Coach: Branko Ivankovic (Croatia)
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CHONGQING - Japan and Iran booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup, the scoreless draw the two played out in Chongqing ensuring that both these former champions, who have won the title five times between them, will be fighting for silverware in the final week of the tournament.
The point confirms top spot in the group for Zico's men, and with it an appointment with Jordan on Saturday. Branko Ivankovic's side, meanwhile, finish runners-up, a point ahead of Oman, who beat Thailand in the evening's other Group D match. The three-time champions will play Korea Republic in Jinan on Sunday.
Missing Mohammad Nostrati, Rahman Rezaei and Ali Badavi, all serving bans imposed on them by tournament organisers for violent conduct in the 2-2 draw with Oman on Saturday, this was a game Iran could not afford to lose and forward Arash Borhani was left on the bench, leaving Ali Daei as the lone striker.
Japan, already through to the last eight after wins against Thailand and Oman, were equally keen to avoid defeat, knowing that Jordan, runners-up in Group B, was their reward for winning this so-called "ËœGroup of Death'.
It was hardly surprising, then, that the game only occasionally came to life, with Japan having the better of the first half and Iran the second.
In a game littered with mistakes and stoppages, Keiji Tamada had the first real opening but the Kashiwa Reysol player toe-poked his left-foot shot harmlessly wide from eight yards out.
Iran thought they had taken the lead on 23 minutes when Javad Nekounam stooped to head home but Australian referee Mark Shield called the play back for an off-side infringement.
Nine minutes before half-time, Sayyed Alavi let fly from 25 yards but Japan keeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi was equal to the task, diving to his left to make an athletic one-handed save.
Suzuki scooped the ball over the Iran bar on 41 minutes after Iran keeper Ebrahim Mirzapour dropped a cross at the striker's feet.
And in added Time, Suzuki shot wide from 12 yards out when he should have done better.
Iran, perhaps conscious of the fact that Oman were leading in Chengdu, upped the pace in the second half.
Their best chance of the half fell to Daei, the world's leading international goal scorer, but the former AFC Player of the Year, shot high and wide from eight yards.
Japan' best chance fell to Yasuhito Endo on 75 minutes who cut in from the left and shot at goal from just inside the area. Mirzapour dived and palmed the ball away for a corner.
It was the last real chance of the game as both sides seemed happy to conserve their energy and settle for a share of the points. |