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Rockets pound Part of original Nets, Magic win World Cup trophy found in FIFA basement WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 201516 19 Golovkin wants 4 fights in 2015 Page 17 CANBERRA: Kuwait’s Mesaed Al-Enezi (left) and South Korea’s Lee Keun Ho (right) run after the ball during the AFC Asia Cup soccer match. — AP Aussies roar into Asian Cup q-finals Korea labor to 1-0 win over Kuwait MELBOURNE: Hosts Australia and success- 0 win over Kuwait to join Australia in the last made it four with the pick of the bunch with Mubarak. “It’s a big loss because he’s a player with starved South Korea reached the Asian Cup eight. The Australians picked up where they a sharp finish after 70 minutes. Incensed Australian players surrounded a lot of experience,” said South Korea coach quarter-finals yesterday, although Korean left off after thrashing Kuwait 4-1 in the tour- “The players were fantastic,” gushed Japanese referee Ryuji Sato demanding a Uli Stielike. “I saw a lot of sad faces around joy was tempered by injuries to key players nament opener, Matt McKay poking in from Australia coach Ange Postecoglou, who has red card but Mubarak astonishingly him when we had to take this decision to and a flu bug sapping their squad. Australia close range in the 27th minute before seen eight different players score in their escaped with a yellow, raising further ques- send him home. But you have to go on.” dispatched Oman 4-0 with ruthless efficien- Robbie Kruse, who was a blur of movement first two games and promised no let-up in tions over the standard of officiating after Right-back Kim Chang-Soo also failed to cy in Sydney, making it eight goals in two all evening, added a superb second with their final Group A game against the South several controversies early in the competi- recover from a knock in time, while German games. A team which managed just a single Australia’s next attack. Koreans at the weekend. tion. Stielike also has illness concerns with sever- victory in 11 matches last year has caught Latching onto a clever flick from “They were outstanding tonight and we South Korea advanced courtesy of a Nam al of his players floored by a fever, including fire at the Asian Cup and they put Oman to Massimo Luongo, Kruse trapped the ball on won’t have the hand-brake on against Tae-Hee header in the 36th minute. But the superstar Son Heung-Min. The Koreans, who the sword boosted by two goals in three his thigh before clinically sweeping past Korea. We’ll be going for it.” The Socceroos news that midfielder Lee Chung-Yong will won the first two Asian Cups in 1956 and first-half minutes. Oman goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi. will be grateful that talisman Tim Cahill did miss the rest of the tournament after suffer- 1960, have their work cut out to end that South Korea, World Cup semi-finalists in Mark Milligan, in for injured skipper Mile not join Jedinak in the treatment room, ing a fractured tibia cast a shadow over mystifying drought with Australia flying and 2002 but seeking to end 55 years of hurt in Jedinak, smashed home a penalty in first- however, after he was chopped down by a their win against 1980 champions Kuwait in defending champions Japan impressing in Asia’s showcase competition, labored to a 1- half injury time and substitute Tomi Juric shocking two-footed lunge from Ahmed Canberra. their opening game. — AFP Messi admits he could Ref rage boils over at Asian Cup leave Barcelona MELBOURNE: The big guns flex their muscles at game are clear. (The referee) didn’t give a single ZURICH: Lionel Messi saw arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo beat him the Asian Cup, refereeing controversies are leaving yellow. The referee was not at the level of the to the Ballon d’Or in Zurich Monday and then reignited specula- players and coaches hopping mad with the tourna- game.” tion over his own future by saying: “I don’t know where I’ll be ment barely five days old. Portugal’s Queiroz, nicknamed “Rottweiler” by next year.” Barcelona and Argentina superstar Messi appeared to Iran, Oman and holders Japan all raged at the former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson row back on his own comments made 24 hours earlier that officials after their opening games-not the start during two spells as his assistant coach, took a rumours that he could leave the Camp Nou for Chelsea or Asian officials were hoping for after a determined more conciliatory line over two poor offside