The second round of Asian Cup group matches yielded surprises, as pre-tournament favorites were given a reality check.
Physical Arab teams showed a significant narrowing of the gap against their more renowned opponents.
Japan, four-time champions and the highest-ranked team in the competition, suffered an upset with a 2-1 loss to Iraq.
South Korea also faced a close call against Jordan, narrowly avoiding a loss when an injury-time own goal spared their blushes.
Iraq executed a clear strategy to unsettle Japan, which struggled with the physicality of their West Asian counterparts in a febrile atmosphere.
The largely Iraqi crowd made it feel like a home game for the Lions of Mesopotamia.
Iraq could have potentially scored more if not for an injury to their striker Aymen Hussein, who scored both goals before the break but did not come out for the second half.
Additionally, Iraq proved effective without the ball, disrupting Japan's possession game with several tackles and resorting to tactical fouls to upset their rhythm.
"We analyzed before the game and knew how Iraq would play at the start. They played very aggressively.
Unfortunately, we couldn't handle it. I know we need to do more," said Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu.
Iraq coach Jesus Casas became a national hero after their first victory over Japan in 42 years.
The Spaniard expressed pride in the players he selected for the tournament, stating, "Since I took charge, I choose players that can be fighters but good players too. The difference at this level is you need a balance between fighting and quality," Casas said.
Similarly, South Korea faced frustration against a tactically disciplined Jordan in a 2-2 draw. Juergen Klinsmann's South Korea side did not score from open play, netting one from the penalty spot and an own goal in added time.
Jordan proved compact in midfield and defense, with their forward line making life miserable for the South Koreans, constantly harrying them into making quick decisions and forcing turnovers.
"What they did really well was they overpowered us physically in the one-v-one battles. There's an old saying in football that you have to win your one-v-one battles," Klinsmann said.
"Jordan fought for every single ball as a unit, as a team. Different styles clashed there. Every game we play against Jordan, against Bahrain, we learn. We need to find solutions.
"I'm very pleased to see the reaction after we went 2-1 down. We won the last seven games and you lose the feeling of going a goal down. The team had to swallow the fact that Jordan were 2-1 up and had to react."
South Korea skipper Son Heung-min, who plays in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur, is no stranger to physicality. However, he said it was another example of how teams can hurt them, having been on the receiving end of crunching tackles against Bahrain as well.
"In the Asian Cup, there's never an easy game. If you're not ready mentally and physically, they can hurt you," Son said.
"As a player, as a team, we learned something from this game. Luckily, it happened in the group stage."
Jordan coach Hussein Ammouta said "Arab teams playing on Arab turf" in Qatar must take the fight to their opponents.
"What's certain is that every national team must believe in their capabilities and should not go into a game insecure because of technical deficiencies. We went into the game with a positive attitude," the Moroccan said.
