Lebanon at North Korea
2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifying | Third Round
Tuesday, Sept. 5 | 2:30 a.m. CT | Match Tracker
Kim II Sung Stadium | Pyongyang, North Korea
Sporting Kansas City forward Soony Saad has joined the Lebanon Men’s National Team for a 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifier at North Korea, slated for Tuesday at 2:30 a.m. CT (4:30 p.m. local time) at Kim Il-sung Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea.
The 25-year-old Saad most recently represented Lebanon in an AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Malaysia on June 13, starting in a 2-1 victory to collect his eighth cap for the Cedars.
Lebanon owns a five-point lead atop Group B with four qualifying matches still to play between now and March 2018. The top two finishers will advance to the AFC Asian Cup, a major quadrennial tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Lebanon made its lone appearance at the competition in 2000, bowing out of the group stage, and is hoping to punch its ticket to the 2019 edition in the United Arab Emirates.
2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifying – Group B
Team |
PTS |
W |
L |
D |
GF |
GA |
GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lebanon |
6 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
+3 |
North Korea |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Hong Kong |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
-2 |
Malaysia |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
-1 |
Saad has featured in 11 MLS matches this season, having spent the previous two years playing in Thailand. His first stint with Sporting KC spanned from 2011-2014, when he tallied 14 goals in 71 matches across all competitions. The forward made his USL debut for the Swope Park Rangers on Aug. 23, scoring the opening goal in a 2-2 draw at Sacramento Republic FC.
Saad first played for Lebanon in 2013 and has scored three goals at the senior international level.
