TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2019 16 Bahrain advance Bahrain through to Asian Cup last 16 after edging out in Sharjah

Jamal Rashed fires• Arabian Gulf side into next round KNOW WHAT after ’s men concede penalty in dying moments India’s centre-back of Group A game is being compared on UAE reach Asian Cup Twitter to Liverpool’s last• 16 despite being held by to a draw by Thailand their legions of fans watching on TV back AFP | Sharjah home up to smash the ball down the ndia suffered late heart- middle to knock India down to break yesterday after an in- the bottom of the group and out Ijury-time penalty saw the of the tournament. cricket-mad nation lose 1-0 to UAE finished with five points, Bahrain and be denied a historic one more than Thailand and spot in the Asian Cup knockout Bahrain, who go through as one stages. of the best third-placed teams. Meanwhile hosts and India’s It looked like being an easy Group A rivals United Arab night for the Emiratis when Emirates cemented their place striker , top-scorer as group winners after a 1-1 draw at the 2015 tournament, netted with Thailand in Al Ain that also after just seven minutes in Al saw the Thais progress. Ain. India were moments away As the white shirts poured from reaching the knockout forward, ’s phase for the first time before chipped shot came back off the Jamal Rashed scored a dramat- bar and Mabkhout perfectly ic penalty to cruelly shattered placed to nod home the rebound. their dreams and sneak Bahrain Lightweight Thailand were through. often outmuscled but were dan- After the defeat, India’s Eng- gerous when they had a sight lish coach of goal -- as seen when Adisak announced he would step down Kraison forced a smart, low save after completing his second spell from . in charge. And four minutes before half- Bahrain’s Jamal Rashed, left, fights for the ball with India’s India stunned Thailand 4-1 time, “Thai Messi” Chanathip in their opening game for their es barking instructions to his India’s clean sheet intact. But minutes. Rash foul Songkrasin’s ball into the box first Asian Cup win in more than players. the Blue Tigers began to creak India were clinging on for dear caused panic, rebounding off 50 years but a 2-0 defeat by UAE India were indebted to cen- as the game wore on and sur- life by the end, at one point pack- Veteran striker Sunil Chhetri, defender Mohamed Ahmad and made for a nervous encounter tre-back Sandesh Jhingan, who vived a scare when substitute ing all 11 players on their own who overtook Lionel Messi in leaving Thitiphan Puangjan in Sharjah. was being compared on Twitter Mohamed Jasim Marhoon’s goal line to defend an indirect international goals during the with a tap-in. Television showed cut-aways to Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk by header rattled the post after 71 free kick. win over Thailand, flew out to The pace slowed after the of India’s substitutes biting their legions of fans watching on get the crucial block. break and the second half pro- their fingernails throughout TV back home. Asian Cup Just as it looked like India ceeded with barely any serious the match, while Constan - The giant, bushy-bearded India 0 - 1 Bahrain would hold on for a famous attempts on goal as both sides tine prowled the touchline defender was immense, put- point, committed looked happy to settle for the in dark suit and sunglass - ting out fires all game to keep UAE 1 - 1 Thailand a rash foul and Rashed stepped draw.

Japan captain Yoshida sounds Asian Cup alarm Sarri missing Fabregas AFP | and the one not given as well,” ly the ‘Hand of God’ was with already at Chelsea shrugged Yoshida. us today.” apan captain “But the most im - A new-look Japan were sim- AFP | London “Maybe he was tired, I don’t Jhas warned the Blue Samurai portant point for ilarly unimpressive in beating know. But if Fabregas was on they will need to find an extra us was to get Turkmenistan 3-2 in their open- We have to be more aurizio Sarri admitted the bench I think that in the gear to challenge co-favourites through the ing fixture, but were missing clinical. We should Mthe departure of Cesc second half he would have Iran and for the group.” two-goal hero for have scored two Fabregas has left a gaping been on the pitch in- Asian Cup title. Nagatomo lik- the clash due to a thigh or three more. Our hole in his squad magnified stead of Jorginho.” The Southampton defender ened his lucky injury. performances are by Jorginho’s below-par Sarri is keen to re- admitted Japan had benefited escape to performance in Saturday’s cruit an experienced Iran warning still not good enough from two controversial penal- Diego clearly 2-1 win over Newcastle. as back- ty decisions after a 1-0 victory Mara- The Werder Bre- Sarri said the 31-year- up to Jorgin- over Oman in Abu Dhabi at the dona’s men striker was MAYA YOSHIDA old Spanish World ho, who has weekend sent the Blue Samurai infa- sorely missed Cup-winning mid- displaced into the last 16. against the Gulf fielder, who left for N’Golo “We have to be more clinical,” side, with Taku- Japan, who reached the strugglers Cesc Yoshida told AFP after Japan’s mi Minamino knockout stage at last year’s Monaco last Friday, Fabregas second straight win in Group F. squandering World Cup, have won a record would have been “We should have scored two Maya a hatful of four Asian Cups but appear a natural replace- Kante or three more. Our performanc- Yoshida chances. to lack the quality of Iran and ment for Jorginho. from the es are still not good enough mous intervention “It was South Korea at this year’s tour- The Italian pivotal cen- clearly.” against England tougher than nament. international tral role, converted at the 1986 World we thought “We can’t expect to dominate -- a lynch- but also praised from the spot after 28 minutes Cup, expressing re- it would be,” every game,” said Japan coach pin of Sarri’s the potential of after tumbling theatrically un- lief that the VAR (vid- conceded , who is un- midfield this 18-year-old Welsh der little or no contact. eo assistant referee) Yoshida. beaten in seven matches since season -- lost international Ethan Oman then had a legitimate system is not used dur- “If we had taken our taking over after the World possession on sever- Ampadu. penalty shout waved off after ing the Asian Cup group chances we wouldn’t have Cup. al occasions against “In the future, may- appeared to use stages. struggled so much late “It was important to get Newcastle. be,” the Italian re- his hand to block a shot just “It hit my hand,” he ad- on. But I’m confi- through the group and we have “After 20 minutes he plied when asked before half-time. mitted. “It’s lucky there was dent we will done that. The key will be to lost lot of balls. It’s unu- about Ampadu’s “We were a little bit lucky no VAR because it probably find our grow into the tournament game sual and I think he was in prospects of filling with the penalty we had -- would have been given. Happi- form.” by game.” trouble,” said Sarri. the back-up spot.