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ABU DHABI https://www.thetopsoccer.com/uswnt/tobin-heath-jersey , United Arab Emirates (AP) — South Korea, Japan and defending champion Australia all made it through to the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup knowing there is plenty of room for improvement.Even with the arrival of Tottenham forward Son Heung-min, South Korea struggled to beat Bahrain 2-1 in the last 16. The 2015 finalists needed an extra-time goal from Kim Jin-su to advance and set up a quarterfinal match against Qatar.“It was a tough game,” Son said. “It’s all about attitude as well, and I’m a bit unhappy with our performance. I think we’re better than that.”Australia needed a penalty shootout to get past Uzbekistan after 120 goalless minutes, and Japan was below its best in a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia.The quarterfinals take place on Thursday and Friday. The final will be on Feb. 1 in Abu Dhabi.IRAN VS. CHINAWhen China plays Iran on Thursday, many observers will looking at the benches.China is coached by Marcello Lippi, who led Italy to the 2006 World Cup title, while Iran is led by former Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz.Victory would give Lippi his best result in two years with China. He will leave the job after the Asian Cup.Queiroz has been in charge of Iran since 2011. The 65-year-old Portuguese coach’s contract ends after the tournament and he has been widely linked with the vacant Colombia job.Iran has been the most consistent team at the tournament so far and is chasing a fifth straight victory.JAPAN VS. VIETNAMFour-time champion Japan has won all four of its games so far.The second-round win over Saudi Arabia came as a result of a strong defensive performance from a team which no longer has Keisuke Honda Alex Morgan Jersey , Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki to provide goals.Japan, which reached the second round at last year’s World Cup, has yet to find its fluency in attack under coach Hajime Moriyasu but will still be expected to beat Vietnam in Dubai.Vietnam is riding high. The penalty shootout win over Jordan in the previous round provoked street parties across the southeast Asian country to rival those that greeted the win in a regional championship in December.AUSTRALIA VS. UNITED ARAB EMIRATESAustralia will be without suspended influential playmaker Tom Rogic against tournament host United Arab Emirates in Al Ain on Friday.The Socceroos have bounced back after an opening loss to Jordan but have yet to show their best form and have struggled against teams that have sat back on defense.A lack of goals was a concern for UAE coach Alberto Zaccheroni before the competition started. Those worries have eased somewhat after the 3-2 win over Kyrgyzstan in the second round, but the backline appeared vulnerable.SOUTH KOREA VS. QATARSouth Korea, another team that has yet to show its best despite four straight wins, had to work hard to get past Bahrain.Without injured captain Ki Sung-yueng, who has returned to Premier League club Newcastle, the South Koreans have struggled to either create or convert chances.Son was peripheral in the last 16 and has yet to score in the tournament. He should find more space against Qatar in Abu Dhabi on Friday.Along with Iran, 2022 World Cup host Qatar has been the most impressive team in the tournament so far Mallory Pugh Jersey , winning all four games without conceding a goal.Almoez Ali is the tournament’s leading scorer with seven goals. ROME (AP) — A hospital band was on his right wrist and a bandage was visible on the left side of his neck.Sinisa Mihajlovic was visibly thinner and his face was drawn, too.The once robust Bologna coach’s determination remains, though, and that was clearly apparent when Mihajlovic surprised his team by showing up for the squad’s Serie A opener Sunday in his first public appearance following a month of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with leukemia.“He had promised us he would be here but when we saw him in the hotel, we couldn’t believe it,” Bologna midfielder Andrea Poli said after the 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona.There was speculation that Mihajlovic would coach the team from a special box in the tribune but he spent nearly the entire game on the touchline, leaving a minute before the end to be shuttled back to the hospital.“He spoke to us via video conference during the week and said he wasn’t 100 percent. He told us a month ago that he wanted to be here for this game, but we didn’t think he really would be,” Bologna winger Riccardo Orsolini said.“It was a big boost. We’re just sorry that we didn’t give him the victory https://www.thetopsoccer.com/uswnt/mallory-pugh-jersey ,” Orsolini added. “He’s lost a bit of weight, but the grit, determination and passion were the same as always.”Mihajlovic yelled at his players as usual and gestured with his hands in protest to the officials.“Sinisa wasn’t very happy at the end,” Bologna sporting director Riccardo Bigon said. “Actually he was angry (over the result).”The 50-year-old Mihajlovic was a standout player for Sampdoria and Lazio — he still shares the Serie A record for free-kick goals at 28 with Andrea Pirlo — before beginning his coaching career a decade ago in his first stint at Bologna.Mihajlovic was rehired by Bologna in January to replace Filippo Inzaghi and engineered a complete turnaround for a team that was battling off relegation, leading the club to a 10th place finish.When Mihajlovic announced in July that he had an acute form of leukemia, the club said it would still keep him in charge.Up next for Bologna is its home opener against Spal on Friday and it remains to be seen if Mihajlovic will appear at that match.