DOHA, Qatar — South Korea and Australia both won through to the semifinals of the Asian Cup with extra time victories on Saturday, setting up a likely fight for the title between the federation's eastern powers.
A last-gasp header from Harry Kewell sent Australia past defending champion Iraq while South Korea edged closer to its third title with a gritty win over Iran.
Australia, playing only its second Asian Cup after switching from the Oceania federation, only narrowly avoided the lottery of penalties when Matt McKay's pinpoint long cross with three minutes to go in extra time found an onrushing Kewell between two defenders and the former Leeds and Liverpool star headed home from close range.
South Korea also left it late, with substitute midfielder Yoon Bit-garam scoring with a left-foot drive from just outside the area in the 105th minute.
Australia will be favoured to win when it plays Uzbekistan in the semifinals while South Korea will take on old rival Japan on Tuesday.
Kewell, now with Galatasaray in Turkey, is part of a golden generation of Australian players moving toward the end of their career and sensing a last chance to secure what would be Australia's biggest ever tournament victory.
"It was important to get the goal, didn't really want to go into a shootout," Kewell said. "(It's a) massive relief. There are no easy games in Asia. We worked hard as a team and I was proud of every one of them."
Australia coach Holger Osieck said reaching the semifinal was "a great achievement".
"Although it went to extra time, in 90 minutes we played solidly in defence ... and created a lot of good chances," Osieck said. "If I'm not mistaken, the Iraqis only had one great opportunity and the rest came from half chances. We should have done our job in 90 minutes."
Iraq coach Wolfgang Sidka disagreed, saying the his side had the better opportunities in extra time and was competitive throughout the match.
"It was up and down. You saw everything in this game," Sidka said. "We always played in front and tried to create chances especially in extra time, in the last 30 minutes. In the end, it was one cross and one header."
In a tight first half, Osieck's plan of subduing Iraq playmaker Nashat Akram paid off, while Iraq restricted Australia to half-chances, but the game opened up after the break.
Mohammed missed what would turn out to be Iraq's best chance after he was played in by Younus Mahmood, and that scare appeared to spark Australia into life.
Iraq defender Basem Abbas, who was closest to Kewell, said the last-gasp winner was hard to accept and he apologized to fans "for not keeping the cup in Iraq."
"It is really painful," Abbas said. "We played a great match and suddenly they scored. It is not anyone's mistake. But we could have scored earlier. We had a lot of chances."
In the late game, three-time champion Iran seemed to have the edge going into extra time. But it was the South Koreans — who had appeared exhausted late in the second half — who dug deep.
Their breakthrough came in the 105th when the unheralded Yoon received the ball from midfielder Lee Chung-yong, shifted to his left past two defenders, and then drilled a shot from the edge of the penalty area for the winner.
In the second period of extra time, Iran tried desperately to find the equalizer but South Korea crowded its defence and hung on to win. The closest Iran came to tying the match was a shot from Masoud Shoajei with six minutes left in extra time that hit the top of the net.
"The co-operation and the willingness of my players to sacrifice for each other were the key factors of our victory," South Korea coach Cho Kwang-rae said. "Iran has been beyond the level of Asian football, they are close to European level. The main reason we won the match is that we controlled the midfield and didn't let them play their game."
After winning the first two editions of the continental tournament, South Korea was runner-up three times and finished third another three times, and has not won the title since 1960.
Iran coach Afshin Ghotbi said his players had plenty to be proud of despite being eliminated.
"What we achieved with this team, if you look at it from a helicopter view and without emotion, they really achieved greatness," he said. "They beat Iraq, the defending champion, North Korea, who were at the World Cup and the United Arab Emirates with almost a different team. And today they took the South Koreans to the limits."
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