01 August 2004	Sunday	14 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

CHONGQING, July 31: Holders Japan advanced to the Asian Cup semifinals on Saturday after beating Jordan 4-3 in a controversial penalty shootout that started at one end and finished at the other.

Held to a 1-1 draw after extra time, Japan survived three times in the shootout after missing their first two spot kicks. They went through when defender Bashar Bani Yaseen fired Jordan's seventh kick wide.

Japan, who had to overcome a hostile crowd of 52,000 in Chongqing, play Bahrain in the semifinals on Tuesday.

However, their victory was marred by controversy after Japan coach Zico and his coaching staff held up Jordan's second kick to protest about the condition of the turf around the penalty spot.

Shunsuke Nakamura and Brazilian-born Alex had blazed over before the shootout was delayed by the Japanese bench, provoking a furious row between players, coaches and match officials.

Malaysian referee Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh surprisingly ordered the teams to switch ends, to the obvious annoyance of the Jordan players and coach, Mahmoud Al Gohary.

"We have never seen a referee switch ends for penalties just because he received a demand from the other team," fumed his assistant, Alaa Nabil.

Jordan still had three chances to win the match on penalties but goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi kept Japan alive with superb saves from Haitham Al Shboul and Anas Al Zboun.

Bani Yaseen then pulled the decisive kick wide to end Jordan's fairytale run in their first Asian Cup appearance.

Cheered on by Jordan's King Abdullah, they had stunned Japan in the 11th minute, left-back Khaled Sa'ed whipping in a cross for striker Mahmoud Shelbaieh to power a header past Kawaguchi.

But Japan struck back three minutes later when a Nakamura free kick was fumbled by goalkeeper Amer Shafi Sabbah, leaving forward Takayuki Suzuki with a simple tap-in.

Abdullah Abu Zema had no trouble converting Jordan's first kick after watching Nakamura miss badly.

Ali Karimi grabbed a hat trick as Iran beat South Korea 4-3 in a pulsating encounter to reach semifinals.

Karimi snatched a 77th-minute winner as the three-time champions exacted revenge for a 2-1 defeat by the Koreans at the same stage of the competition four years ago.

Iran will play hosts China in the last four on Tuesday.

Playmaker Karimi twice put Iran ahead in the first half but 2002 World Cup semi-finalists Korea hit back through Seol Ki-hyeon and Lee Dong-gook, who scored his fourth goal of the Asian Cup in the 25th minute to make it 2-2.

Iran went in front again through an own goal by Park Jin-sub six minutes after the break only for Kim Nam-il to equalise in the 68th minute with a fine strike from the edge of the box.

But with 13 minutes left, Karimi arrived at the near post to flick a Mehdi Mahdavikia free kick past goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae and tied Lee Dong-gook as tournament top scorer with four goals.

Japan 4 Jordan 3

(after penalty shoot out)

Iran 4 South Korea 3

-Reuters