YEM 2-1 JPN: It all went to plan beams Al Nash

Yemen coach Sami Al Nash and his players celebrate their shock 2-1 win over AFC U-16 champions Japan.

TASHKENT – Coach Sami Al Nash was delighted as his carefully laid out plan worked to perfection for Yemen, who recorded a dramatic 2-1 win over Japan on Thursday to win Group D ahead of the defending champions.

The tight contest was heading for a draw which would have sent Japan, who were already assured of a place in the last eight before kick-off, through as group winners and Yemen as runners-up after captain Mohammed Al Shamsi’s penalty had cancelled out Tatsuya Uchida’s 52nd minute opener.

But in the fifth and final minute of added time, Ahmed Al Baidhani skipped past Yoshiaki Takagi's diving challenge to fire home with virtually the last kick of the game to send Yemen into a quarter-final meeting with Saudi Arabia on Sunday while Japan face a clash with Australia.

“Japan are the defending champions and one of the favourites to win in Uzbekistan so we planned to defend to ensure we advance to the second stage,” said Al Nash.

“Japan like to attack and score in the first 10 or 15 minutes so to address that we looked to defend well and get through to half-time level. If there were any chances we would look to take them, but we set out to defend.

“In the second half we waited until the first 15 minutes to pass and looked to take advantage as Japan became frustrated.

“Our aim was always to advance to the next stage, either in first place or second, but we are lucky to go through in first.”

His counterpart Yutaka Ikeuchi was quick to concede that Japan, who had earlier defeated Malaysia 4-0 and United Arab Emirates 6-1, were simply beaten by the better team.

“We set out to win the game, but Yemen were the better team. We performed as we would normally and tried to win,” said Ikeuchi.

“We want to win every game, but Yemen’s attack played better than we did in defence.”

Despite the defeat, Ikeuchi insisted Japan can still achieve their goal of securing a place at the U-17 World Cup and was quick to defend his decision to rest several players with a place in the quarter-finals already assured.

“Any player should be ready to take the opportunity to play,” he added.

“They are all in the squad to play and would not have been selected if they couldn’t.”

Source:The AFC.com

YEM 2-1 JPN: Late winner takes Yemen top

Waleed Al Hubaishi (right) and Yoshiaki Takagi contest possession during Yemen's 2-1 win over Japan.

TASHKENT – Ahmed Al Baidhani scored in the last minute of stoppage time as Yemen snatched top spot in Group D at the AFC U-16 Championship away from Japan after a dramatic 2-1 win at Pakhtakor Stadium on Thursday.

Tatsuya Uchida opened the scoring for Japan shortly after the break, but Yemen responded before the hour mark as captain Mohammed Al Shamsi converted from the penalty spot.

And in fifth minute of stoppage time, Al Baidhani produced a brilliant piece of individual skill to send Yemen through to a quarter-final meeting with Saudi Arabia, while Japan will face Australia.

Regardless of the result across town at MHSK Stadium where Malaysia faced United Arab Emirates, Japan only needed a draw to top the group while Yemen had to avoid defeat to advance.

The contest reflected the fact with neither side willing to commit too much in attack. Japan had the majority of possession and always looked the more likely to break the deadlock as they forced a number of corners.

But Japan’s first effort on target came 10 minutes before the break as Kenyu Sugimoto sent a weak header from Kyohei Uchida’s cross safely into the arms of Yemen goalkeeper Mohammed Waleed.

Japan broke the deadlock seven minutes after the break when Koji Takano’s header from a corner was palmed away by Mohammed into the path of Tatsuya Uchida and the defender gave the Yemen goalkeeper no chance as he fired high into net from the edge of the six yard area.

But Yemen were back on level terms just four minutes later as Waleed Al Hubaishi was bundled over inside the area as he attempted to muscle his way past Tatsuya Uchida after cutting in from the left wing.

Captain Al Shamsi calmly stepped up and fired high into net out of the reach of Ken Tajiri’s dive.

Japan had the ball in the net with six minutes remaining, but Takumi Miyayoshi clearly used his hand to punch the ball past Mohammed from Kyohei Uchida’s cross as he rose to challenge the goalkeeper on the edge of the six yard area.

And they were made to pay as Al Baidhani picked the ball up on the edge of the area, skipped past the diving challenge of Yoshiaki Takagi to fire into to the roof the net past Tajiri with virtually the last touch of the game.

