South Korea need extra-time to see off Bahrain
Yet another Asian Cup round-of-16 match went the distance as South Korea needed extra-time to see off Bahrain 2-1 at the Al-Rashid Stadium in the United Arab Emirates yesterday.
It was the third straight match that couldn't be settled in 90 minutes, after the hosts beat Kyrgyzstan 3-2 thanks to a 103rd-minute goal and Australia needed a penalty shoot-out to beat Uzbekistan.
South Korea took the lead against Bahrain through Hamburg attacker Hwang Hee Chan but were pegged back by a Mohamed Al Romaihi's equaliser 13 minutes from time.
But Kim Jin Su finally settled the tie at the end of the first period of extra-time.
The UAE's progress was more contentious as they needed a controversial extra-time penalty to reach the Asian Cup quarter-finals at the Zayed Sports City Stadium yesterday morning (Singapore time).
Substitute Ahmed Khalil was UAE's hero on an angst-ridden Abu Dhabi night as he converted another late penalty after a refereeing decision that could charitably be described as "soft".
"I don't want to talk about the referee," growled Kyrgyzstan coach Aleksandr Krestinin.
"We leave the tournament with a lot of regrets - we deserved more.
"It's our first Asian Cup but I'm absolutely sure it won't be our last and we will come back stronger."
Meanwhile, their quarter-final opponents Australia were thankful for goalkeeper Mathew Ryan's spot-kick heroics at the Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium.
Ryan saved Australia's skin under a blood-red "wolf moon" in Al Ain, doing his best Bruce Grobbelaar impression to distract Uzbekistan's penalty-takers after a bruising 0-0 draw.
The Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper denied Islom Tukhtakhujaev and Marat Bikmaev before Mathew Leckie smashed in the decisive penalty to send the Socceroos through.
"That's why Maty is in the Premier League and that's why he's such a world-class goalkeeper," said Australia coach Graham Arnold. - AFP
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