Iraq Beat Iran on Penalties to Reach Asian Cup Semifinals
Iraq beat fierce rival Iran 7-6 in a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw on Friday, booking a place in the Asian Cup semifinals against South Korea.
Iran, which played with 10 men after halftime, twice equalized in a four-goal extra time to send the match to a lengthy penalty shootout, which ended when Salam Shakir converted after Iran's Vahid Amiri hit the post.
Iraq captain Younis Mahmoud and Dhurgham Ismail scored in extra time, but Morteza Pouraliganji and Reza Ghoochannejhad, in the 119th minute, leveled the contest for the three-time champion.
Earlier, Azmoun Sardar opened the scoring in the first half for Iran, before the contentious sending off of teammate Mehrdad Pooladi just before halftime for his second yellow card. Ahmed Yasin equalized for Iraq in the 56th.
In the semis, Iraq plays South Korea at Sydney on Monday.
In a pulsating, often spiteful contest in front of a near-capacity crowd at Canberra Stadium, Iraq showed both impressive resilience and bemusing fallibility as it came from behind in normal time, then twice created and lost what appeared to be a match-winning advantage.
Sardar, dubbed the "Iranian Messi," scored the opening goal in the 24th minute when he timed his run to perfection to meet Ashkan Dejagah's curling cross with a header.
Australian referee Ben Williams was the center of the match's most contentious incident when he gave Pooladi a yellow card shortly before halftime for an innocuous incident with Hassan. Williams then walked away, seemingly unaware he was issuing Pooladi a second yellow.
The Iraqi players quickly surrounded the referee to alert him of the error, and Willams then brandished a red card to the left back, much to the displeasure of Iran coach Carlos Quieroz, who gesticulated wildly for several minutes. At halftime, Quieroz needed to be restrained by Iranian team officials, and was led to the dressing rooms before he could confront the referee.
Iraq almost equalized straight after the break, but Yaser Kasim's swerving free kick was brilliantly saved by Alireza Haghighi, who had to readjust before diving and saved the shot with his right hand just below the crossbar.
The 2007 champion did not have to wait long for another opportunity, as Alaa Abdul Zahra escaped his marker and played a teasing pass across Iran's goal where Yasin arrived at the back post to shoot through Haghighi's legs in the 56th, for the first goal Iran conceded in the tournament.
Kasim was booked for a foul in the 68th, which means the midfielder is suspended for Monday's semi.
In extra time, Mahmoud timed his jump to perfection at the back post to beat Haghighi and give Iraq a 2-1 lead in the 93rd, but Iran pulled level in the 103rd when Pouraliganji scored from Andranik Teymourian's corner.
Pouraliganji went from hero to villain when he brought down Yasim in the 116th for a clear penalty. Ismail stepped up to convert for a seemingly match-winning 3-2 lead.
But a gallant 10-man Iran again showed resolve; Ghoochannejhad scored his second late goal in as many matches, showing good instinct to get to the bouncing ball and head in the equalizer during a goalmouth scramble, following Teymourian's corner.
Both teams missed their first penalties in the shootout before the next 12 attempts were all successful. Amiri's effort for Iran hit the post and bounced away, and Iraq defender Shakir calmly placed his shot past Haghighi to give Iraq just its second win in seven Asian Cup matches against its great rival.
Late Friday, Japan met United Arab Emirates in a quarterfinal at Sydney, with the winner to face host team Australia at Newcastle on Tuesday.
Source: Associated Press
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