Source:The AFC.com

UAE 3-2 MYS - We feared third admits Al Arfi

After two quick fire goals from Malaysia the UAE feared they would let slip their three goal lead.

TASHKENT – United Arab Emirates assistant coach Salem Al Arfi was relieved to see his side survive a late scare as they held on to beat Malaysia 3-2 in their final Group D match at the AFC U-16 Championship on Thursday.

UAE were 3-0 up after 58 minutes at MHSK Stadium thanks to goals by Marwan Al Saffar, Mohamed Hussain and Haddaf Al Ameri but Muhamad Bukhari scored two goals in four minutes late in the game to set up a tense finish.

"We are glad that we got a win at the end of the day because it was disappointing to have a 3-0 lead before conceding two goals in the second half," said Al Arfi in the post-match press conference.

"After taking a three-goal lead our players thought that they had sealed the game but we warned them that the game was not over yet and that's what happened as Malaysia scored two quick goals.

"We were afraid that we would concede a late equaliser as our players underestimated Malaysia and their strength and they made simple mistakes.

"However, we held on to the lead and won the game."

Malaysia coach Lim Kim Chon felt that his team’s disorganisation in midfield was a crucial factor in their loss.

"There is nothing much to say about the game but the defeat came with a lot of pain as we lost the match due to the disorganisation of our midfield and that gave the advantage to UAE," he said.

"We went into the game looking for a win because we wanted to have a chance of progress. The defeat came about after we conceded two goals in the first half which made the UAE players comfortable.

"Giving away two goals in the first half was bad as it demoralised our players," Lim added.

"Despite coming back in the second half and scoring two goals, we couldn't just score the equaliser.

"The first goal that we conceded was unexpected as it was so easy and from a long distance free-kick. It was a poor judgment by our goalkeeper and that affected our players.

"Our objective was to win the game but we didn't underestimate our opponents. However, the game didn't go as we planned although we made a good comeback in the second half."

source:The AFC.com

UAE 3-2 MYS: UAE avoid ‘wooden spoon’

Malaysia defender Mohamad Faris shields the ball from UAE skipper Mohammed Al Ameri in their final Group D clash.

TASHKENT – United Arab Emirates avoided the wooden spoon in Group D as they held on to beat Malaysia 3-2 in their final group stage match at the AFC U-16 Championship on Thursday.

UAE raced out to a 2-0 lead at half-time with goals by Marwan Al Saffar and Mohamed Hussain and appeared to have sewn up the match at MHSK Stadium when Haddaf Al Ameri made it 3-0 in the 58th minute.

But Muhamad Bukhari pulled a goal back for Malaysia from the penalty spot in the 68th minute and added his second of the match four minutes later to set up a nervous finish for the Emirates.

UAE had seen their chances of reaching the quarter-finals evaporate after having the point from their opening 1-1 draw with Yemen taken away for fielding an ineligible player and they entered the match in last place with no points.

Malaysia still had a faint chance of progress and began the match well, creating the first chance in the fifth minute when Mohammad Saidin put a header wide before Saarvindran Devandrn sent a powerful drive from just inside the area just over the bar shortly afterwards.

But it was the Emirates that scored with virtually their first chance of the game in the 16th minute when Al Saffar fired a long-range free-kick past Zulfadhli bin Mohamed into the top right corner of the net.

Zulfadhli was beaten again in the 28th minute when Fahad Salim’s cross from the right flew over the Malaysian defence and found Mohamed Hussain, who slammed a left-footed drive past the Malaysian custodian.

Malaysia should have cut the deficit three minutes before the break when Mohamad Fandi’s free-kick was deflected by a UAE defender to Saidin whose weak shot went straight into the hands of UAE goalkeeper Eesa Abbas.

Gary Steven fired wide for Malaysia early in the second half and that miss appeared costly when UAE extended their lead in the 58th minute as Marwan Al Saffar’s free-kick from the left found Haddaf Al Ameri whose effort found the back of the net with the aid of a deflection off a Malaysian defender.

Malaysia pulled a goal back midway through the second half when Hasan Al Shanifi fouled Saiful Ridzuwan inside the box and Bukhari made not mistake from the penalty spot.

Bukhari netted his second of the night with a 30-yard stunner four minutes later but UAE held on in the closing minutes for the 3-2 win.

