The knockout stage of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup was the second and final stage of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, following the group stage. It was played on 22 to 31 January, began with the quarter-finals and ended with the final match of the tournament, held at Stadium Australia, Sydney. The top two teams from each group (eight in total) advanced to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination tournament. A third-place match was played between the two losing teams of the semi-finals (United Arab Emirates and Iraq). Australia won the trophy after defeating South Korea in the final.
In all matches in the knockout stage, if the score were level at the end of 90 minutes, two 15-minute periods of extra time was played. If the score were still level after extra time, the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out.
Qualified teams The top two placed teams from each of the four groups advanced to the knockout stage.
Group Winners Runners-up A B C D
Bracket
Scores after extra time are indicated by (a.e.t.), and penalty shoot-out are indicated by (pen.).
Quarter-finals
South Korea vs Uzbekistan Two-time champions South Korea secured a third consecutive appearance in the semi-finals after edging out Uzbekistan 2–0 in a thrilling quarter-final at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. Son Heung-min netted with just over a minute of the first half of extra-time remaining following an entertaining yet goalless 90 minutes of normal time, which was the first draw of the tournament, before repeating the feat at the end of the second period and having followed up their win over Uzbekistan in the third place play-off at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup with a fourth consecutive win of the 2015 campaign without conceding a goal, Uli Stielike's Group A winners would face either Iran or Iraq in semi-final at Stadium Australia in Sydney.Asian Cup 2015: South Korea into semi-finals after beating Uzbekistan 2–0
Group B runners-up Uzbekistan had made a positive start as lone striker Bakhodir Nasimov and Sanjar Tursunov tested South Korea goalkeeper Kim Jin-hyeon inside the first 20 minutes before Odil Ahmedov volleyed over on the edge of the six-yard area from Vitaliy Denisov's left wing cross. South Korea, though, finally created their first chance of note midway through the first half as Ignatiy Nesterov produced a superb double block to deny Lee Keun-ho and Nam Tae-hee before the Uzbekistan goalkeeper was at full-stretch moments later to superbly produce a one-handed flying save to push Son's curling effort from just inside the area over the crossbar. But Uzbekistan's chances were dealt a huge blow 16 minutes before half-time as captain Ahmedov was forced off with an injury to be replaced by Timur Kapadze, and despite beginning the contest on the back foot, South Korea fought back to finish the first half on top. Nesterov remained the busier of the two goalkeepers at the start of the second half with another flying one-handed save to beat away Lee Jung-hyup's header from Ki Sung-yueng's 47th-minute free kick.
Both sides, though, enjoyed plenty of possession inside the final third during an open second 45 minutes with the goalkeepers at either end of the field having to remain on their toes as Lee Keun-ho fired into the side netting with just under 20 minutes remaining following a lapse in concentration by the Uzbekistan defence. South Korea then enjoyed their own stroke of luck with 12 minutes remaining as Lutfulla Turaev headed wide at the back post from Sardor Rashidov's chipped cross with the goal at his mercy and goalkeeper Kim struggling to recover. Group A winners South Korea were able to finish the end of normal time on top, but after Nam failed to connect with the goal at his mercy inside the final 10 minutes, the first draw of the tournament sent the tie to extra-time.South Korea 2-0 Uzbekistan (AET): Heung-Min Son double clinches semi-final berth
But with just over a minute of the first half of extra-time remaining, Nesterov was unable to hold Son's stooping close range header from Kim Jin-su's deflected cross and the ball crept across the line to finally break the deadlock after Shukhrat Mukhammadiev had conceded possession close to the touchline. And with just over a minute remaining at the end of the second half of extra-time Son repeated the feat as the forward fired high into the roof of the net from Cha Du-ri's pass with Uzbekistan caught short at the back as they searched for an equaliser.South Korea book place in final four
GK 23Kim Jin-hyeonRB 2 Kim Chang-soo CB 5 Kwak Tae-hwi CB 19Kim Young-gwonLB 3 Kim Jin-suCM 16Ki Sung-yueng (c) CM 6 Park Joo-hoRW 11Lee Keun-ho AM 10Nam Tae-heeLW 7 Son Heung-minCF 18Lee Jung-hyup Substitutions:DF 22Cha Du-ri MF 14Han Kook-young DF 20Jang Hyun-soo Manager: Uli Stielike GK 12Ignatiy NesterovRB 14Shukhrat MukhammadievCB 3 Shavkat MullajanovCB 5 Anzur Ismailov LB 19Vitaliy Denisov DM 7 Azizbek HaydarovDM 13Lutfulla Turaev CM 9 Odil Ahmedov (c) RF 4 Sardor RashidovCF 6 Bahodir NasimovLF 17Sanzhar Tursunov Substitutions:MF 18Timur Kapadze MF 10Jamshid Iskanderov FW 11Igor Sergeev Manager:Mirjalol Qosimov
Man of the Match: Kwak Tae-hwi (South Korea)
Assistant referees: Abdulla Al Shalwai (Saudi Arabia) Abu Bakar Al Amri (Oman) Fourth official: Abdullah Al Hilali (Oman) Fifth official: Badr Al-Shumrani (Saudi Arabia)
