China went top of Group A at the Asia Cup after thrashing Indonesia 5-0 Wednesday, while Bahrain and Qatar played to a 1-1 draw to stay bottom of the group.
Shao Jiayi scored twice as China moved closer to a quarterfinal berth. Indonesia dropped to second place, while Bahrain stayed third and Qatar fourth.
Playing at Beijing's Workers' Stadium, China benefited from the experience of veteran players that Dutch-born coach Arie Haan chose over youngsters who had appeared in the team's 2-2 tie against Bahrain in the opener Saturday.
Shao opened the scoring in the 25th minute, sliding in to bury a pass from Li Jinyu. Indonesia was reduced to 10 men four minutes later when Alexander Pulalo received his second yellow card for a dangerous challenge.
Shao, who plays for 1860 Munich in Germany, set up the second goal in the 40th minute, feeding an unmarked Hao Haidong who headed the ball home.
Li Ming was credited with a goal in the 66th minute when Indonesian goalkeeper Hendro Kartiko inadvertently tapped in his corner kick. Shao's second goal came in the 65th minute, a left footed drive from just outside the penalty box.
China's fifth came from Li Yi in the 80th minute, when he headed a pass from Li Jian into the upper left corner of the net.
Earlier Wednesday, substitute Mohamed Hubail scored a last minute goal to give Bahrain a 1-1 draw with Qatar.
Kuwait verus Jordan
Kuwait will battle on Friday for a Group B berth in the Asian Cup quarterfinals against tournament newcomer Jordan, which is emerging as a rising star in Asian soccer.
In the group's opening matches, the Jordanians held South Korea -- one of the favorites to win the tournament -- to a scoreless draw, while Kuwait trounced the UAE 3-1.
That left Kuwait in the lead with three points. Jordan and South Korea each have one, with UAE trailing without any points.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
Liverpool are in advanced talks with former AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as they seek a replacement for Arne Slot, reports said on Tuesday. Iraola has emerged as Liverpool’s top target to replace Slot, who was sacked on Saturday last week after a turbulent second season in charge. Liverpool have reportedly agreed a deal in principle to bring the Spaniard, who left Bournemouth at the end of this season, to Anfield. Sporting director Richard Hughes was heavily involved in hiring Iraola during his time at Bournemouth and is again spearheading the recruitment of the highly rated coach. The Reds are
KNICKS TAKE LEAD: San Antonio put on a 9-0 run to be up 95-94 with just over 2 minutes to play, but the rest of the game belonged to the New York Knicks It was past five minutes through the third quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday and the New York Knicks’ 11-game winning streak was in major jeopardy. The Knicks missed nine of their first 10 shots in the early part of the period and trailed the San Antonio Spurs by 14 points. They were floundering. Then something crazy happened. The Knicks found new life from an unlikely source: The Spurs. New York rallied to tie the game by the end of the period, gave up the lead briefly late in the fourth quarter, and pulled away late for a 105-95