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| Australia's Robbie Kruse (L) holds his boot while attempting to defend against UAE's Omar Abdulrahman (on ground) during their Asian Cup semi-final soccer match at the Newcastle Stadium in Newcastle January 27, 2015. REUTERS/Edgar Su (AUSTRALIA - Tags: SPORT SOCCER) |
Australia's players were forced to put their celebrations on hold after beating the United Arab Emirates 2-0 on Tuesday to join South Korea in the Asian Cup final.
For a country that hardly paid any attention to the Asian Cup until ditching Oceania to join the Asian Football Confederation, the tournament has suddenly taken on historical importance.