Football
Reuters 17y

Soccer-Inspired Iraq defy odds to win Asian Cup final

JAKARTA, July 29 - Iraq defied seemingly
impossible odds to beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the Asian Cup final
on Sunday, providing a fairytale ending to the tournament and a
rare moment of celebration in their war-torn homeland.

Iraqi captain Younis Mahmoud scored the winner in the 71st
minute when he climbed above the defence at the far post and
headed a perfectly-weighted corner from Hawar Mulla Mohammed
into the net.

Saudi Arabia had been bidding to become the first country
to win the Asian Cup four times but were outplayed by an Iraqi
team riding high on a wave of national support.

Iraq's unexpected victory not only captured the imagination
of the sporting world but helped unify a country ravaged by war
and ripped apart by sectarian violence.

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