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South Korea qualify for next Asian Cup

Ten-man South Korea clinched third place in the Asian Cup, and thereby won automatic qualification for the 2011 event, with a penalty shootout victory over Japan yesterday.

The match was scoreless after regulation and extra time, and South Korea prevailed 6-5 in the shootout when goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae blocked the final penalty from Japan's Naotake Hanyu.

It was the third consecutive scoreless draw and penalty shootout for the South Koreans, winning in this match and the quarter-final but losing to Iraq in the semi-final.

For Japan, two-time defending champions, the defeat meant they must now go through qualifying in order to reach the 2011 event.

The match started brightly, and South Korea came close to opening the scoring in the 25th minute, with a series of half-chances within a minute from a freekick, shots and corners.

The first decisive moment of the match came a couple of minutes before half-time when a Japanese corner fell to Yuji Nakazawa, who seemed certain to score with a volley from point-blank range, but South Korea's goalkeeper Lee pulled off a remarkable reflex save and the ball was cleared to safety.

For a South Korean side, which by the end of extra time had gone more than seven hours in this tournament without scoring, such rearguard actions were vital.

sent off

The second decisive moment came in the 56th minute, when referee Ali Al Badwawi sent off center back Kang Min-soo for a second yellow card. It was a poor decision by the United Arab Emirates official, as the young South Korean barely brushed Japan striker Naohiro Takahara in an incident that was hardly deserving of a foul let alone the caution he received.

South Korea manager Pim Verbeek and one of his assistants were also banished to the stands for vigorously questioning the referee's decision.

Japan squandered its one-man advantage through a lack of initiative and width in its attacking thrusts, producing few chances of note for the remainder of the match.

Substitute Hanyu had a low shot blocked by Lee in the 73rd minute, and then Hisato Sato shot narrowly wide with the last kick of regulation time.

clash

Extra time was most notable for a pushing and shoving incident just before the interval that involved almost every player on the pitch after an off-the-ball clash between Shunsuke Nakamura and Lee Chun-soo.

South Korea, who had clung on manfully with 10 men, were almost undone twice in the final moments of extra time, firstly when Hanyu shot straight at a defender on the line when it looked easier to score and then Sato forced a low save from the impressive Lee.

In the penalty shootout, both Japan and South Korea shot perfectly from the spot to take the tally to 6-5 when Hanyu, somewhat predictably after missing two golden chances to score during the match, saw his firm shot down the middle of goal blocked by Lee.
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