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SYDNEY - Sardar Azmoun scored in the second half to lift Iran to a 1-0 win over Qatar in Group C and send the three-time Asian Cup champions through to the quarterfinals.Iran, the top-ranked team in the tournament, had to be patient against a well-organized Qatari defence, before Sardar broke the deadlock early in the second half after turning his defender and poking the ball past Qatari goalkeeper Qasem Burhan.Iran has six points and is second behind UAE, which earlier Thursday beat Bahrain 2-1, on goal difference in Group C, with Qatar and Bahrain eliminated after losing both of their pool games.Iran and UAE will meet on Monday in Melbourne, where top spot in the group will be at stake. Qatar plays Bahrain in Sydney.This was only the second Asian Cup finals meeting between these two nations, since Irans 2-0 win in 1988, and despite the tight margin of the final score, Iran was never troubled by the 2014 Gulf Cup champions.Iran coach Carlos Quieroz opted to start with Sardar, ahead of the more experienced Reza Ghoochannejhad, as Irans only change from Sundays 2-0 win over Bahrain.It was Sardar who had Irans first chance when he rose highest to head a Mehrdad Pooladi cross on target in the third minute.That proved to be Irans only shot on target until late in the first-half when captain Javad Nekounams headed shot was cleared off the line by Ahmed Mohamed with Qasem beaten.Former Fulham player Ashkan Dejagah fired a volley wide from a tight angle in the closing stages of the half as Qatars defensive setup frustrated the Group C favourites.Iran started the second half strongly, looking for the breakthrough goal, and Sardar almost delivered in the first minute of the second half but his weak shot from Dejagahs corner went narrowly wide.Then Masoud Shojaei picked up an errant Qatari pass in midfield and bore down on goal, only for Almadhi Ali Mukthtar to trip the midfielder, picking up a yellow card in the process. Nekounams subsequent freekick sailed over the bar.The breakthrough finally came in the 52nd minute after Dejagah played a low cross for Sardar, who turned past defender Almadhi before poking the ball past Qasems outstretched leg and into the right corner of the goal.Sardar ran to the corner flag in celebration as the strong Iranian support among the crowd of 22,672 erupted with joy.Only minutes later Sardar appeared to injure his right ankle chasing a ball and was stretchered from the field to be replaced by Reza Ghoochannejhad.Reza, though, resumed where Sardar had left off and fired wide from just outside the box in the 66th minute from another Dejagah cross before firing a firm shot straight at Qasem moments after.Qatar coach Djamal Belmadi brought star player Khlafan Ibrahim off the bench to try and turn the game but Irans well-marshalled defence stifled the Qatari attackers to extend its record of just one loss in its past 16 Asian Cup finals games.Qatars last chance for an equalizer to keep its tournament alive fell to Meshaal Abdulla in injury time but the substitute striker was called offside as his header hit the post. 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Discount Maple Leafs Jerseys . -- Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo is going to the Pro Bowl as a replacement for San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks.It appears Sidney Crosby wanted to make sure Jonathan Toews was good with him taking the captaincy for Team Canada in Sochi. According to CSNChicago.com, Detroit Red Wings and Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock said the Pittsburgh Penguins captain wanted the go-ahead from the Chicago Blackhawks captain before accepting Canadas captaincy for the upcoming Olympics. "When we were taking about it, Sidney wanted to make sure it was OK with [Toews], just for the fact he won a couple of Cups,” Babcock said after the Wings morning skate ahead of Wednesday nights game with the Blackhawks. "Hes held in high regard, to say the least, and hes a huge part of the reason why they win as much as they do." Toews, for his part, thought Crosbys gesture was a flattering one. "For Sidney to ask guys for approval, I dont think he needed to do that, but it sshows the kind of guy he is," Toews said.dddddddddddd Toews went as so far as to suggest that Babcock revealed this discussion just to be polite. "Everybody knows Sidney is the guy," said Toews. "Im just honored to be in the conversation for the captaincy. One way or the other, Im excited to accept a role like that. If its more of a leadership role, Im excited for the challenge." Babcock believes that Toews would have made for a deserving captain, as well. "Hes earned the right to be a captain with Canada: two Cups, Olympic gold," said Babcock. "I dont know what else hes won. It seems more than that. Heysauthenticmlb.com/]Wholesale Baseball Jerseys[/url] ' ' '