Qatar’s Ahmed Al Rawi in action against Japan’s A Ohata (centre) and Kein Sato yesterday. PIC: Rajan Vadakkemuriyil / The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Japan shattered Qatar’s Olympics dreams beating the 10-man home side 4-2 in extra time following a 2-2 draw in the AFC U23 Asian Cup quarter-final at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, yesterday.
In other dramatic quarter-final, debutants Indonesia eliminated South Korea with a 11-10 victory in the epic penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium.
Yesterday's defeat ended Qatar’s chances of qualifying for Paris Olympics as the top three teams will qualify for this year’s Games with the fourth-placed side to face African side Guinea in a playoff for a possible fourth slot at the 2024 Games.
Goals from Mao Hosoya and Kotaro Uchino in extra time ensured Japan squeezed past 10-man Qatar and into the semi-finals in front of almost 10,000 spectators .
Hosoya slipped the ball under substitute goalkeeper Ali Korayem to break Qatar’s resistance 11 minutes into extra-time and Uchino added the fourth with seven minutes left as Go Oiwa’s side moved a step closer to claiming the title.
Fuki Yamada had given Japan a second minute lead before Ahmed Al Rawi levelled with a superb header 22 minutes later, the Qataris then shrugging off Yousef Abdullah’s 41st minute red card to go in front four minutes into the second half through Jassem Gaber.
But Seiji Kimura’s 67th minute header restored parity while Hosoya and Uchino struck late to take their nation into the last four as the Japanese seek to maintain their record of qualifying for every Olympic Games since 1996.
Qatar gifted Oiwa’s team the opener after Hiroki Sekine’s hopeful long ball saw Saif Eldeen Hassan under-hit his pass and Yamada collected possession to smash a left foot shot into the top corner of Abdullah’s goal.
Japan were in control, with Rihito Yamamoto and Joel Fujita dictating the tempo and Kuryu Matsuki busy, the FC Tokyo playmaker thumping his attempt from outside the area over the crossbar.
However, the Qataris steadily asserted themselves and, in the 24th minute, Ilidio Vale’s team pulled level.
The ball found its way to Abdulla Al Yazidi on the right after Kein Sato fell in an attempt to cut out possession and the Qatari’s centre was met unchallenged by Al Rawi, who bulleted his header home.
Moments later Abdullah was seeing red, dismissed after referee Hanna Hattab consulted the pitchside monitor following a clash with Hosoya, the Qatari guilty of lashing out at the Japan striker as he leapt to clear a high ball.
Qatar refused to be despondent despite being down a man and, four minutes after the restart, the home side went in front. Moustafa Meshal’s pinpoint free-kick delivery landed squarely on the head of Gaber and he made no mistake.
With a quarter of regular time remaining, though, the Japanese were level when Kimura nodded home Yamamoto’s in-swinging corner from close range to set up a finish that saw Sato force replacement goalkeeper Ali Korayem into a save while Shota Fujio headed over.
Oiwa’s side were unable to find a way through again in regulation time, but in the 101st minute Hosoya was fed by Ryotaro Araki and he slid his shot under Korayem while Uchino tapped in after the goalkeeper parried Sota Kawasaki’s shot to break home hearts.
"The red card was the turning point as it was very difficult to play with 10 players," Qatar coach Vale said after the match.
"I want to congratulate the players for their high fighting spirit. We are dejected to miss a chance for qualifying for Olympics but I am sure the team and Qatar football have a great future ahead," he added.
Yesterday, Indonesia had taken the lead against South Korea through Rafael Struick in 15th minute, who added another in third minute of added time in first half after Komang Teguh's own goal in 45th minute.
Jeong Sang-bin drew South Korea level in 84th minute after a red card to teammate Lee Young-jun in 70th minute taking the match into extra time where the deadlock persisted.
It remained same until Pratama Arhan converted the decisive penalty for Indonesia's 11th goal in the shootout after goalkeeper Ernando Ari blocked Kang-Hee Lee's hit, what turned out to be Korea's final attempt.
