Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Brisbane: AFC Asian Cup 2015 hosts Australia will take on China in the quarter-finals after the Socceroos lost 1-0 against Korea Republic at Brisbane Stadium on Saturday thanks to a goal from striker Lee Jeong-hyeop.
Match highlights: Australia 0-1 Korea Republic
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The loss – Australia’s first defeat on home soil since losing to Kuwait in qualifying for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in March 2009 – means the Koreans top Group A and will play either Saudi Arabia or Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals in Melbourne.
Lee Jeong-hyeop scored 13 minutes before the end of the first half in a thrilling encounter but the Koreans did not emerge unscathed, with midfielders Koo Ja-cheol and Park Joo-ho both departing from the game with injuries.
Aziz Behich returned to the starting line-up for the Australians, as did Tomi Juric, while Son Heung-min remained on the bench for the Koreans despite having recovered from the fever that kept him out of the 1-0 win over Kuwait.
Just after the half hour mark, it was the Koreans who made the breakthrough in a fascinating first half.
Despite having Park Joo-ho off the pitch receiving treatment following a clash with Nathan Burns that earned the Australian striker a yellow card, the Koreans took the lead following a fine move instigated by Ki Sung-yueng and finished off by Lee Jeong-hyeop.
Swansea midfielder Ki slipped the ball inside Socceroos left back Ivan Franjic to former AFC Player of the Year Lee Keun-ho and his low ball towards the far post was given the faintest of touches by Lee Jeong-hyeop to deflect it over the line.
The goal was Korea’s first on-target effort in the half, with Kwak Tae-hwi’s 15th minute header having earlier gone just wide of Mat Ryan’s goal.
The hosts were the livelier of the two teams in the opening exchanges, and Burns was given the chance to punish a mistake by Kim Young-gwon after just 11 minutes, only to waste the opportunity.
Burns was Australia’s most likely source of a goal in the opening 45 minutes, and the majority of the 48,513 crowd inside a packed Brisbane Stadium thought the Wellington Phoenix striker had levelled the game four minutes after the Koreans had taken the lead, but the ball hit the side netting.
Knowing a draw would ensure top spot in the group standings, the Australians pushed hard in the second half for the equaliser.
Juric missed a gilt-edged chance eight minutes after the restart when he steered Franjic’s return pass over the bar from six yards out while 11 minutes later substitute Mathew Leckie found the arms of Kim Jin-hyeon with his effort on the turn.
Burns’ last involvement in the game almost yielded the leveller for the Socceroos in the 70th minute as he surged through the middle of the Korean defence before seeing Kim Jin-hyeon save at full stretch before Kim Chang-soo hacked to safety.
Robbie Kruse and Tim Cahill came off the bench for the final 20 minutes, replacing Burns and Matt McKay respectively, but the duo were unable to break Korea’s defensive resistance, with Kruse coming closest two minutes from the end when Kim Jin-hyeon deflected his close-range effort over the bar.
Photo: WSG