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Friday 47 Sports Friday, January 25, 2019 Japan’s historic VAR penalty sinks Vietnam at Asian Cup DUBAI: Ritsu Doan scored the Asian UAE referee Mohammed Abdulla Cup’s first penalty awarded through Hassan blew for Yoshida’s goal from a the video assistant referee (VAR) as corner before replays showed that the Japan beat Vietnam 1-0 to reach the ball came off the Southampton de- Asian Cup semi-finals yesterday. As fender’s arm. Lam denied Wataru Endo VAR made an eventful Asian Cup early in the second half before VAR debut, Maya Yoshida had a headed had another say, this time in Japan’s goal ruled out on review before Doan favour when Doan went down under was adjudged to have been fouled in Dung’s challenge and replays showed the box by B.T. Dung. contact. The Dutch-based midfielder rolled As Vietnam strived to hit back, in the penalty on 57 minutes for a de- Phong Hong Duy went close with a served win for the four-time champi- shot from distance and Lam kept them ons, who were repeatedly denied by in it with another miraculous stop, this inspired goalkeeper Dang Van Lam. time from Minamino. But there was no Hajime Moriyasu’s Blue Samurai coming back for the Southeast Asian will now play either China or Iran in champions, whose only other foray to the semis as they bid for a record- the quarter-finals was in 2007 when extending fifth title, and their first they lost to eventual winners Iraq. since 2011. Lam saved brilliantly from VAR is being used for the first Takehiro Tomiyasu’s header and time at the Asian Cup from the quar- tipped Takumi Minamino’s point- ter-finals onwards. China are playing blank shot over the bar in an en- Iran later before South Korea face DUBAI: Japan’s defender Wataru Endo (R) dribbles past Vietnam’s defender Duy Manh Do grossing first half where VAR Qatar and UAE play holders Aus- (C) during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup quarter-final football match between Vietnam and Japan intervened after 24 minutes. tralia today. — AFP at the Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai yesterday. — AFP ment, human rights groups and FIFA have all FA Cup heavyweights Arsenal, Refugee footballer called for Alaraibi’s release, while Interpol has faced criticism for initially issuing the warrant for United kick off fourth round held in Thailand his arrest, which it later withdrew. The WPA believes Shaikh Salman-who is head LONDON: As FA Cup ties go they do not Gunners on Friday having swapped London of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and come any bigger than Arsenal against Man- for Manchester last January-a deal which ‘losing hope’ facing a re-election contest for that post in April- chester United and the two most successful saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan move in the oppo- must do more to secure his freedom. clubs in the competition’s history kick off a site direction. Alaraibi had spoken out against the FIFA num- weekend of fourth-round action at The Emi- Mkhitaryan will not be involved as he re- LONDON: A footballer with refugee status who ber two in 2016 when Sheikh Salman ran unsuc- rates today. covers from an injury while Arsenal are also has been detained in Thailand for nearly two cessfully to be its president. The record books are littered with epic without full back Hector Bellerin who rup- months over his alleged role in Bahrain’s Arab “Being a member of the Bahraini ruling family clashes between the clubs with Ryan Giggs’s tured cruciate knee ligaments in Saturday’s Spring protests is “losing hope”, according to a he’s uniquely positioned to demonstrate that he is bare-chested celebration of a magnificent win over Chelsea and is sidelined for the sea- global players’ union. someone who deserves to hold high office in the solo winner in the 1999 semi-final replay one son. United will likely adopt the same attack- Hakeem Alaraibi, 25, who played for the gulf game,” Schwab said. “It’s been nearly two of the abiding FA Cup memories. That clash ing approach that has been a feature of state’s national youth team, fled his homeland and months-the (AFC) has not even issued a state- came at a time when United and Arsenal Solskjaer’s unbeaten time in charge-so a dour was granted asylum in Australia where he plays ment as to what it thinks should occur. “Inactivity were the dominant forces in English football stalemate is unlikely. Holders Chelsea host semi-professionally for the second-tier team Pas- in the next week or two unequivocally in our view as rival managers Alex Ferguson and