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Iraq reach quarter-finals, face China
Second-half substitute Younis Mahmoud scored in the 86th minute to give Iraq a 2-1 victory over three-time champion Saudi Arabia yesterday and send it to the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup for the third straight time. Iraq finished with a 2-0-1 record in Group C and will face hosts China in Beijing on Friday. Uzbekistan beat Turkmenistan 1-0 yesterday to win the group and will play Bahrain in Chengdu on Friday.
The victory comes in Iraq's first major tournament since the US-led invasion more than a year ago and ends a 16-year losing streak against the Saudis. The Saudis return home having finished last in the group behind Turkmenistan having managed only one point from a 2-2 draw against Turkmenistan in the opening game. Mohmoud, who replaced Razzaq Farhan in the 61st minute, entered as a substitute for the third straight game and capitalized on a rebound.
Emad Mohammed broke past the Saudi defense and fired a shot that goalkeeper Mansour Al Naje blocked but couldn't hold. Running to Emad's right, Mahmoud pounced on the rebound to score, setting off a loud celebration by the team and the Chinese crowd which has strongly backed the Iraqis. The goal came after Iraq created repeated counterattack chances. It was the third game in eight days for both teams, who appeared sluggish and unfocused at the start and were issued three yellow cards in the first half for careless fouls. But as in its previous games, Iraq improved in the second half, taking the lead in the 51st minute when Nashat Akram collected a short pass from Farhan just inside the penalty area. He put the ball on his left foot and shot back across the to score into the corner of the net. Saudi Arabia responded just seven minutes later when Hamad Al Montashari headed in a deflected cross from Ahmed Dokhi. Iraq narrowly missed several opportunities in final 20 minutes, with Mahmoud bouncing a shot off the post and substitute Talal Al Meshal also threatening twice, but sending one shot wide while goalkeeper Ahmed Ali beat him to the ball on his second. Uzbekistan advance Mirdjalal Kasimov scored early in the second half and Uzbekistan beat Turkmenistan 1-0 to eliminate their former Soviet countrymen and advance to the quarter-finals. Uzbekistan finished with nine points atop Group C, winning each of its three matches by a 1-0 score. Turkmenistan finishes its first appearance in the Asian Cup with an 0-1-2 record, its only point coming in a 2-2 opening draw with Saudi Arabia.
Kasimov gave Uzbekistan the lead 13 minutes after halftime, bending a 25-metre free kick around the wall and into the net. Turkmenistan's goalkeeper Pavel Harchik got his fingertips on the ball, not enough to deflect the powerful shot. Both teams started nervously, playing mostly in midfield throughout the first half with Turkmenistan dominating possession and creating several half-chances. But Uzbekistan hit back with fast counters and set up two good scoring opportunities. In the 28th minute, Ildar Magdeev pounced on a loose ball from the edge of the penalty area sending his shot just wide of the post. Two minutes before halftime, Harchik tipped over the crossbar a sharp left-footer from Marat Bikmoev. Although Uzbekistan was left with only 10 men from the 85th minute when Islom Innomov received a second caution, Turkmenistan's forwards never managed to create serious scoring opportunities in the second half. |
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