China continued their unexpected winning streak at the Asian Cup yesterday to top the Group B standings, setting up a quarter-final against the hosts Australia in Brisbane on Thursday.
China were already assured of top spot after upsetting Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan in their first two group matches, and they finished the group stage with a 2-1 win over North Korea in Canberra.
With North Korea out of contention, the match was effectively a dead rubber, but China coach Alain Perrin resisted the temptation to rest all of his best players, saying it was more important to continue building momentum.
Photo: AFP
Winger Sun Ke, who came on as a substitute and scored the winner in China’s 2-1 victory over Uzbekistan, celebrated his promotion to the starting lineup by scoring both his teams goals in the first half.
He netted the first in the opening minute then his second three minutes before the interval. China gave one back in the second half, but held on for the win.
In the other Group B match played at the same time in Melbourne, Uzbekistan beat Saudi Arabia 3-1 to leapfrog their opponents and advance to the quarter-finals as runners-up.
Attacking midfielder Sardor Rashidov, one of the five players brought in to the starting lineup after Uzbekistan lost to China on Wednesday last week, scored twice, while substitute Vokhid Shodiyev also netted.
Saudi Arabia, who would have advanced to the knockout phase with a win or a draw, drew level at 1-1 when Mohammed al-Sahlawi converted a penalty in the 60th minute, but the Green Falcons bowed out of the tournament by giving up two late goals.
Uzbekistan, semi-finalists at the last Asian Cup in 2011, next play Group A winners South Korea in Melbourne on Thursday.
Rashidov scored Uzbekistan’s opening goal within 90 seconds of the start, firing the ball through the legs of Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah.
Saudi Arabia, who won the last of their three Asian Cup titles in 1996, leveled after the break with a hotly disputed penalty after Vitaliy Denisov and Naif Hazazi got tangled up and fell as a cross was coming into the penalty area.
However, Shodiev came off the bench and restored the White Wolves’ lead in the 72nd minute with a header, before Rashidov banged in his second 11 minutes from time.
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