Son scored South Korea's second goal against Australia in the final (Getty)
Son Heung-min led South Korea to overturn a goal from a deficit to win 2-1 over Australia and qualify for the semi-finals of the Asian Football Cup held in Qatar today, Friday.
Australia was minutes away from achieving victory and qualifying for the semi-finals after they took the lead from a direct shot fired by Craig Goodwin after he cut the ball from South Korean players near the end of the first half, after the Video Assistant Referee canceled a Korean goal due to offside.
The Australian team surprises its counterpart, the South Korean team, and advances by one unanswered goal 🇦🇺⚽️🔥 #Asia_Cup | #AsiaCup2023 | #Australia_South_Korea#AsianCup2023 pic.twitter.com/YmjxvFgSbx
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) February 2, 2024
But similar to what happened against Saudi Arabia in the round of 16, South Korea equalized in stoppage time of the second half, this time from a penalty kick earned by a Tottenham Hotspur player and scored by Hwang Hee-chan to force extra time.
The South Korean team equalizes in the fatal time from the penalty mark 🥅🇰🇷🔥 #Asian_Cup | #AsiaCup2023 | #Australia_South_Korea#AsianCup2023 pic.twitter.com/Vk9kPoZ4C5
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) February 2, 2024
Near the end of the first extra half, Son scored the winning goal from a free kick on the edge of the penalty area, making the Australian team pay the price for wasting many dangerous opportunities in the second half.
Son Heung-min scores a wonderful goal in the final moments of the first extra period from a free kick 😮🇰🇷👏 #Asian_Cup | #AsiaCup2023 | #Australia_South_Korea#AsianCup2023 pic.twitter.com/jPQqbPWcns
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) February 2, 2024
Matters were complicated for the Australian team when Eden O'Neill was sent off in stoppage time of the first extra half, following a violent intervention on Hwang Hee-chan. The South Korean national team did not capitalize on the opportunities it had in the second overtime period, settling for two goals.
Thus, South Korea sets a date with the Jordanian national team, which qualified for the first time in its history to the semi-finals after its 1-0 victory over Tajikistan earlier today, Friday.
Source: Reuters