Hosts China advanced to the semifinals of the Asian Cup with an acrimonious 3-0 win over Iraq on Friday, while Bahrain beat Uzbekistan 4-3 in a penalty shootout in their quarterfinal after the match ended in a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
Veteran Hao Haidong, who had been doubtful for the match with a leg injury, gave China the winner in the 8th minute. Zheng Zhi doubled the lead in the 81st minute, easily converting a penalty kick and setting off wild celebrations among the 70,000 fans at Beijing's Workers' Stadium.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Zheng added China's third goal from another penalty in the third minute of injury time.
With Iraq's frustration building, the sides briefly scuffled after Qusay Munir kicked out at Sun Jihai after being knocked down by a hard challenge from the Chinese midfielder.
Minutes later, Iraqi goalkeeper Ahmed Ali Jaber was later sent off for punching Sun in the head after the two smashed into each other while jumping for a cross, earning China the second penalty.
China, whose best Asian Cup finish was third place in 1976 and 1992, will next play the winner of Saturday's clash between heavily favored South Korea and three-time champions Iran.
In the earlier match in the southwestern city of Chengdu, A'ala Hubail scored both Bahrain's goals in regulation time, as well as the winning penalty. Neither team could break the deadlock in extra time, forcing the shootout.
Bahrain, which was eliminated in the preliminary round at its only previous Asian Cup appearance in 1988, will now face the winner of Saturday's quarterfinal match between Japan and Jordan in the Aug. 3 semifinal.
Alexander Geynrikh and Vladimir Shishelov scored Uzbekistan's regulation time goals.
"We don't need to be afraid of anybody. We can play equally with anybody, even though we are new," Bahrain's Croatian-born coach Srecko Juricic said.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to