Arsene Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, while Man- coe Vale FC in Melbourne. makes his position untenable.” Wenger battled for supremacy. chester City face Burnley in one of three all- He was detained entering Thailand for a vaca- Schwab noted the case is nearing a pivotal Twenty years later the landscape has Premier League clashes-the others being tion and held “with a substantial number of other point with Thai law requiring Bahrain to submit a changed with both clubs having fallen down Newcastle United at home to Watford and in- detainees... in very trying conditions”, Brendan formal extradition request by February 8. the Premier League pecking order and the jury-hit Tottenham Hotspur at Crystal Palace. Schwab, executive director of the World Players’ Alaraibi’s plight has attracted global coverage- FA Cup struggling to retain its magic. While the outstanding tie of the round at The Association (WPA), told AFP in London. with the hashtag #SaveHakeem gaining traction- The spiteful edge that often accompanied Emirates is first on the schedule, the weekend “Hakeem is now at a stage where he’s losing and high-profile supporters, including Australian their duels has also disappeared but Friday’s offers plenty of scope for the sort of shocks hope,” said Schwab, whose Swiss-based union Hollywood actor Anthony LaPaglia. meeting in north London will need no hyping that were served up in the third round. represents 85,000 players across professional Former Australia football captain Craig Foster as 12-times winners United, rejuvenated Third-tier AFC Wimbledon host Premier sport through more than 100 associations in over visited Alaraibi in prison on Tuesday. under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, seek an eighth League West Ham United in a London derby, 60 countries. Schwab also urged FIFA’s Bahraini Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne has successive victory since their former striker second-tier Millwall welcome Everton and senior vice-president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim also raised the case with Thai authorities, includ- Al Khalifa to “use the power of his office” to win was put in temporary charge last month. third-tier Shrewsbury Town are at home to ing during a visit to the country earlier this month. United’s burst of form under the Norwe- top flight Wolverhampton Wanderers. Ac- Alaraibi’s release, warning that failure to do so FIFA repeated an appeal to Thai authorities would be “a fundamental breach of his duties”. gian has pushed them back into contention crington Stanley’s home tie against Frank earlier this month for the player’s release. for a top-four finish and they are in sixth Lampard’s Derby County also looks enticing. Bahraini authorities sentenced Alaraibi to 10 But the WPA, which pressured FIFA to draw years in prison for allegedly helping protesters place level on points with Arsenal and just The draw was not especially kind to the sides up a formal human rights policy in 2017, wants the burn down a police station during demonstrations three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, that injected some old-fashioned Cup ro- world footballing body to now uphold its vow to that swept the Gulf state in 2012. the Cup holders. mance into the previous round. Barnet, the “strive to protect” all such rights globally. The footballer, who played for the country’s Arsenal top the list of FA Cup wins with sole survivors from outside the top four divi- Schwab said the union will file a formal com- youth team in qualifying games for the Olympics, 13 and, after some stumbles under new man- sions after their win over Sheffield United, plaint with FIFA’s ethics committee if it fails to act denied the charges, noting he was playing in a ager Unai Emery in the past month, returned have a home tie against second-tier Brent- more forcefully. “What we need to occur is for match at the time. Alaraibi managed to flee to form with a convincing league win over ford. Newport County, who knocked out people who hold positions of power within the Bahrain in 2013 while he was out on bail. He was visiting Chelsea last weekend. Their most re- Leicester City, visit Championship outfit Mid- sports movement to carry out their responsibili- detained on arrival in Bangkok on November 27 cent triumph, in 2017, saw Alexis Sanchez dlesbrough, while fellow fourth-tier side Old- ties,” he added. — AFP for a holiday with his wife. The Australian govern- score in the Wembley final against Chelsea, ham Athletic travel to Doncaster Rovers of the but the Chilean could well line up against the third-tier. — Reuters.