deci- Manchester City were “all lies”. drive to improve refereeing standards. sions which denied Iran two more goals, shrug- “I always said that I would finish my career at Barcelona and Iran coach Carlos Queiroz launched a withering ging: “On the technical side, we all make mistakes.” then at (his home town club in Argentina) Newell’s,” Messi told attack on referee Ben Williams, accusing him of fail- Le Guen appeared to have genuine reason to reporters after Real Madrid’s Portuguese icon Ronaldo lifted the ing to keep a lid on Bahrain’s “dangerous” tackling feel aggrieved after New Zealand official Peter world footballer of the year title for the second year in succes- in Team Melli’s 2-0 win at the weekend and claim- O’Leary waved away appeals when Oman striker sion at a glittering FIFA awards ceremony. ing the Australian was out of his depth, despite the Qasim Saeed was clattered inside the box. “But I don’t know where I’ll be next year. “As Cristiano fact he officiated at last year’s World Cup. “I ask for equity,” fumed the Frenchman. “It’s 100 (Ronaldo) said recently, football has many twists and anything The red mist descended on Oman coach Paul Le percent a penalty, no hesitation. But (it’s not given) can happen,” added the Barca talisman, who himself won the Guen 24 hours earlier after the Gulf side were because of what? Because we are Oman?” Ballon d’Or four years in a row from 2009. denied what appeared a nailed-on penalty in a 1-0 Honda’s gripe was less clear, however, as five yel- After a superb performance in Barcelona’s 3-1 win over defeat by South Korea. low cards and a red were dished out for Palestine’s Spanish champions Atletico Madrid on Sunday, Messi had And Japan’s spiky playmaker Keisuke Honda rather agricultural tackling. angrily dismissed talk that he wanted to leave after clashing took aim at the man in the middle after Japan’s 4-0 “It was like a basketball game,” sniped Honda. with Barca’s manager Luis Enrique and the club’s board. win over Palestine, asking whether Qatar’s “As soon as we made contact with them, the refer- “I have never demanded anything to ensure that I stay Abdulrahman Hussain had been refereeing a bas- ee blew the whistle. They need to do something because I never had any intention of leaving,” he told Barca TV ketball game in comments dripping with sarcasm. about the level of refereeing here.” after the match. Despite the efforts of the Asian Football But an AFC spokesman told AFP: “We are happy Messi’s relationship with Enrique had come under scrutiny SWITZERLAND : Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Confederation (AFC) to raise standards, Asian refer- with the refereeing and happy that they (referees) after the forward was benched for the 1-0 defeat at Real Messi speaks on stage after being selected in the 2014 eeing came under the spotlight at the 2014 World have sufficient experience, including the World Sociedad a week earlier. The rumours grew after Messi missed FIFA FIFPro World XI during the FIFA Ballon d’Or award Cup when Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura Cup.” the first training session after that match, citing a stomach bug. ceremony on January 12. — AFP awarded hosts Brazil a soft penalty in the opening Despite the rumpus, South Korea coach Uli “I have heard it said that my dad has spoken to Chelsea or Manchester City. It is all lies. I have taken this chance to deny it million euros (195 million pounds, $296 million), without falling game, triggering fury from opponents Croatia and Stielike claimed, perhaps predictably, to be mysti- so that everyone knows the truth,” Messi said Sunday. foul of UEFA’s financial fair play rules. lighting up social media. fied at Le Guen’s comments. “I saw the game like But his latest comments are sure to regenerate interest from With Messi commanding a reported salary in the region of Queiroz’s ire centred on Bahrain’s Faouzi Aaish, the referee saw it,” said the German. “I don’t know a number of cash-rich English Premier League clubs. 20 million euros a year the total cost of acquiring his services on the team’s snarling forward. “He tried to elbow my which situation he is talking about. There cannot Manchester United are reportedly one of the few that could a five-year deal could be a world record-shattering 350 million players,” the former Real Madrid coach told AFP. “As be a clear penalty or I would remember the situa- afford the buyout fee from his contract, reportedly set at 250 euros. — AFP you know elbowing is dangerous. The laws of the tion.” — AFP.