In a gripping Asian Cup showdown, South Korea delivered a stunning performance to overcome Australia wit a victory of 2-1 in a thrilling encounter.
Led by Son Heung-min’s remarkable display, South Korea’s victory was sealed by a mesmerizing extra-time free-kick, marking a sensational turn of events in the tournament.
Son Heung-min’s spectacular extra-time free-kick propelled South Korea into the Asian Cup semi-finals in a dramatic turn of events against Australia, who were on the verge of clinching victory just seconds away from the final whistle.
Australia seemed poised for triumph, courtesy of Craig Goodwin’s superb volley off Nathaniel Atkinson’s precise cross. However, a critical foul by Lewis Miller on Son led to Hwang Hee-chan’s clutch 96th-minute penalty, pushing the game into extra time.
During the additional 30 minutes, Tottenham’s Son proved instrumental, bending a flawless free-kick past Australia’s Mat Ryan, securing South Korea’s advancement in the tournament.
Australia’s hopes dwindled further when Aiden O’Neill received a red card from the video assistant referee for a perilous challenge, leaving them with 10 men on the field.
South Korea, former champions in 1960, narrowly escaped elimination for the second consecutive round after Cho Gue-sung’s late equalizer rescued them against Saudi Arabia in the previous round, eventually winning in a penalty shootout.
The victory could potentially alleviate some pressure on Jurgen Klinsmann, who assumed the coaching role a year ago amid skepticism from Korean supporters.
Despite numerous opportunities, Graham Arnold’s Australia failed to capitalize on several scoring chances to extend their lead, with Martin Boyle denied by goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo’s exceptional double save and Mitchell Duke squandering two promising opportunities.
South Korea is now set to face Jordan in the semi-finals after Jordan secured a historic berth in the penultimate stage with a 1-0 victory over Asian Cup debutants Tajikistan.
In an earlier match, Jordan etched their name in history by reaching the semi-finals for the first time, overcoming Tajikistan with a solitary own goal from Vahdat Hanonov, deflecting Abdallah Nasib’s header into his net.
Iran is slated to encounter Japan, while hosts Qatar will face Uzbekistan in the remaining quarter-final matches on Saturday.
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