for Japan U23.
48' – No goal
Ali created a breakthrough on the right wing, but the Japanese U23 defense managed to neutralize the threat in time.
46' – The second half officially begins.
U23 Jordan put the ball back into play.
End of the first half – Jordan U23 holds the advantage.
Japan U23 went into halftime trailing.
45' – Injury time begins
The referee decided to add 4 minutes to the first half.
44' – Attack unsuccessful
Ichihara's long pass was beyond Yokoyama's sprinting reach, preventing the Japanese U23 team from creating any clear scoring opportunities.
36' – Opportunity slipped away
Following a mistake by Hajabi right in front of the goal, Ozeki had a good opportunity but failed to finish.
30' – Goal for Jordan U23
With a neat piece of skill, Ali fired a decisive diagonal shot, opening the scoring 1-0 for Jordan U23.
21' – Jordan responds
From a well-placed through ball, Ali raced down the wing and took a shot, but the ball went wide of the post.
16' – Quick reflexes
Sato broke free after a pass from Yokoyama and had a shot on goal, but goalkeeper Abdel Rahman made an excellent save.
11' – A regrettable missed opportunity
Yokoyama's accurate cross created an opportunity for Nwadike to head the ball, but unfortunately, it went over the crossbar.
9' – Goalkeeper makes a clean save.
After a clever one-two pass with Ozeki, Nwadike took a close-range shot inside the penalty area, but goalkeeper Abdel Rahman was in the right place to make the save.
3' – Missed opportunity
Momen lofted the ball for Ali to head it, but the ball went beyond his jumping reach.
1' – Dangerous corner kick
Sato and Ozeki combined, Nwadike received the ball and took a shot, but the Jordan U23 team defended in time.
ROLLING BALL!
Japan U23 kicks off.
Tactical analysis of Japan U23 vs Jordan U23 (2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup quarter-final, January 16th)
Japan U23: 4-2-3-1 formation and midfield control.
The quarter-final match between Japan U23 and Jordan U23 took place on January 16th as part of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. Japan U23 advanced to the knockout round with a clear advantage in terms of playing style and squad depth, following convincing performances in the group stage.
The 4-2-3-1 system allowed the "Young Samurai" to control the midfield, maintain tight formation, and switch tactics quickly. Ozeki played a key role in dictating the tempo, while Sato operated flexibly between the lines, creating a link in central attacks.
Japan's strength lies in its multi-directional attack: stretching opponents with the flanks before bringing the ball back into the center, while simultaneously organizing mid-range pressing immediately upon losing possession to maintain the initiative.
If the Japanese U23 team controls the midfield, they will likely press by attacking down the flanks before striking directly into the area between the lines – a scenario that allows them to gain an early advantage.
Jordan U23: Defensive organization and transition strategies
Conversely, U23 Jordan entered the quarterfinals in good spirits, but their tactical structure was not yet truly stable. The West Asian team mainly operated with a four-man defense, sometimes switching to three central defenders when needed for reinforcement, but the connection between the lines remained limited.
The midfield often drops deep to support the defense, but their ability to cover the "half-space" area is ineffective, making Jordan vulnerable to attacks down the flanks and into the gaps between the center-backs and full-backs. The goals conceded in the group stage highlighted problems in covering and organizing the defense under constant pressure.
A viable strategy for the Jordan U23 team is to proactively drop deep, maintain a tight defensive block, and wait for counter-attacks when Japan pushes forward.
However, for this scenario to be effective, Jordan needs to improve their ability to escape pressing and the accuracy of their first passes when transitioning – elements they haven't demonstrated convincingly enough in the group stage.
Predicted score: Japan U23 2-0 Jordan U23
