UAE suffer Asian Games heartbreak

Jon Turner 11:57 28/09/2014
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  • Into the semis: North Korea's last-minute goal knocked the UAE out of the Asian Games.

    The UAE suffered last-minute heartbreak in their Asian Games quarter-final against North Korea after conceding an injury-time goal that sent them crashing out of the tournament.

    After defeating Vietnam 3-1 in the last-16, captain Saeed Al Kathiri revealed the UAE's burning desire to claim gold, although Jong In-Gwan's last-gasp strike put paid to those ambitions.

    North Korea, who entered the clash undefeated and off the back of a 4-1 destruction of Indonesia, were expected to be the UAE's toughest opponents of the tournament and so it proved.

    However, the Whites defended valiantly and were able to cause the North Koreans some problems the opposite end with their pace and trickery in attack.

    But just as the spectators were bracing themselves for extra-time, Jong popped up to bury a goal in the third of five minutes of injury time to secure North Korea's entry into the semi-finals.

    North Korea will play the winner of Sunday's quarter-final between Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

    Elsewhere, Thailand eased into the last four, beating Jordan 2-0 through goals from Chanathip Songkrasin and Thawikan Kroekrit.

    Thailand's Chanathip, known to his fans as 'Messi J', scored with an easy shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 37th minute. Thawikan fired home in the 70th minute after the Jordanian defence had desperately cleared two shots.

    Thailand take on the victors in the grudge match between hosts South Korea and Japan. 

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