Kwak Tae-hwi of Korea (C) and teammate Son Heung-min(R) jump for the ball during their Asian Cup quarter-final against Uzbekistan in Melbourne yesterday.

DPA/Melbourne

Son Hueng Min headed the winning goal in extra-time and added a late second as South Korea did just enough to defeat Uzbekistan 2-0 yesterday and reach the semi-finals of the Asian Cup.
In a game of plenty of chances, neither side could break the deadlock in normal time and Son’s strikes, his first of the competition, in the 104th and 119th minutes were enough to separate the teams.
Kim Jin Su supplied the unmarked Son in the six-yard box to head the opener through Ignatiy Nesterov and when Cha Du Ri stormed clear on the break in the final minute, Son was perfectly placed to smash home his second.
The goals were only the fourth and fifth scored by South Korea in the competition but coach Uli Stielike’s well-drilled side have not conceded in four-and-a-half hours of play.
At the start of the Uzbekistan had wasted no time in trying to end that clean sheet record with Bakhodir Nasimov and Odil Akhmedov both denied by Kim Jin Hyeon.
But South Korea fought back having settled into their rhythm and Nesterov had to race from his goal to deny Nam Tae Hee before being equally alert on the rebound.
And Nesterov was in action again a minute later as he produced a flying save to tip over a curling shot from Son, who was recalled having recovered from illness.
Lee Jeong Hyeop was next to test Nesterov with a header but the keeper responded with a flying save. Chances became less as the tension increased but Lee Keun Ho hit the side-netting as the game entered the closing stages.
With full time approaching the sides exchanged chances from set pieces as Turaev and Son both sent efforts off-target before Nam inexplicably failed to connect with a cross on the penalty spot which would have won the game in normal time.
In extra-time, South Korea were the dominant side but found clear chances hard to come by. Eventually Son struck the decisive goal from Kim’s cross as though his header was not the best, from point-blank range Nesterov could only bundle it over the line.
Uzbekistan gambled everything in search of an equalizer but a lung-bursting run from Cha with seconds remaining allowed Son to complete a clinical brace to send his team into the semi-finals.