[ASIAN CUP] Surprise Jordan joined Japan in the final eight of the Asian Cup when it rallied to beat Syria, 2-1, on Monday in Qatar. Japan, the pre-tournamentfavorite, ended Saudi Arabia’s misery with a 5-0 victory that included a hat trick from Shinji Okazaki.
Syria led on Mohamad al-Zino‘s 15th-minute goal, but an own goal evened the score on the half-hour mark, and Jordan pulled ahead when Odai al-Saify scored inthe 59th minute.
Japan won Group B thanks to goal difference, getting three goals in the first 19 minutes against the Saudis, the 2007 runners-up who finished with three losses.
Ryoichi Maeda added two goals for Japan, which plays host Qatar in Friday’s quarterfinals.