Source:The AFC.com

AUS 6-0 TKM: Crook revels in second-string show

Australia coach Martyn Crook enjoyed seeing his reserve players grasp their opportunity as they ran out 6-0 winners over Turkmenistan.

TASHKENT – Australia coach Martyn Crook was delighted with the performance of his reserve players in the 6-0 win over Turkmenistan on Thursday as they ended their Group C campaign with a perfect three victories.
Crook made 10 changes to the squad that defeated China in their previous match and two goals from Danai Gapare, plus strikes from Ben Kantarovski, Teddy Yabio, Dimitrios Petratos and Marc Warren gave his side a comprehensive victory over their luckless opponents.

"It was a good game for us as the new players produced a good performance and we are definitely happy with the result at the end of the day," said Crook.

"We wanted to give some rest to the key players after securing our place at the top of the group. The new boys did well although they were playing for the first time together.

"We are pleased with the performance and the most important thing is that this performance will help us in our next game as we have a few injuries while we used players in different positions and we solved some problems," he added.

"The performance in general was good although it is the first time that these players have played together. They are talented boys and we wanted to give them a chance to play international football."

Turkmenistan coach Amanklych Kochumov admitted that the inexperience of his players played a major part in their previous defeats and today was no different as they made a lot of mistakes at the back.

"The problem that we have is that our players don't have experience at all," said Kochumov.

"Our players lacked the necessary experience to deal with every situation in the games and that's why we conceded a lot of goals and scored only once.

"We played against strong opposition and that's why we lost our strength from game to game," he added.

"We prepared well for the competition but as we played our matches, we lost our strength.

"We have learnt a lot from playing at such a tournament as our players gained some experience for the future and hopefully we can continue our ambitions to play in such big tournaments in the future."

Source:The AFC.com

AUS 6-0 TKM: Joeys knock Turkmen for six

Goal scorer Teddy Yabio (left) tussles with Turkmenistan's Ruslan Kurbanov as Australia rounds off their Group C campaign with a resounding 6-0 victory.

TASHKENT – A second-string Australian side scored six unanswered goals as they easily disposed of Turkmenistan in their final Group C match in the AFC U16 Championship at MHSK Stadium on Thursday.

Danai Gapare struck in each half while Ben Kantarovski, Teddy Yabio, Dimitrios Petratos and Marc Warren were also on the mark to ensure they finished the group stage with a perfect record of three wins.

Australia coach Martyn Crook retained only captain Warren from the squad that defeated China in the previous match as he made no less than 10 changes to give his reserves the opportunity to feature.

However, it did not affect Australia's performance and they threatened after only 40 seconds when Cameron Edwards shot over the crossbar while Turkmenistan's first chance came in the fifth minute but Vahyt Orazsahedov could not beat Aaron Lennox.

Australia almost broke the deadlock after six minutes when Gapare collected a ball on the right before forging into the area and firing a powerful shot that was pushed away by Turkmenistan goalkeeper Kurbanmurad Karayev.

But they did not have to wait long to take the lead as just one minute later,

Nathan Farrel's corner from the right was deflected by a Turkmenistan defender towards their own goal. Karayev managed to push the ball away but Kantarovski was in the right place at the right time to knock the ball into the net.

Turkmenistan wasted a chance to equalise after 20 minutes when Orazsahedov's good run saw him beat Warren and Bailey Wright before making his way into the area but he shot wide of the right-hand post.

Australia doubled their lead in the 32nd minute when Edwards progressed down the right flank before delivering a tempting cross towards Yabio, who managed to find the back of the net despite having the Turkmenistan defence in close attendance.

The Joeys netted their third on the stroke of half-time when Farrel's centre from the left flank was controlled by Gapare on his chest before producing a clinical finish that went in via the left upright.

Australia extended their lead three minutes after the restart as Farrel's long pass picked out Gapare, who evaded Wezirgeldi Ylyasov and scored with a powerful effort from inside the area.

There were more goals to come as Australia added a fifth two minutes after the hour mark when Warren's pass found Petratos and his low finish beat the helpless Karayev.

Warren turned from provider to scorer three minutes later with a powerful shot from distance that seemed would cause no problems for Karayev but the ball hit the underside of the bar and went in.

