China beat Iraq 1-0 in soccer opener

DOHA, Nov 29 (Reuters) China today got their Asian Games soccer campaign off to a winning start with a 1-0 victory over Iraq despite playing the whole second half with 10 men.

Shenyang defender Zhang Ke received his marching orders from Qatari Abulrahman Abdou for a second caution after just 42 minutes of a physical Pool E encounter at the Al-Arabi stadium in the under-23 tournament.

Zhou Haibin, a regular in midfield for his country's senior team, had given China the perfect start with a half-volley from outside the area after seven minutes.

Karrar Muhamed should have equalised 15 minutes later when he was put through on goal but was denied by China's 17-year-old goalkeeper Wang Dalei, who showed why he has attracted the interest of Inter Milan and PSV Eindhoven.

Zhou had a great chance to double his tally after an hour when his Shandong club mate Zheng Zhi pulled the ball back from the byline but the 21-year-old blasted over from 10 metres with just the goalkeeper to beat.

Iraq, Asian Games champions in 1982 and semi-finalists at the Athens Olympics, applied pressure in the last half-hour but rarely threatened Wang's goal.

''It was a very tough match for both sides,'' said Ratomir Dujkovic, appointed coach last month of what will be China's team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

''We scored once, enough for three points for the China boys.

I am very proud of them.

''When you play a whole half with 10 men against a good side like Iraq you have to suffer.'' Japan also survived a shaky last half-hour to beat Pakistan 3-2 in their Pool F opener.

Keisuke Honda opened the scoring after two minutes and a goal either side of the half from Kawasaki Frontale midfielder Hiroyuki Taniguchi put the Japanese into what looked like an unassailable lead.

Muhammad Rasool and Naveed Akram scored in the last half-hour to put Pakistan within a goal of an unlikely draw but the Japanese held on despite losing Toshihiro Aoyama to a second yellow card two minutes from time.

''As you can see from my grim face this was not a satisfactory result,'' said coach Yasuharu Sorimachi. ''We should play better and more powerfully.'' Defending champions Iran, reinstated to the tournament after FIFA were persuaded to temporarily lift an international ban imposed for government interference in the sport, beat the Maldives 3-1 in their first match in Pool D.

REUTERS SBA BST0154