Uzbekistan making world take notice, says coach Vadim

DOHA: Uzbekistan are treading new ground at the Asian Cup and coach Vadim Abramov says their run to the semi-finals has proven to the world they can never be taken lightly.

The Central Asians are ranked a lowly 108 by FIFA, below minnows such as Haiti, Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda, but they have been impressive in Doha, beating hosts Qatar and then Kuwait before drawing with China.

A battling 2-1 win over Jordan in the last eight on Friday put them into the semi-finals for the first time in their history, and the soft-spoken Abramov was delighted.

“Now we are a tough team and I think our country is very happy,” he said. “I think people who watched on TV have seen how Uzbekistan can play and they will know that we are a good team that is never easy to beat.”

Following a goalless first half, a quick-fire brace from Ulugbek Bakaev earned his side the right to face Australia for a place in the final.

The former CSKA Moscow striker pounced twice in the space of three minutes soon after half-time before Jordan’s Bashar Bani Yaseen pulled one back to set up an exciting finale. Abramov said he told his team to come out in the second half and attack.

“At half-time I told them that in the first five minutes they must be strong. I told them to attack as soon as they went out and we got two goals. It was a tough game because I think some of my players were a bit scared to play, but obviously I’m very happy.”

Asked if they could now win the tournament, he replied: “Yes, why not? From the first time I got here I said we have come here to win. It’s the same now.”

Abramov made five changes to the side that drew 2-2 with China in their last game, including picking Bakaev, who he said would now be famous in Uzbekistan.

“He is a big player with plenty of experience, I know him very well,” said Abramov. “I gave him a chance and he scores two goals. He has made history and everybody now knows his name in Uzbekistan.”

In fact, so impressed was the coach by his team’s performance that he feels certain players could make the switch to playing in Europe’s top leagues.

“In Uzbekistan, there are so many talented players and this tournament I think it can also encourage young players,” he said. “My players can play in other teams in Europe but I also hope the standard of football in Uzbekistan improves.” 

  

Indian businessman completes Racing Santander purchase

MADRID: Indian businessman Ahsan Ali Syed has completed the purchase of Racing Santander, his office said on Friday without giving financial details.

The founder and chairman of investment company Western Gulf Advisory, Syed failed in an attempt to buy English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers last year.

Syed’s office said in a statement the deal to buy the La Liga club had been approved by the regional government of Cantabria and Spain’s national sports council (CSD).

“I look forward to an active and long-term commitment to this great club and will invest all my knowledge and financial strength to elevate the club to the highest level of success in Spain and Europe,” Syed said in the statement.

Racing representatives were not immediately available for comment.

Syed’s foray into Spain follows the purchase of Racing’s La Liga rivals Malaga by a member of the Qatari royal family at the end of last season.

A Mexican businessman is also trying to buy Real Oviedo, a former First Division club that have dropped to the third tier, Spanish media have reported.

A heavily indebted club in the north of the country, Racing have a famous fan in Spanish golfer and local resident Seve Ballesteros and have come under foreign control before.

Ukrainian-born American businessman Dmitry Piterman bought into the club and was president between 2003 and 2004.

The colourful Piterman hit the headlines when he clashed with the Spanish Soccer Federation (RFEF) over his attempts at coaching the team himself despite not having the correct permit.

Racing have suffered the financial problems affecting many of their Spanish peers. A study by a University of Barcelona accounting professor published last year showed it had total debts of almost €140mil.

They are currently 14th in La Liga at the halfway stage of the season, four points above the relegation places.

  

Benitez lost Inter dressing room, says striker Eto’o

ROME: Cameroon international striker Samuel Eto’o on Friday revealed that his former Inter Milan coach Rafael Benitez was sacked after losing part of the dressing room.

“What mistake did Benitez make? Until the match against Juventus (a 0-0 draw on Oct 3) we had been playing well. Then something happened in the dressing room, which I will keep to myself, and things ended up as they did,” said Eto’o in allusion to Benitez’s sacking just before Christmas despite winning the World Club Cup.

The Spaniard lasted only half a season after his arrival from Liverpool last summer to replace Jose Mourinho, who led Inter to an unprecedented treble of Champions League, Serie A title and Italian Cup.

Eto’o told a television show that he had not been one of those in the anti-Benitez camp.

“No, I wasn’t – I have known him since I was 17 and, I had a great relationship with him. But others had it in for him.” 

  

Bologna thrown into fresh crisis as president quits

MILAN: Serie A side Bologna suffered a new blow on Friday when the president who looked to have saved their immediate future unexpectedly quit after clashing with other members of a new controlling consortium.

Massimo Zanetti, a coffee magnate, had helped salvage Bologna last month when his consortium bought the club from previous owners who had struggled to pay wages and taxes.

Bologna were deducted a total of three points for the payments problems and dropped down to 16th but the future had looked rosier with Zanetti in charge until the latest developments.

“It is with deep regret that ... I am forced to resign as president and from the board of our glorious club,” Zanetti said in a statement.

Media reports said a disagreement over a choice of chief executive had caused the resignation but that the remaining members of the consortium would continue to run the club. 

  

Marchetti joins Genoa

ROME: Italian international goalkeeper Federico Marchetti, who had fallen out of favour at Cagliari where he hadn’t played since the beginning of the season, has signed for Serie A rivals Genoa, the club confirmed on Friday.

Genoa also announced the signing of 22-year-old Swedish central defender Joel Ekstrand from Helsingborg until June 2015 and Franco-Senegalese midfielder Abdullay Konko for 6mil.

Marchetti, 23, played in all three of Italy’s World Cup matches in South Africa following a herniated disc suffered by first choice stopper Gianluigi Buffon.