Source:The AFC.com

CHN 1-1 KSA - Kika relief as Arabs scrape through

Head coach Kika endured a few anxious moments as Saudi Arabia scraped into the last eight with a 1-1 draw against China.

TASHKENT - Head coach Joaquim "Kika" Filho was a relieved man after Saudi Arabia recorded a nervy 1-1 draw with China on Thursday to secure a place in the AFC U-16 Championship quarter-finals.

With both teams level on three points but with Saudi Arabia holding the edge on goal difference, Kika set his side up to control the game and despite China having several chances in the first half, his plan looked to be working as goalkeeper Fawaz Al Khaibari was rarely under threat.

But following a half-time attacking change, China took the lead through substitute Yu Baobao as he took advantage of a slip from Abdullah Madu.

Saudi Arabia struggled to create chances to get back into the contest but with 19 minutes remaining substitute Yousef Al Khamis headed home Musab Al Otaibi’s cross to send his side through as China failed to responded despite late possession.

"It was a very difficult game for us," he said. "We knew we had to at least finish with a draw because that would mean we progressed to the next round and I was pleased we managed to achieve that. I am happy we are in the next round as our goal is to go to the World Cup.

"We just tried to control the ball, play very tight in defence and not commit too much in attack that would leave us in a dangerous situation in defence."

Despite Madu’s error, Kika was also pleased his defence continued their improvement following the opening day 3-1 defeat by Group C winners Australia as they frustrated China for the majority of the contest.

"The defence played very well," added Kika. "In the first game against Australia there were a lot of mistakes, but we have improved as the tournament has progressed and I hope this will continue in the quarter-finals as it will be very difficult."

Opposite number Zhang Ning was pleased with China’s display even though they fell narrowly short of their goal.

"We have performed better and better over the three matches," he said. "We led for a long period, but Saudi Arabia managed to equalise. But this is because the players are young and lack experience so I am satisfied with the way we played.

"We had the ability in the team to go through to the quarter-finals but this was a very good group and the teams were very even."

Source:The AFC.com

CHN 1-1 KSA: Al Khamis sends Saudis through

Faisal Al Ghamdi (left) evades Jin Jingdao as Saudi Arabia book their place in the last eight with a 1-1 draw against China.

TASHKENT - Yousef Al Khamis’ second-half header sent Saudi Arabia into the AFC U-16 Championship quarter-finals after holding China to a 1-1 draw in Thursday’s Group C finale at Pakhtakor Stadium.

China needed a win to join group winners Australia in the last eight and were heading into the knockout stage as substitute Yu Baobao capitalised on a defensive error to open the scoring at the start of the second-half only four minutes after coming on.

But Saudi Arabia, who held the crucial edge in terms of goal difference with both teams level on points, secured the draw they needed as substitute Al Khamis headed home with 19 minutes remaining.

On another sun-drenched afternoon in the Uzbekistan capital, China came to life following a tight start to the contest as Jiang Xiaochen shot across the face of goal following a strong run.

Jiang blazed over midway through the first-half and Zheng Kaimu headed wide before Liu Shangkun cushioned Jin Jingdao’s left wing cross into the path of Guo Yi but the midfielder pulled his effort wide of the upright from the edge of the six-yard area.

Following several earlier Saudi long-range efforts which failed to trouble Zhang Zhenqiang, Musab Al Otaibi’s low drive from 25-yards forced the keeper into a full-length diving save 10 minutes before the break.

Liu should have handed China the lead in first-half stoppage time but after beating the Saudi offside trap from Zhang Tianlong’s through ball, hesitated as he entered the area allowing Fawaz Al Khaibari to race off his line and block the shot at his feet.

Needing a goal to advance, coach Zhang Ning introduced Yu two minutes after the break as China adopted a more attacking formation with three strikers leading the search for a breakthrough.

And the move paid off just four minutes later as Yu capitalised on a slip from Saudi defender Abdullah Madu to skip into the area and slip the ball past a helpless Al Khaibari.

With 20 minutes remaining, Saudi substitute Al Khamis volleyed wide from Al Otaibi’s corner but a just a minute later the two again combined for the striker to power a downward header past Zhang Zhenqiang from the midfielders inviting right wing cross.

China dominated possession in the closing stages as they searched for a winner but failed to test Al Khaibari as Saudi Arabia held on to book their place in the last eight.

Source:The AFC.com