Asian Football: AFC Asian Cup 2007
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Group C News
China hammer co-hosts Malaysia
Jul 10, 2007
PA Sport
KUALA LUMPUR – Han Peng and Wang Dong netted two goals apiece as China kicked off their AFC Asian Cup 2007 campaign in style with a 5-1 trouncing of Malaysia at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Wednesday.
Shao Jiayi also scored for the 2004 runners-up who over-powered the co-hosts to send out a clear message of intent to Group C rivals Iran and Uzbekistan.
Substitute Indra Putra Mahayuddin grabbed a consolation goal for the Malaysians, who became the first of the four co-hosts to lose a match in the competition following victories for Vietnam and Indonesia against United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, respectively, and a draw for Thailand against Iraq.
China threatened as early as the second minute when Mao Jianqing crossed from the left to Wang whose first-time shot was well saved by Malaysia goalkeeper Azizon Kadir.
Han then missed a glorious chance in the seventh minute when he outjumped two Malaysia defenders to meet WangÂ’s cross from the right only to put his header wide.
Malaysia enjoyed a brief period of pressure with Akmal Rizal Rakhli narrowly caught offside on a through pass by Fauzie Nan but the Asian Cup 2004 runners-up would take the lead on 15 minutes after a finely worked goal.
A defence-splitting pass by Shao released Wang who took the ball to the right byline before cleverly lofting it to the far post where an unmarked Han headed easily into the back of the net.
The home side nearly found their way back into the game as Hairuddin Omar just failed to meet a Hardi Jaffar corner with his head.
But China turned up the heat as the half progressed and should have gone two goals up on the half-hour mark as Mao turned a Wang cut-back over the crossbar from three yards out.
It would be only a brief reprieve for Norizan BakarÂ’s side as China notched their second in the 36th minute. Chinese skipper Zheng Zhi was the provider this time with a cross from the left which was narrowly missed by a leaping Han but fell nicely for an unmarked Shao to stab the ball into the unguarded net from six yards out.
As the half came to a close, Akmal turned Zhang Yaokun on the right flank and centred the ball into the danger area where an alert Li Weifeng managed to scramble the ball away before it could fall into the path of Hairuddin.
Hairuddin had the first effort of the second half, heading a corner wide two minute after the break but the Chinese soon regained control when ShaoÂ’s left-footed shot from the edge of box was turned out by Azizon for a corner.
China duly extended their advantage on 51 minutes when WangÂ’s shot from edge of box took a big deflection off Fauzie Nan and rolled agonisingly past Azizon.
Four minutes later, it was 4-0 as Han easily notched his second of the game, tapping in at the far post after MaoÂ’s cross from the left flew over the head of defender Norhafiz Zamani Misbah.
Substitute Indra Putra grabbed a consolation goal for the Malaysians in the 73rd minute, firing a low drive past Li Leilei from 25 metres after a fine lay-off by Hairuddin.
They could have got another shortly afterwards as Hardi fired in a free-kick from the right flank that eluded a crowd of players in the middle and very nearly surprised goalkeeper Li.
But Wang piled further misery on the co-hosts deep into injury time with a towering header that flew over the head of Azizon to complete an emphatic win for the Chinese. -
Fakers 5 - 1 Rapists
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Why? Just curiousOriginally posted by boredtulan:Fakers 5 - 1 Rapists 
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its a shame china cant even win a asian cup.
its time they do something about it. -
ninja, you know, the shortest player in this Asian Cup is an Indonesian. His height is 159cm. That's shorter than many average girl's heightOriginally posted by Short Ninja:How about starting soccer little league?
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I hope he is not the goalkeeper.At least after the Asian Cup he can always go back to horse racingOriginally posted by Jaeyoon:ninja, you know, the shortest player in this Asian Cup is an Indonesian. His height is 159cm. That's shorter than many average girl's height -
China is still new in this sport but I would say they are good enough.If they should become champion at evey sport then we all better go home and sleepOriginally posted by dragg:its a shame china cant even win a asian cup.
its time they do something about it. -
china got shao jiayi we got shi jiayi. LOL.
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Group D News
Verbeek Mulls Striker Options
By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
In a country that lives for its next football tournament, the national team players are treated like the heroes of Greek tragedies, serenaded by heavy praise and curse as they fight against the fate of disappointment.
