Sports / News
China exit Asian Cup
(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-07-19 08:49
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 - Uzbekistan knocked Group C favourites China out
of the Asian Cup with a stunning 3-0 upset victory at the Shah Alam
Stadium on Wednesday.
All three goals came via free kicks as Dynamo Kiev striker Maksim
Shatskikh, midfielder Timur Kapadze and veteran Alexander Geynrikh struck
late in the second half to break the hearts of the 2004 runners-up.
Iran finished top of the group on seven points after their 2-0 win over
co-hosts Malaysia earlier on Wednesday, with Uzbekistan second on six
points. China finished with four points and Malaysia lost all three
matches.
China needed only a draw to qualify after a 5-1 victory over Malaysia and
a 2-2 draw with Iran. Uzbekistan, who thrashed Malaysia 5-0 after losing
2-1 to Iran, needed to win to reach the last eight.
The match was marred by a serious neck injury to Chinese forward Han Peng
who was taken to hospital after a collision with Uzbek goalkeeper
Hayrulla Karimov in the final minutes.
Uzbekistan travel to Jakarta to face Saudi Arabia in the quarter-finals
on Sunday. Iran stay in Malaysia to take on South Korea.
Uzbek coach Rauf Inileyev told reporters: "We spent a lot of time on free
kicks because we felt that China were weak in that part of their game. In
fact, our whole game-plan worked very well."
Chinese coach Zhu Guanghu, blaming defeat on absence of injured
goalkeeper Li Leilei and defender Li Weifeng, is determined to carry on.
"I will not leave football," he said. "The coaching staff and players
will learn from this defeat and move forward."
After a dour first half, Uzbekistan stunned the Chinese fans by taking
the lead in the 72nd minute.
Substitute Victor Karpenko floated a free kick into the box and Shatskikh
rose to head goalwards. Chinese stand-in keeper Yang Jun failed to hold
on and Shatskikh volleyed in the rebound for his third goal of the
competition.
Uzbekistan made it 2-0 on 86 minutes. Karpenko aimed his 25-yard effort
straight at Yang, who was helpless as the ball bounced off his legs and
Kapadze ran in to score.
Geynrikh sealed victory with a goal deep into injury time. His free kick
from 25 yards came off the wall but Geynrikh collected the rebound to
shoot through a crowd of players and into the net.
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