  

Striker Kewell scores late goal to sink champions Iraq

DOHA: A 117th-minute strike from Harry Kewell powered Australia to a 1-0 quarter-final victory over holders Iraq at the Asian Cup yesterday and into a showdown with Uzbekistan for a place in the final.

The Galatasaray forward met a pinpoint cross from Matt McKay towards the end of extra time and angled his header past Iraqi goalkeeper Mohammed Kassid to settle a match that could have gone either way.

It set them up for a semi-final against the Uzbeks on Tuesday, and avenged their 3-1 loss to Iraq in the group stage four years ago, when the war-torn country went on to win their first ever continental crown.

Both sides had chances and the Australians laid siege to the Iraqi goal for most of the second half, but they were unable to get a breakthrough in the regulation 90 minutes, sending the tie into a tense period of extra time.

“It’s definitely a great achievement, even though we went into extra time,” said Australia’s German coach Holgier Osieck.

“We showed great character in this game. It was delightful for the coach to watch. Basically, we should have done it in the regular 90 minutes. Iraq played better in extra time.”

Iraq coach Wolfgang Sidka, who is also German, said: “Certainly we are disappointed. But the way we played was 100% OK. We created more chances in extra time and it was a very exciting fight for both teams.”

Osieck was boosted by the returns of Dynamo Moscow right-back Luke Wilkshire and Blackpool defender David Carney, who were sidelined with injuries in the 1-0 win over Bahrain last Tuesday.

But Blackburn Rovers midfielder Brett Emerton missed the match due to suspension.

It was a turgid start, with few chances.

Iraqi captain Younis Mahmood had the first real sniff of goal on 24 minutes, attempting a shot on the break, but it floated onto the top of the net without troubling veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

McKay then squandered a one-one-one chance against Iraq custodian Kassid when he dashed into the box and latched onto a deflection off a long ball, but he lifted his shot high over the bar.

Neither side was taking the initiative in a scrappy half, but the Socceroos were marginally better.

In the 42nd minute, McKay brushed aside Samal Saleed to trap the ball on the edge of the area but his one-touch right-footer flew high over the bar.

Kewell’s turnaround left-foot shot in a carbon copy attack one minute later was also popped over the net, with the 32-year-old holding his head in disbelief.

Kewell had another opportunity soon after the interval with his shot from the left swerving into the near side of the net.

The Lions of Mesopotamia, who scored just two goals in the group stage, all but opened their account on 55 minutes when Emad Mohammed took the ball in the box but his right-foot shot zipped past Schwarzer and off the post.

The game was livening up as the clock started ticking and a McKay corner was headed back to Sasa Ognenovski in a goalmouth scramble but the big defender could only send it towards the Iraq keeper.

Soon after, Holman sent a screamer from 25 metres bouncing off an Iraqi defender and Kassid was forced to punch the ball clear in the 81st minute as Australia pressed for the winner.

But it was destined for extra time, with Cahill, clearly not fully recovered from the thigh injury he picked up against Bahrain, taken off by Osieck.

Australia should have been 1-0 up on 98 minutes when Ognenovski sent a spectacular overhead bicycle kick towards the goal but Mile Jedinak got in the way and diverted the ball over the bar with his head.

With the game looking like it was going to penalties, Australia shattered Iraqi dreams as Kewell stepped up to become the Socceroos’ hero.

  

Zaccheroni praises Japan’s un-Italian job

DOHA: Japan coach Alberto Zac­cheroni praised his side’s “un-Italian” attacking qualities after their 3-2 defeat of hosts Qatar in the Asian Cup quarter-finals kept them in the hunt for a record fourth title.

A last-minute goal from defender Masahiko Inoha earned Japan a thrilling victory at the Al Gharafa Stadium on Friday, after Shinji Kagawa had twice cancelled out strikes by Sebastian Soria and Fabio Cesar.

The Blue Samurai will now meet either Iran or South Korea for a place in the final and Italian Zaccheroni said their style of victory directly contradicted the footballing principles habitually espoused in his homeland.

“All over the world, people say that Italian coaches and managers are very defensive. They say that we kill our opponents’ strengths, but I showed that some Italian managers have a different style,” joked the former AC Milan boss.

He added: “I’ve been telling the Ja­­panese national team that we have to play with bravery and balance. That’s the concept.

“It doesn’t matter who you play against, we need to have the bravery to play the Japanese style of football.”

Captain Makoto Hasebe admitted he had been surprised to see his de­­fen­­­sive colleague Inoha in such an ad­­­vanced position in the game’s final minute.

“I couldn’t understand why he was there in the first place,” said the Wolfsburg midfielder. “The coaching staff had told him not to be there and I had told him not to be there. But there he was, and I was surprised. Well, maybe he was right.”

Kagawa headed in Shinji Okazaki’s goal-bound lob to claim his first goal in the 28th minute, after Soria had broken the offside trap to put Qatar 1-0 up. Maya Yoshida was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 63rd minute and from the resulting free-kick, Cesar caught out Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima at his near post to restore Qatar’s lead.

Hasebe was critical of Malaysian referee Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh’s de­­cision to dismiss centreback Yoshida.

“It’s no use talking about refereeing and things like that,” he said. “But if they want to raise the level of Asian football, such refereeing won’t help.”

Kagawa drew Japan level again seven minutes later, beating goalkeep­er Qasem Burhan with a calm left-foot finish, and it was from Kagawa’s incisive dribble that the ball broke for Inoha to stroke home Japan’s winner.

Hasebe said the nature of the win would give Japan added self-belief ahead of the semi-finals.

“We’ve got momentum and coming through a situation like that confirmed our mental strength. But Iran and South Korea are teams one rank or two ranks higher, and there is room for us to improve in defence.”