Iran, Uruguay win at Carlsberg Cup

HONG KONG (AP) -- Uruguay scored three goals in the dying minutes to trounce the Hong Kong League XI 3-0 Saturday to advance to the final of Carlsberg Cup soccer tournament.

The South Americans will face Iran, who edged Denmark 1-0 with a penalty by Javad Nekounam earlier Saturday.

The final of the four-team tournament, held annually to celebrate Chinese New Year, will be played Tuesday.

Uruguayans Julio Rodrigues, Horacio Peralat and Pablo Munhoz scored their three goals within five minutes just as the match against Hong Kong appeared to be heading to a goalless draw.

Rodrigues netted a 25-yard freekick in the 84th minute, and substitute Peralat made it 2-0 two mintues later after beating two Hong Kong defenders and then rounding the goalkeeper to tap the ball into the empty net.

Munhoz, who also came on as a substitute in the second half, got the third goal in the 89th minute as the Hong Kong team, made up of top players in the local league, became disorganized.

Uruguay's coach Gustavo Ferrin said the Hong Kong team "put up a good performance but we scored three excellent goals."

Earlier in the day, evenly matched Denmark and Iran both played well during the match at Hong Kong Stadium.

The Danes had a chance to score in the first half when they were awarded a penalty kick after Iran's Jalal Kameli Morfrad picked up the ball thinking that the whistle had blown for the break.

It turned out that the whistle was apparently blown by a spectator and not by the referee.

The Iranians protested to no avail. But their anger subsided when, in a sporting gesture, Denmark's coach Morten Olsen told captain Morten Weighorst to deliberately kick the penalty wide of the Iranian goal.

The Iranians took the lead when they were awarded a penalty kick in the 47th minute after Denmark's Asbjorn Sennels fouled Hoosein Kabel.

Nekounam scored the penalty with ease.

Denmark's coach Olsen said the decision not to score the penalty against Iran in the first half was a "fair one."

"We had our chances and it's our fault that we lost the match," he added.

Iran's coach Homayoun Shahrokhinejad said the Danes "put us under great pressure and we are happy to win."

Lineups:

Denmark: Peter Lind Jensen; Martin Albrechsten, Kaspar Dalgas, Rasmus Daugaard Hansen (Michael Hansen 80th), Lars Mads Jorgensen (Nichlas Hindsberg 73rd), Soren Berg Andersen (David Rasmussen 80th), Brian Priske Pedersen, Thomas Roll Larsen, Thomas Schultz, Asbjorn Sennels, Morten Wieghorst.

Iran: Ebrahim Mirzapour; Yahya Golmohammadali, Javad Nekounam, Hamed Kavianpour (Yadollah Akbariborjlo, 69th), Alireza Vahdi Nikbnakht, Ali Samereh (Amin Mohtashami 71st), Khodadad Aziz (Mehrdad Minavandchal 83rd), Hossein Kabei, Moharram, Jalal Kameli Mofrad, Mohammad Nosrati.

Uruguay: Muricio Nanni; Diego Lugano, Williams Martinez, Marcelo Sosa, Pablo Lima, Bruno Silva, German Hornos (Horacio Peralta 79th), Martin Lguera, Claudio Dadomo (Pablo Munhoz 69th), Julio Rodriguez, Gonzalo Vargas.

Hong Kong League XI: Fan Chun-yip; Yau Kin-wai, Gerard Ambassa Guy, Lee Kin-wo, Poon Yiu-cheuk, Rochi Putiray, Rambo Jose Ricardo, Kim Pan Gon, Cristiano Cordeiro, Marcio Gabri, Antonic Dejan.

 

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