Sydney: Korea Republic will play in the final of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time since 1988 after Uli Stielike’s side handed 2007 champions Iraq a 2-0 defeat to book their place in the competition’s final at Stadium Australia.
The two-time champions – who have not won the continental title since 1960 – will meet either hosts Australia or 2013 Gulf Cup champions the United Arab Emirates on Saturday after goals from Lee Jeong-hyeop and Kim Young-gwon took the Taeguk Warriors past the Iraqis.
Korea last played in the final of the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar in 1988, when they lost on penalties to Saudi Arabia, and Stielike’s side avenged a semi-final defeat at the hands of Iraq when Younus Mahmood and his team mates went on to win the AFC Asian Cup in 2007.
Stielike made two changes to his starting line-up, bringing in Han Kyo-won for former AFC Player of the Year Lee Keun-ho as veteran right back Cha Du-ri replaced Kim Chang-soo.
Iraqi, meanwhile, called up Osamah Shakir for the suspended Yaser Kasim and Amjed Kalaf took the place of Columbus Crew midfielder Justin Meram.
The Koreans wasted little time taking the initiative, with Han Kyo-won narrowly missing with a diving header from Ki Sung-yueng’s in-swinging free kick from the left while Nam Tae-hee tried his luck from distance, only to send the ball over the bar.
Son Heung-min’s 19th minute surge through the Iraqi midfield ended with the Bayer Leverkusen man seeing his drive from distance tipped over the bar by Jalal Hassan, and soon after Lee Jeong-hyeon claimed his second goal of the tournament.
The 23-year-old Sangju Sangmu forward rose highest to reach Kim Jin-su’s free kick from close to the right touchline before Hassan could punch clear, the header sending the Korean fans amongst the 36,053 crowd into raptures in the 20th minute.
Korea had been dominant in the first half but, with six minutes remaining in the half, Iraq finally had a sight of goal. Ahmed Yaseen sent his long-range attempt well over the bar while, two minutes ahead of the break, Kalaf forced Kim Jin-hyeon to drop to his right to push a low shot away for a corner.
Five minutes after the restart, however, the Koreans all but put the game to bed.
Lee Jeong-hyeop was involved again, this time chesting the ball down on the edge of the area into the path of defender Kim Young-gwon and the Guangzhou Evergrande man’s bouncing shot skidded past Hassan and into the corner of the goal.
Ki Sung-yueng and Son Heung-min both tried their luck unsuccessfully from long range soon after, before the increasingly desperate Iraqis started pumping the ball long towards captain Mahmood.
But the veteran could not find a way past a Korean defence that has yet to concede a goal at the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015, and the Taeguk Warriors sealed their long-awaited place in the final of the continental championship.
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