JAKARTA: Big guns Iran, Saudi Arabia and South Korea blazed into the Asian Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, but China failed yet again to live up to their billing, crashing out at the hands of Uzbekistan.
South Korea, the 2002 World Cup semi-finalists, kept their heads in front of 90,000 rowdy Indonesian fans to win 1-0 and sneak into the knockout rounds, but it was an easier ride for the Saudis, who thrashed Bahrain 4-0.
In Kuala Lumpur, China suffered another huge setback to its footballing development when Uzbekistan beat them 3-0 to end their tournament, but heavyweights Iran made no mistakes with a comfortable 2-0 win over Malaysia.
Malaysia coach Norizan Bakar paid the price for his team's atrocious showing when he was sacked.
It means Iran remain in Malaysia and play South Korea for a place in the semi-finals while Uzbekistan travel to Jakarta to face Saudi Arabia.
In the other quarter-finals, decided on Monday, Iraq take on Vietnam in Bangkok and defending champions Japan have a grudge match with Australia in Hanoi.
South Korea rode their luck and had Kim Jung-woo to thank for a victory that could have gone either way.
Good work on the edge of the box from Lee Chun-soo, linked this week with Reading, teed up Kim, whose shot took a deflection to leave goalkeeper Markus Rihihina rooted to the spot.
"We spoke to the players before this game and told them that every game from now on would be a final," said Korea's Dutch coach, Pim Verbeek.
Indonesia's Bulgarian coach, Ivan Kolev, was not too disappointed by his side's failure to make the knockout phase for the first time. "They fought to the death, until the end of the game. I'm proud of my players for what they did from the first to the third match," he said.
In Pelambang, Saudi Arabia look to be getting back to their best under Brazilian coach Helio dos Anjos and were simply too good for Bahrain, surprise semi-finalists at the last tournament in China three years ago.
Goals from Ahmed Al Mousa and Abdulrahman Al Qahtani and a brace by Taisir Al Jassam brought redemption for the "Sons of the Desert" after their disastrous campaign in 2004, when they finished bottom of their group.
While the major teams progressed, China failed to reach the knockout rounds for the first time in 27 years.
Uzbek captain Maksim Shatskikh blasted in a rebound from his own header on 72 minutes before Timur Kapadze capitalised on an error from stand-in keeper Yang Jun. Substitute striker Alexander Geynrikh finished from another rebound in injury time to pile huge pressure on China coach Zhu Guanghu, who is facing the sack.
AFP
QUARTER-FINALS
ASIAN CUP
SATURDAY, JULY 21
Iraq v Vietnam, Bangkok
SUNDAY, JULY 22Iran v South Korea, Kuala Lumpur
Saudi Arabia v Uzbekistan, Jakarta
Japan v Australia, Hanoi