Iraq Reach Final With Shootout Win Over Korea

Iraq reached their first ever Asian Cup final with a 4-3 penalty shootout victory over South Korea in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday evening after two hours of football ended goalless.

Goalkeeper Noor Sabri was the hero, saving from Yeom Ki-hoon. Kim Jung-woo, who scored the winning spot kick in Korea’s quarter-final victory over Iran three days previously, then hit the post.

It was a tough way for Korea to exit the tournament as the Taeguk Warriors dominated the game for long periods and attacked in numbers but couldn’t find the breakthrough.

Iraq will face either Japan or Saudi Arabia in the final in Jakarta on Sunday.

Iraq's in-form striker Younis Mahmoud had the first real chance of the game after 15 minutes but the Desert Fox’s snapshot from inside the area flew into the side-netting.

In a slow first half, Korea enjoyed more of the possession in wet conditions in the Malaysian capital but it was Mahmoud who went the closest five minutes before the break. The striker collected the ball on the left corner of the penalty area, turned his defender, and while his diagonal low shot beat goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, the ball rolled the wrong side of the left post.

The 2002 World Cup semi-finalists stepped up a gear in the second half and Cho Jae-jin went close with a header on the hour.

Korea continued to pile on the pressure but Iraq almost snatched the lead with 20 minutes remaining as Mahdi Karim shot just wide inside the area.

Immediately after, Lee Chun-soo pounced on a poor defensive header inside the area. The attacker had more time than he realized and hooked the dropping ball just wide of the post.

Despite their superiority, Korea couldn’t find the breakthrough and were forced into a second extra time period in four days.

Korea continued to have the upper hand in extra time but Iraq came so close to taking the lead just before the end of the first period. A cross from the right had Lee Woon-jae in problems. The veteran goalkeeper was prostrate when Hawar’s shot from the left edge of the six yard-box hit the inside of the right post and was smartly cleared off the line by Kim Jin-gyu.

That was as close as either team came to a goal before the Kuwaiti referee signaled the end of 120 minutes and the start of penalties.

Penalty Shootout (Korea first)

1: Lee Chun-soo scored. Hawar Mulla Mohammed scored

2: Lee Dong-gook scored. Qusai Munir scored

3; Cho Jae-jin scored. Haidar Abdul Amer scored

4: Yeom Ki-hoon saved. Ahmed Menajed scored

5: Kim Jung-woo missed