Jordan Score Twice in Injury Time to Surge into Asian Cup Quarters

 Jordan's Nizar Al-Rashdan celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Asian Cup round of 16 soccer match between Iraq and Jordan at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP)
Jordan's Nizar Al-Rashdan celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Asian Cup round of 16 soccer match between Iraq and Jordan at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP)
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Jordan Score Twice in Injury Time to Surge into Asian Cup Quarters

 Jordan's Nizar Al-Rashdan celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Asian Cup round of 16 soccer match between Iraq and Jordan at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP)
Jordan's Nizar Al-Rashdan celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Asian Cup round of 16 soccer match between Iraq and Jordan at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP)

Jordan will meet Tajikistan in the Asian Cup quarter-finals after scoring twice in three minutes deep in stoppage time to stun Iraq 3-2 in a thriller on Monday.

Jordan had a man advantage after the 77th-minute dismissal of Aymen Hussein but looked down and out in injury time, only for Yazan Al-Arab to prod in a 95th-minute leveler.

If that was hard to believe, better was to come two minutes later for Jordan when Nizar Al-Rashdan curled in from well outside the box to fire the underdogs into the last eight and spark wild celebrations.

Iraq's heartbroken players were left flat-out on the turf, their dreams of repeating the country's fairytale 2007 Asian Cup title somehow snatched from their grasp.

Jordan's coach Hussein Ammouta agreed with his opposite number that the harsh dismissal of Hussein for a second yellow card, for over-celebrating what he thought was Iraq's winner, changed the game.

"The second half belonged to them, they scored two goals and then had to continue with 10 players," said the Moroccan.

Jordan, who held South Korea 2-2 in the group phase, next face a Tajikistan side who are one of the surprise packages of the competition on their Asian Cup debut.

In Monday's other last-16 game, hosts and holders Qatar face Palestine.

'Turning point'

Jordan are ranked 24 places lower than Iraq but they were the better side in the first half in front of a 36,000 crowd at a raucous Khalifa International Stadium.

After going close on at least two occasions, Jordan deservedly took the lead in the first minute of injury time.

The Iraq defense sloppily presented Yazan Al-Naimat with the ball and he raced towards goal before chipping over a flailing and overworked goalkeeper Jalal Hassan.

Iraq, who defeated pre-tournament favorites Japan 2-1 in the group stage, went on the attack after the break.

The pressure paid off in the 68th minute when defender Saad Natiq nodded down and in from a corner for the equalizer.

Jordan went right up the other end and flashed an effort across goal, before unmarked striker Hussein controlled the ball in the box and lashed in to make it 2-1 in the 76th minute.

It was his sixth goal of the tournament but he was promptly given a second yellow card, having sat on the ground and mimicked what appeared to be eating.

Then came Jordan's quickfire double at the death to leave Iraq reeling.

"Of course the sending-off was the turning point," said Iraq's Spanish coach Jesus Casas.

"I don't understand how a referee can send a player off for celebrating.

"When this happened, we had to make changes and this complicated our task."



Juventus Beat Verona 2-0 with Late Thuram, Koopmeiners Goals

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Hellas Verona - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 3, 2025 Juventus' Teun Koopmeiners scores their second goal past Hellas Verona's Lorenzo Montipo REUTERS/Massimo Pinca
Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Hellas Verona - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 3, 2025 Juventus' Teun Koopmeiners scores their second goal past Hellas Verona's Lorenzo Montipo REUTERS/Massimo Pinca
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Juventus Beat Verona 2-0 with Late Thuram, Koopmeiners Goals

Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Hellas Verona - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 3, 2025 Juventus' Teun Koopmeiners scores their second goal past Hellas Verona's Lorenzo Montipo REUTERS/Massimo Pinca
Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Hellas Verona - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - March 3, 2025 Juventus' Teun Koopmeiners scores their second goal past Hellas Verona's Lorenzo Montipo REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

Late goals from Khephren Thuram and Teun Koopmeiners earned misfiring Juventus a 2-0 home win against Hellas Verona in Serie A on Monday as Thiago Motta's side extended their winning run to five games.

Juventus held a lion's share of possession and created nearly 30 chances but struggled to break the deadlock with most of them missing the target, while visiting goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo produced a string of saves to deny the rest.

But Thuram found a way past the heroic Verona keeper in the 72nd minute, scoring with first touch from around the penalty spot, and Koopmeiners doubled the lead with a low shot from a tight angle in the 90th.

Juve, who last week were eliminated in Coppa Italia quarter-finals by relegation-threatened Empoli, are fourth in the standings on 52 points, six off leaders Inter Milan and two above Lazio in fifth.

The hosts, who were the only Italian side to win all of their league games in February, cut distance to the top after Inter drew at second-placed Napoli last weekend and Atalanta, in third, were held goalless at home by lowly Venezia, Reuters reported.

Verona are 14th, four points above the relegation zone.

The visitors had the first attempts on target through Tomas Suslov and Amin Sarr, who both struck from outside the box inside seven minutes, but Juve keeper Michele Di Gregorio saved their shots.

Verona barely abandoned their own half ever since as they were under constant fire from Juventus.

Thuram should have put the home side in front early on when he was served a precise pass inside the area but his attempt from the penalty spot lacked strength and Montipo had no problem denying him.

Weston McKennie thought he made it 1-0 before the break with a close-range header following a free kick but his goal was ruled out for a foul on the Verona keeper.

Montipo continued to deliver and Manuel Locatelli saw his two brilliant chances thwarted minutes later as frustration grew among the local fans.

However, things could have been worse for Juve as Verona appeared to have taken a shock lead in first-half stoppage time through Suslov, who fired from a distance, but his stunning goal was disallowed for offside.

Kenan Yildiz hit the side netting for the hosts after the restart as more chances missed Verona's goal until Thuram sent the ball inside the right side of the net to finally give them the lead.

Koopmeiners doubled the advantage when he was teed up on the edge of the area and outfoxed Verona's defence to strike past Montipo inside the near post.

Juventus won each of their first four home league games in a single calendar year for the first time since 2021.