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Jordan Team Page

Squad

Coach: Jan Poulsen

Roster:

Goalkeepers: Mohammad Abu Khousa, Hamad Al Asmar, Salah Msad,

Defenders: Mohammad Al Basha, Mohammad Aldmeiri, Tariq Al Jumah, Adnan Hasan, Anas Bani Yaseen, Ibrahim Zawareh

Midfielders: Ala Al Bashir, Mohammad Alawneh, Khaled Al Katasheh, Abdallah Salim, Baha Suleiman, Anas Hijah, Raed Fraeh, Mohammad Qatawneh

Forwards: Loiy Al Zaideh, Ahmad Nofal, Abdallah Salah, Mohammad Shishani

Scouting Report

Strengths: There’s a sense of fearlessness that permeates through this team. Most critics predicted Jordan would crumble against China, one of the best Asian teams, at the Asian Youth Championship. Instead, Jordan earned a win in the quarter-finals to book its spot at the U-20 World Cup. Jan Poulsen provides the team with plenty of stability. He was part of the coaching staff of the Denmark national team that won Euro ’92 and the Dane has a lot of experience at the youth level.

Weaknesses: A lack of player experience is Jordan’s biggest problem, as this is the first time it has qualified for the U-20 World Cup. Poulsen has publicly admitted that his team struggles to retain possession and create scoring chances, and they’ll be exploited for that in Canada. Jordan also relies too much on midfielder Abdallah Salim; if teams can shut him down, Jordan’s attack grinds to a halt. It also doesn’t help matters that Jordan has been drawn into a group with Spain and Uruguay, two of the tournament’s top favourites.

Player to watch: Abdallah Salim is a hard-working midfielder who serves as the linchpin of Jordan’s attack. His tireless runs through the middle of the field, pinpoint accurate crosses and deft short passes, and knack for scoring crucial goals make him a vital player for Jordan.

Prognosis: Poulsen maintains realistic goals, saying he would be pleased if Jordan walked away from the tournament with a draw. Like their African counterparts Zambia, Jordan had the misfortune of being pooled into a group that includes traditional soccer powerhouses Spain and Uruguay. Don’t expect Jordan to earn a draw against Spain or Uruguay, though, and even Zambia will prove to be a tough opponent. As first timers in this tournament, nobody expects Jordan to make any kind of significant impact – and they won’t. Look for the Asian upstarts to finish fourth in the group and head home after the first round.

ROAD TO THE U-20 WORLD CUP

2007 qualification route: Jordan surprised many observers when it qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup by reaching the 2006 Asia Youth Championship semifinals and placing fourth.

Qualifying record: 8 games played, 3 wins, 4 losses, 1 draw

Goals for: 9 Goals against: 12

Top goal-scorer in qualifying: Ahmad Nofal (3)

Qualifying results:

First group stage (group D)

Feb. 6, 2006 – Qatar 1, Jordan 4 in Jordan

Feb. 8, 2006 – Jordan 0, Bahrain 2

Finals (second group stage) in Kolkata, India - (Group A)

Oct. 29, 2006 – South Korea 3, Jordan 0

Oct. 31, 2006 – Jordan 3, India 2

Nov. 2, 2006 – Kyrgyzstan 0, Jordan 0

Quarter-finals

Nov. 6, 2006 – China 1, Jordan 2

Semifinals

Nov. 9, 2006 – Jordan 0, North Korea 1

Third-place match

Nov. 11, 2006 – South Korea 2, Jordan 0

U-20 World Cup 1st round matches (all times local)

July 1 vs. Zambia in Burnaby, B.C. (Swangard Stadium) at 14:15

July 4 vs. Uruguay in Burnaby, B.C. (Swangard Stadium) at 17:00

July 7 vs. Spain in Burnaby, B.C. (Swangard Stadium) at 14:15

U-20 WORLD CUP HISTORY

Canada 2007 will be Jordan’s first trip to a FIFA U-20 World Cup. A surprising fourth-place finish at the Asian Youth Championship secured Jordan’s trip to Canada.

Number of previous U-20 World Cup Appearances: 0

Hosted the U-20 World Cup: never

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