DOHA: Uzbekistan scored a late equalizer as they moved into the Asian Cup knockout rounds after a 1-1 draw with already qualified Australia on Tuesday.
The Socceroos were looking to win all three group games at the Asian Cup for the first time and took the lead through Martin Boyle’s controversial first-half penalty in Doha.
But Azizbek Turgunboev outjumped Aziz Behich to head home in the 78th minute as Uzbekistan eased through to the last 16.
Australia won Group B ahead of Uzbekistan, with Syria beating India 1-0 to finish third.
Australia thought they had taken the lead when Kusini Yengi headed home with 10 minutes gone, only for the strapping Portsmouth striker to be flagged offside.
Uzbekistan’s Umar Eshmurodov was lucky to escape with only a yellow card when he tripped Boyle while clear through on goal midway through the first half.
Riley McGree was guilty of a shocking miss five minutes before half-time with the goal at his mercy after Yengi had danced his way through the Uzbekistan defense.
But Australia were given a reprieve when a VAR check judged that the ball had hit Uzbek defender Odiljon Hamrobekov’s hand in the build-up as he slid in to tackle Yengi.
Boyle dispatched the penalty low into the corner to send the Socceroos into half-time with the lead.
Uzbekistan substitute Jaloliddin Masharipov came close to an equalizer with a whipped free-kick shortly after the restart.
The Central Asians then had a goal disallowed when Eshmurodov headed home from a free-kick, only to be flagged for offside.
But they got their reward when substitute Turgunboev got on the end of a cross to head in Uzbekistan’s equalizer.
It was the first goal Australia had conceded at the Asian Cup, following wins over India and Syria.
Australia top group, Uzbekistan also into Asian Cup last 16
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Australia top group, Uzbekistan also into Asian Cup last 16
- The Socceroos were looking to win all three group games at the Asian Cup for the first time
- Australia won Group B ahead of Uzbekistan, with Syria beating India 1-0 to finish third
Supersub strikes again as Sesko gives Man United win at Everton
- The defeat was a blow to Everton’s hopes of a place in next year’s European competitions and left it languishing in ninth, behind Brentford and Bournemouth
LIVERPOOL, England: Manchester United supersub Benjamin Sesko scored 13 minutes after entering the field to give his side a 1-0 win over Everton in the Premier League on Monday.
It was the third time in four games that Sesko has scored after coming off the bench and secured points for United.
“I believe in me and so do the other players as well,” Sesko told Sky Sports. “They know what they are going to get when I arrive in the game. It’s up to me to deliver of course.”
His goal with 19 minutes remaining finished off the slickest move of an otherwise stodgy game.
Bryan Mbeumo controlled Matheus Cunha’s superb long ball and played a perfectly weighted pass to the feet of Sesko, who steered the ball past Jordan Pickford with aplomb.
“It was a great finish,” United interim coach Michael Carrick said. “It was a ruthless finish. I liked the way he put it away with real confidence. It was great play from Cunha and Mbeumo to set it up and we are dangerous on the break.”
Until then defenses had been on top and the lack of attacking fluency was not helped by a heavy pitch that appeared to slow down both teams.
The result took fourth-placed United three points clear of Chelsea and Liverpool. United was three behind Aston Villa.
It also extended Carrick’s unbeaten run to six games since he replaced Ruben Amorim on Jan. 13.
The defeat was a blow to Everton’s hopes of a place in next year’s European competitions and left it languishing in ninth, behind Brentford and Bournemouth and eight points adrift of Chelsea and Liverpool.
David Moyes’ men have gone seven games without a win at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
“Generally we did very well in lots of bits,” Moyes said. “We got done on the counterattack and they ran away and got the goal that was there. We put in a great effort to get the goal but lacked the quality to make it count.”