China vs Australia Tim Cahill's second-half brace sent Australia past China 2–0 and into the semi-finals. Cahill opened the scoring shortly after the break before doubling the lead midway through the second-half with arguably the goal of the tournament as Australia reached the last four for the second successive time. Ange Postecoglou's side would face either holders Japan or the United Arab Emirates in Newcastle for a place in the January 31 final in Sydney. Shortly after South Korea punched their semi-final ticket with a 2–0 extra-time win over Uzbekistan in Melbourne, China got off to the better start as Australia, looking slightly nervous, struggled to settle into the game between the Group B winners and the Group A runners-up at Brisbane Stadium.Tim Cahill double against China sends Australia into Asian Cup semi-finalsTim Cahill scores twice as Australia beat China 2–0 to book spot in Asian Cup semi-finals
The Chinese strike-force of Sun Ke and Wu Lei, with three goals from three matches in the group stage, caused problems for the Australian defence, calling goalkeeper Mathew Ryan into action several times with pace and ferocity. But the good times would not last for China, who could have put Australia under serious pressure had they scored within the first 30 minutes. Controlling more than 77 percent of possession in the first half, Postecoglou's men eventually found their feet, going close a couple of times before the break allowed them to regroup for the second half. In the 49th minute, Cahill did what he does best and opened the scoring for Australia.Asian Cup 2015: Australia beat China 2–0 thanks to two stunning Tim Cahill goals
China cleared a corner from the right but Mathew Leckie headed right back into the box to keep the attack going. Cahill took advantage of a moment of freedom and hit an acrobatic overhead kick past goalkeeper Wang Dalei, who never saw it coming, reacting too late to the spectacular effort that put the hosts into the driver's seat. The deficit forced China to come out, giving Australia more space to work with and it was Cahill again who capitalised five minutes past the hour, powerfully heading home a cross from left-back Jason Davidson to make it 2–0 and effectively put the game out of their opponents' reach.Socceroos' coach Ange Postecoglou has team on verge of history
GK 23Wang DaleiRB 5 Zhang Linpeng CB 3 Mei Fang CB 2 Ren HangLB 14Ji XiangDM 10Zheng Zhi (c)DM 8 Cai HuikangCM 15Wu Xi RF 17Zhang ChengdongCF 16Sun Ke LF 7 Wu LeiSubstitutions:DF 4 Jiang Zhipeng DF 21Yu Hai FW 9 Yang Xu Manager: Alain Perrin GK 1 Mathew RyanRB 2 Ivan FranjićCB 20Trent SainsburyCB 22Alex WilkinsonLB 3 Jason DavidsonDM 15Mile Jedinak (c) CM 23Mark Bresciano CM 21Massimo LuongoAM 4 Tim Cahill CF 10Robbie KruseCF 7 Mathew Leckie Substitutions:MF 14James Troisi FW 16Nathan Burns DF 5 Mark Milligan Manager:Ange Postecoglou
Man of the Match: Tim Cahill (Australia)
Assistant referees: Jeong Hae-sang (South Korea) Yoon Kwang-yeol (South Korea) Fourth official: Abdulrahman Abdou (Qatar) Fifth official: Taleb Salem Al-Naemi (Qatar)
Iran vs Iraq Salam Shaker scored the winner as Iraq claimed a place in the semi-finals after edging out arch-rivals Iran 7-6 on penalties following a sensational 3–3 draw at Canberra Stadium. Sardar Azmoun had put Iran in front midway through the first-half but his side went into the break a man down after Mehrdad Pooladi was controversially dismissed by referee Ben Williams.Former Socceroos blast referee Ben Williams for 'embarrasing' [sic] send-off in Iran's Asian Cup loss to Iraq Ahmed Yasin's 56th-minute equaliser then took the game to extra-time where Iraq twice went in front through Younis Mahmoud and Dhurgham Ismail but they were pegged back by Morteza Pouraliganji and most dramatically Reza Ghoochannejhad two minutes from the end.Iraq shock Iran in thriller
But after Iran substitute Vahid Amiri drilled his penalty onto the left-hand upright, Shaker held his nerve to claim victory for Iraq and take them into the semi-finals with South Korea at the Stadium Australia in Sydney. The opening spells of the match were frenetic and furious but amounted to little before a typical driving run down the right from Ashkan Dejagah on 24 minutes was brought to a halt through a firm tackle from Ismail. Vouria Ghafouri, though, was on hand to pick up the pieces and whip in a venomous cross that Azmoun met with a thumping header into the bottom corner of the goal.Joy for Mahmood as Iraq beat Iran in AFC Asian Cup quarterfinal
Alireza Haghighi then saved well from Mahmoud with his feet but as the first period drew to a close there was time for a final moment of drama as Pooladi received his second yellow card of the match following a coming together with Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hassan to see Iran go into the break a man down and within three minutes of the second half Iran almost saw their goal advantage disappear, too, as Yaser Kasim's free-kick was athletically saved by Haghighi who launched himself to his left to tip the ball over the bar. But on 56 minutes, Iraq got the equaliser they had been threatening as Alaa Abdul-Zahra's wicked cross from the left wing evaded defenders and attackers alike before Yasen latched onto the ball at the far post and drove his low angled shot through a group of players and into the net.Iraq beat Iran on penalties at Asian Cup
Iraq continued to prod and probe at the 10-man side but were unable to take further advantage of their numerical superiority before the whistle was blown for the end of the 90 minutes and a period of extra-time. And the deadlock was blown open in just the second minute of extra time as cross from Ismail saw the ball clip off Haghighi's outstretched leg and pounced upon by Mahmood whose stopping header found the back of the net for his eighth goal in AFC Asian Cup competitions to put Iraq 2–1 up. A sensational spectacle was still not finished there, though, and with three minutes of the first half of extra-time remaining Pouraliganji thundered home Andranik Teymourian's corner with a bullet header to level the scores again.Iraq boss defends ref, slams Iran after Asian Cup win