ABU DHABI, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- South Korea finished atop Group C with their 2-0 win over China, while Iran sealed the top spot of Group D with a 0-0 draw with Iraq on Wednesday. The four have qualified for the knockout round of 16 in the ongoing AFC Asian Cup held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In their match with China, South Korea unexpectedly put Son Heung-min in the starting lineup after the Tottenham Hotspur striker arrived in the UAE on Monday afternoon.
The man was a winning card for South Korea, as he earned a penalty kick scored by his teammate Hwang Ui-Jo in the 14th minute and assisted on another goal scored by defender Kim Min-Jae in the 51st minute.
"The reason for starting with Son? It's easy! Every coach would like to see his best player on the field. Son is our best player and he can play in different positions to add diversity to our attacking strategy," said Paulo Bento, the head coach of South Korea.
Wednesday's match was the fourth encounter between China and South Korea in the Asian Cup.
China head coach Marcello Lippi made a number of changes, resting top-scorer Wu Lei due to a shoulder injury.
"Honestly, they beat us on possession, speed and personal skills, they are more aggressive than us," said Lippi. "They played with their best line-up, but I had to rest many starters like Wu Lei for the quarterfinals."
South Korea and China have already qualified for the last 16 after they both defeated the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan in their respective earlier matches.
Two-time champions South Korea are scheduled to play the best thrid-placed finisher of either group A, B or F in Dubai on Tuesday.
As for China, who reached but lost the AFC Asian Cup final twice in 1984 and 2004, will face Thailand, second in Group A, in the round of 16 on Sunday.
Meanwhile in Group D, Iran maintained the lead with a goalless draw with Iraq, who finished second, leaving Vietnam with a hope to catch up as a best third-placed finisher and Yemen hopeless.
During the match, Iraq nearly took the lead in the 77th minute when substitute Mohanad Ali Khadi's header forced the best out of Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand who tipped the ball over.
With the 0-0 conclusion, both sides finished the group unbeaten, with two wins from three matches.
Iran, the highest-ranked team in the tournament at the 29th in the FIFA standings, are seeking their fourth Asian Cup title, which Iraq won once in 2007.
Organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and extended to feature 24 teams, the 17th edition of the quadrennial AFC Asian Cup is running from January 5 to February 1.
The top two teams from each of the six groups, plus the best four third-placed finishers, will advance to the knockout stage.
