UAE stagger into Asian Cup quarterfinals<\/p>\n
ABU DHABI (Agencies): An unimpressive United Arab Emirates
\nqualified for the Asian Cup quarterfinals when they beat
\nIndonesia 2-0 in their final Group A match here yesterday<\/p>\n
Goals from Hassan Ahmed and Adnan Al Talyani ensured that it
\nwas the end of the adventure for Indonesia, who were playing in
\ntheir first ever Asian Cup finals.<\/p>\n
The UAE went on the attack from the kick-off and the Indonesia
\ndefence, missing regular goalkeeper Kurandi Sandi out with a
\nbroken nose and suspended full back Agung Setyabudi were clinging
\non for dear life.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Al-AIN, holder Japan fired a warning to its Asian
\nCup challengers with a sparkling 4-0 win over Uzbekistan Monday.<\/p>\n
China, defeated by Uzbekistan in an earlier group C qualifier,
\nrevived its chances by beating Syria 3-0.<\/p>\n
Japan has now joined Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals. China
\nand Uzbekistan are separated only by goal difference and
\ncontesting the other place from the group.<\/p>\n
Japan plays China and Uzbekistan faces Syria in the final
\ngroup matches tomorrow.<\/p>\n
Title favorite Japan was on top throughout and well worth its
\nvictory over a team which won the Asian Games crown two years
\nago.<\/p>\n
Promising youngster Masakiyo Maezono scored two late goals.
\nHis first came from a 20-meter free kick. His second, in injury
\ntime, was a jam. Running on to a chip from substitute Yasuto
\nHonda, he flicked the ball over advancing Uzbek keeper Bugalo
\nPavel and then placed it into an open goal.<\/p>\n
Japan's top player Kazuyoshi Miura showed glimpses of his
\nmagic and scored his first goal of the tournament. He headed home
\nfrom close range in the 37th minute after Pavel parried a shot by
\nTakuya Takagi.<\/p>\n
Hiroshi Nanami had given Japan the lead in the seventh minute,
\npouncing on a loose ball outside the penalty area and unleashing
\na 25-meter drive.<\/p>\n
Ma Mingyu opened China's scoring in the 34th minute in
\nspectacular fashion. With Syrian defenders backing off, he ran
\nwith the ball 10 meters before unleashing a 30-yard shot into the
\ntop right corner.<\/p>\n
Substitute Gao Feng made it 2-0 four minutes after coming on
\nfor the second half. He ran on to a through ball from Peng
\nWeiguo, rounded the Syrian keeper and hit the net with a shot
\nfrom a tight angle.<\/p>\n
China went close to breaking the deadlock twice a few minutes
\nbefore but was thwarted by a fine save from Syrian keeper Salem
\nBitar followed by a header off the line.<\/p>\n
Second half substitute Gao Feng silenced the Syrian crowd when
\nhe scored in the 49th minute. He ran on to a through ball from
\nPeng Weiguo, rounded the Syrian keeper and hit the net with a
\nshot from a tight angle.<\/p>\n
The Chinese continued to have more of the ball and could have
\nincreased its lead in the 65th minute when Su Maozhen's free
\nheader from six meters out was saved by Bitar.<\/p>\n
But China's substitute Li Bing finally beat Bitar with a
\nsimilar header from a cross from the right in the 72nd minute.<\/p>\n
Syrian striker Ali Dib had a flick cleared off the line by Fan
\nZhiyi in the 77th minute.<\/p>\n
Results:
\n Japan 4 Uzbekistan 0
\n China 3 Syria 0<\/p>\n
Standings:
\n Japan 2 2 0 0 6 1 6
\n China 2 1 0 1 3 2 3
\n Uzbekistan 2 1 0 1 2 4 3
\n Syria 2 0 0 2 1 5 0<\/p>",
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