In the Gulf Cup of Nations match held on 12th January 2023, Iraq dominated Yemen with a ruthless 5-0 victory. The performance demonstrated an excellent display of teamwork and individual prowess, with Iraq showing absolute control over the game.

Examining the match's vital stats, Iraq took an early lead with the opening goal in the first half at the 39:18 mark, creating a positive momentum which they carried into the subsequent half. In the second half, Iraq further capitalized on the lead, scoring four more goals at the 63:56, 73:03, 74:51 and 87:49 minute marks.

On the contrary, Yemen seemed to struggle with discipline, receiving two yellow cards during the second half (67:53 and 92:37). While these did not directly lead to goals, it certainly disturbed their rhythm and might have induced pressure on the players, resulting in more mistakes.

An interesting factor is the corner kick stats: despite Yemen having double the corner kicks (4) compared to Iraq (2), they failed to convert these opportunities into goals. This suggests a strong defence and good set-piece preparedness from Iraq, which was undeniably a crucial factor in their clean sheet.

The offside stats also paint a picture of Iraq's strategy - with just one offside committed, it appears they focused on a more conservative, less risky approach, compared to Yemen's higher count of three offsides.

It's clear that the early lead provided by the first goal, the aggressive goal-scoring stance in the second half, and the impressive defensive performance were critical factors in Iraq's victory. Meanwhile, Yemen's lack of discipline (evident by the number of yellow cards), ineffective utilisation of corner kicks, and frequent offsides were their downfall.

In conclusion, this match was a clear demonstration of Iraq's superior teamwork and better execution of strategy. It also highlights the importance of discipline on the pitch and well-organised defence in decisively determining the game's outcome, which was indeed the case in this 5-0 win for Iraq. Overall, this game provided numerous lessons and insights for football bettors on critical factors to consider.

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