DUBAI: Vietnam, Iran and China all sealed place in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 quarter-finals with the Vietnamese leading the way by defeating Jordan 4-2 on penalties after their second round tie ended 1-1 in Dubai.

Iran defeated Oman 2-0 and China recovered from a goal down to defet Thailand 2-1.

Up next for Vietnam will be the winners of the Japan-Saudi Arabia last 16 tie, with the quarter-final to be also played at Al Maktoum Stadium.

Both teams started positively and Jordan took the lead in the 38th minute after Do Hung Dung brought Salem Alajalin down just outside the box, and Abdelrahman fired the free-kick into the top right corner of the net.

Vietnam’s hard work paid dividends six minutes into the second half when Nguyen Trong Hoang sent in a curling cross in front of the goal mouth which Nguyen Cong Phuong squeezed past the Jordanian defenders for the equaliser.

Jordan survived a scare at the hour mark when Shilbaya failed to fully block Nguyen Quang Hai’s through pass but before Phan Van Duc could connect, other defenders cleared to keep the score level.

Neither side managed to find a route to goal in the remaining minutes, forcing the first ever AFC Asian Cup last-16 tie to go into extra-time and then penalties.

It was a case of who would blink first in the shoot-out and Jordan were the first to miss with Baha Seif striking the crossbar which was then followed by Ahmed Saleh’s effort saved by Vietnam goalkeeper Dang.

Vietnam’s Tran Minh Vuong then failed to put the game to bed with Vietnam’s fourth effort but Bùi Tien Dung made no mistake as the Southeast Asians marched into the quarter-finals.

Later veteran  goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand’s penalty save and a goal a piece from Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Ashkan Dejagah in the first-half saw Iran defeat Oman 2-0 in their Round of 16 tie at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium.

Iran will now face  quarter-final tie against China  for whom Xiao Zhi came off the substitutes’ bench to equalise against Thailand before Gao Lin sealed a 2-1 victory.

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