Final against South Korea is toughest test: Tim Cahill

Home-ground advantage, at the 83,000-capacity former Olympic stadium in Sydney, plus the absence of a couple of key South Korea players, should give Australia a slight advantage.

However, Socceroos veteran forward Tim Cahill, who has scored three goals in the tournament, was aware of the difficulty of taking on the Taegeuk Warriors. “They are strong and they are very physical,’’ Cahill said. “This is definitely going to be one of our most difficult games.’’

South Korea forward Lee Keun-ho was less complimentary about his opponents. “If we can minimise our mistakes and dominate the ball, I am sure we will have opportunities (to exploit their defense),’’ Lee said. “Their center backs are slow-footed, and we can exploit space behind their defense.’’

UAE finish third

NEWCASTLE: Captain Ahmed Khalil scored goals on either side of halftime and Ali Mabkhout converted a second-half penalty as the United Arab Emirates clinched third place in the Asian Cup with a 3-2 win over a 10-man Iraq. AP