Late goal gifts Qatar surprise draw with Japan
Tuesday, 10 July 2007
HANOI, Jul 9 (AFP): Qatar stunned defending champions Japan with a late equaliser to earn a 1-1 draw in their Asian Cup opener Monday, but it ended on a sour note with Hussain Yaser and coach Dzemaludin Musovic sent off.
It was an uninspiring start to Japan's bid for a third straight continental title.
They looked to have three points in the bag after Frankfurt striker Naohiro Takahara broke the deadlock in the 61st minute when he slammed home a cross from the right by utility man Yasuyuki Konno.
But dangerous Uruguayan-born forward Sebastian Soria equalised two minutes from time when he stroked home a 20-metre free kick through a tight wall after he was bundled over by Yuki Abe.
It means unfancied hosts Vietnam find themselves at the top of Group B after upsetting Gulf Cup champions United Arab Emirates 2-0 on Sunday.
The game boiled over in injury time with Yaser controversially given a straight red card by Australian referee Matthew Breeze for a clumsy challenge on midfielder Yasuyuki Konno.
It should have been a yellow and Musovic stormed off the bench to protest, only to find himself heading back to the dressing room early.
Both sides lacked punch in the first half with Japan dominating possession but they were woeful in their passing and produced only feeble shots.
Their first attempt on goal came from midfielder Yasuhito Endo who fired straight at Qatar goalkeeper Mohamed Saqr three minutes into the action at a sparsely-crowded My Dinh National Stadium.
In the ninth minute, Soria led a counter-attack but his cross from the right of the penalty area failed to find a teammate.
Qatar came close to taking the lead eight minutes later when Abudulla Waleed shot a 25-metre freekick toward the left post, forcing a diving punch away by gutsy Japan goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi.
Led by Celtic dead-ball specialist Shunsuke Nakamura, Japan pushed the attack but three long shots, including one from his left foot, in seven minutes before the break got nowhere.
Japan stepped up the pressure in the second period and were rewarded by a Takahara's goal.
The Frankfurt man, who scored 11 Bundesliga goals last season, should have sealed the win 20 minutes later when he took a cross in front of the goal but sent his right foot shot wide.
It was an uninspiring start to Japan's bid for a third straight continental title.
They looked to have three points in the bag after Frankfurt striker Naohiro Takahara broke the deadlock in the 61st minute when he slammed home a cross from the right by utility man Yasuyuki Konno.
But dangerous Uruguayan-born forward Sebastian Soria equalised two minutes from time when he stroked home a 20-metre free kick through a tight wall after he was bundled over by Yuki Abe.
It means unfancied hosts Vietnam find themselves at the top of Group B after upsetting Gulf Cup champions United Arab Emirates 2-0 on Sunday.
The game boiled over in injury time with Yaser controversially given a straight red card by Australian referee Matthew Breeze for a clumsy challenge on midfielder Yasuyuki Konno.
It should have been a yellow and Musovic stormed off the bench to protest, only to find himself heading back to the dressing room early.
Both sides lacked punch in the first half with Japan dominating possession but they were woeful in their passing and produced only feeble shots.
Their first attempt on goal came from midfielder Yasuhito Endo who fired straight at Qatar goalkeeper Mohamed Saqr three minutes into the action at a sparsely-crowded My Dinh National Stadium.
In the ninth minute, Soria led a counter-attack but his cross from the right of the penalty area failed to find a teammate.
Qatar came close to taking the lead eight minutes later when Abudulla Waleed shot a 25-metre freekick toward the left post, forcing a diving punch away by gutsy Japan goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi.
Led by Celtic dead-ball specialist Shunsuke Nakamura, Japan pushed the attack but three long shots, including one from his left foot, in seven minutes before the break got nowhere.
Japan stepped up the pressure in the second period and were rewarded by a Takahara's goal.
The Frankfurt man, who scored 11 Bundesliga goals last season, should have sealed the win 20 minutes later when he took a cross in front of the goal but sent his right foot shot wide.