DOHA: Japan cruised into the Asian Cup last 16 on Wednesday and a possible date with South Korea, as already qualified Iraq came out on top in a five-goal thriller.
Ayase Ueda struck in each half to go with a late Indonesia own goal as pre-tournament favorites Japan won 3-1 to finish runners-up in Group D behind Iraq.
Japan will now face the winners of Group E — South Korea’s group.
Jurgen Klinsmann’s South Korea are currently second on goal difference behind Jordan and face Malaysia in their final group match on Thursday.
Following Japan’s shock 2-1 defeat to Iraq, coach Hajjime Moriyasu made eight changes to his starting line-up, bringing in an entirely new defense.
He kept faith in goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, who was at fault against Iraq and was racially abused online after the game.
But there was still no place for Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma, who was left out of the match-day squad for a third straight game as he struggles for full fitness.
Japan were awarded a penalty in the sixth minute after a VAR check ruled that Indonesia defender Jordi Amat had dragged down Ueda in the box.
The Feyenoord striker dusted himself down and dispatched the spot-kick past goalkeeper Ernando Ari.
Japan doubled their lead seven minutes after half-time when Ritsu Doan cut through the Indonesia defense down the wing and Ueda was on hand to tap home his low cross.
Ueda went looking for his hat-trick and his shot pressured Indonesia defender Justin Hubner into firing the ball into his own goal in the 88th minute.
Sandy Walsh volleyed home from close range in the 91st minute to give Indonesia a consolation.
They finished third in the group and will have to wait until the first round concludes on Thursday to see if they go through as one of the four best third-placed teams.
The 2007 champions Iraq, who had already topped the group, scored in the 12th minute of injury time against 10-man Vietnam for a thrilling 3-2 win.
Aymen Hussein scored twice, including the decider at the death from the penalty spot, to take his tally to a tournament-leading five goals.
Vietnam led three minutes before the break when Bui Hoang Viet Anh poked home off a Khuat Van Khang free-kick.
That would be Khuat’s last major attacking involvement — he was sent off in first-half stoppage time for a second yellow card.
Rebin Sulaka equalized immediately after the restart and then Hussein, on as a substitute, made it 2-1.
Hussein missed a penalty and it looked like he would be made to regret it when Nguyen Quang Hai got behind the Iraqi back line to score on the stroke of the 90th minute to make it 2-2.
But Vietnam gave away another penalty deep in added time and on this occasion Hussein did not miss.
Japan into Asian Cup last 16 as Iraq win five-goal thriller
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Japan into Asian Cup last 16 as Iraq win five-goal thriller
- Japan will now face the winners of Group E — South Korea’s group
- The 2007 champions Iraq scored in the 12th minute of injury time against 10-man Vietnam for a thrilling 3-2 win
Liverpool boss Slot says Salah victim of ‘his own standards’
- Salah has won the Golden Boot four times as the English top-flight’s leading goal-scorer since arriving at Anfield in 2017
- ’We are used to Mo scoring a lot of goals and at this moment in time that is maybe the biggest difference in his performance and game time’
LONDON: Mohamed Salah may be experiencing the worst goal drought of his Premier League career but Liverpool manager Arne Slot believes the Egypt striker is paying the price for his own high standards.
Salah, 33, has won the Golden Boot four times as the English top-flight’s leading goal-scorer since arriving at Anfield in 2017, the latest in last season’s title-winning campaign. But he has now gone nine league matches without a goal.
That is his worst run in the Premier League but Slot, speaking ahead of Saturday’s match at home to West Ham, told reporters: “He set his own standards and those are so high and the moment he doesn’t score for a few games people are immediately surprised — that is the biggest compliment he can get.”
The Dutch boss, whose side are sixth in the table and three points off a Champions League place, added: “We are used to Mo scoring a lot of goals and at this moment in time that is maybe the biggest difference in his performance and game time.
“But we also know this has happened before, I don’t know if it happened nine games in a row but I’ve had these questions earlier if he didn’t score for three or five but I know in the end he always starts scoring again.
“He is not our only attacker at this moment in time that doesn’t score as much as we are used to.
“The focus is totally on him because of everything he did for the club but Hugo (Ekitike) and Cody (Gakpo) haven’t scored that many goals recently as well. It is a team thing which we have to improve.”
Liverpool, meanwhile, announced they had returned to profit after their title triumph last season with a pre-tax surplus of £15.2 million ($20.5 million) that owed much to a £60 million increase in media revenue.
But performance bonuses, plus the contract renewals of high-profile stars such as Salah and skipper Virgil van Dijk, helped leave Liverpool with the highest wage bill in the Premier League as staff expenditure rose by £42 million to £428 million.
That put Liverpool ahead of Manchester City, whose employee costs for the same season were £408 million.
As these figures relate to the 2024/25 campaign, with the accounting period ending on May 31, they do not include Liverpool’s £450m summer spending spree on the likes of British record transfer Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Ekitike.
Liverpool’s chief financial officer Jenny Beacham said the figures were welcome but warned tougher times may lie ahead.
“The club does face significant cost challenges, including rises in administrative, staffing and operational costs, alongside the need for us to compete at the highest level of the game, across our men’s and women’s teams.”
Salah, 33, has won the Golden Boot four times as the English top-flight’s leading goal-scorer since arriving at Anfield in 2017, the latest in last season’s title-winning campaign. But he has now gone nine league matches without a goal.
That is his worst run in the Premier League but Slot, speaking ahead of Saturday’s match at home to West Ham, told reporters: “He set his own standards and those are so high and the moment he doesn’t score for a few games people are immediately surprised — that is the biggest compliment he can get.”
The Dutch boss, whose side are sixth in the table and three points off a Champions League place, added: “We are used to Mo scoring a lot of goals and at this moment in time that is maybe the biggest difference in his performance and game time.
“But we also know this has happened before, I don’t know if it happened nine games in a row but I’ve had these questions earlier if he didn’t score for three or five but I know in the end he always starts scoring again.
“He is not our only attacker at this moment in time that doesn’t score as much as we are used to.
“The focus is totally on him because of everything he did for the club but Hugo (Ekitike) and Cody (Gakpo) haven’t scored that many goals recently as well. It is a team thing which we have to improve.”
Liverpool, meanwhile, announced they had returned to profit after their title triumph last season with a pre-tax surplus of £15.2 million ($20.5 million) that owed much to a £60 million increase in media revenue.
But performance bonuses, plus the contract renewals of high-profile stars such as Salah and skipper Virgil van Dijk, helped leave Liverpool with the highest wage bill in the Premier League as staff expenditure rose by £42 million to £428 million.
That put Liverpool ahead of Manchester City, whose employee costs for the same season were £408 million.
As these figures relate to the 2024/25 campaign, with the accounting period ending on May 31, they do not include Liverpool’s £450m summer spending spree on the likes of British record transfer Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Ekitike.
Liverpool’s chief financial officer Jenny Beacham said the figures were welcome but warned tougher times may lie ahead.
“The club does face significant cost challenges, including rises in administrative, staffing and operational costs, alongside the need for us to compete at the highest level of the game, across our men’s and women’s teams.”
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