And the end of the stories have been similar to the Greeks too, with the Koreans finding new ways to fight bravely and lose in most of the major international tournaments in past few years, an exception being the impressive fourth-place finish during the 2002 World Cup held at home.
Korean coach Pim Verbeek hopes to put an end to the recent mediocrity by brining home the crown of the Asian Cup, the regional football tournament that recently kicked off in Indonesia, for the first time in 47 years.
However, critics question whether the Dutchman has the right men to pull off the job as he struggles to find an answer to his team's biggest woe __ the lack of a proven finisher in front of the net.
No other position in football is subject to more scrutiny than the striker. However, the list of Korean forwards who shined in international tournaments is quite short.
Cha Bum-kun, the Bundesliga legend now coaching Suwon Samsung, is probably the greatest Korean footballer ever, but he was 33 years old and nearing the end of his playing career when Korea qualified for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
Hwang Sun-hong, a gifted player who developed a habit of picking up season-ending injuries in every other year, is still bashed by sports fans for his horrific performance against Spain in the 1994 World Cup when he sent more than a handful of his shots into the stands.
The most prolific scorer of his generation, Hwang never got the chance to fully redeem himself as he missed the next World Cup due to a knee injury suffered in a friendly against China, which was the premise of the disastrous performance by the Koreans in France, which saw then-coach Cha axed just after two games.
Fast forward to 2007, and Verbeek would love nothing more than to have players as talented as Cha or Hwang. However, he will have to settle for either an injury-hobbled, former prodigy now experiencing confidence crisis or another player with all the physical gifts but sometimes can't seem to kick the ball into the ocean.
Since his international debut at the age of 18 during the 1998 World Cup, Middlesbrough forward Lee Dong-gook has often drawn comparisons to Hwang for his fluid movement and creativity in front of the net, although the knack for injuries is where both players might be most similar.
Just as Hwang did in 1998, Lee suffered a knee injury ahead of the 2002 World Cup tournament and was forced to watch from the stands as former teammates such as Park Ji-sung and Ahn Jung-hwan become national heroes on what was supposed to be his team.
Although the 28-year-old striker seemed to have regained full health, as he showed flashes of brilliance for Middlesbrough in limited minutes last season, he still looks reluctant to test himself for longer stretches.
During the training camp for the Asian Cup, Lee pulled himself from practice two times complaining of discomfort in his surgically-repaired left knee, although doctors weren't able to find any problems. And with Lee admitting to news reporters that he is scared of re-injuring his knee every time he steps on the pitch, confidence could also be a problem.
``Lee needs to push himself harder. Our opponents in the Asian Cup will challenge you a lot harder than your teammates in practice,'' said Verbeek in response to Lee's comments, hinting a sense of frustration.
Lee regaining his vintage form could be the key for Korea's goal to top the tournament, especially with the team's midfield lineup devastated by injuries to starters such as Manchester United's Park, Reading winger Seol Ki-hyeong and team captain Kim Nam-il of Suwon Samsung.
This has forced Verbeek to adopt a 4-5-1 formation, packing the midfield with five players, which would apparently help the team keep possession. However, the format also relies heavily on the grueling role of the lone striker __ now penciled as Lee's job __ who would have to be aggressive and diligent to avoid isolation. Lee tore apart opponents in his past two Asian Cup tournaments, scoring 10 goals, but rarely played the role of target man.
Verbeek's other option is Shimizu S-Pulse forward Cho Jae-jin, who might be a better match as lone striker as he played that role for Korea in last year's World Cup.
In the tournament in Germany, Cho did show an impressive ability in fighting for the ball in the air and keeping it until support arrived, but often found himself isolated with wingers Lee Chun-soo (Ulsan Hyundai) and Seol forced to play deep to cover the defense.
Standing at 1.85 meters, Cho provides a rare aerial threat for the Koreans in front of the penalty box and his dribbling skills have improved over the years. However, he is often criticizing for playing mechanically and never had a reputation for having a nose for the net. -
Group D News
Koreans Face Saudi Test
By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
Despite skidding since its superb World Cup showing in 2002, the South Koreans stubbornly declare themselves as the team to beat in Asian football. The moment of truth comes just around the corner as South Korea opens its Asian Cup campaign tonight against another regional power in Saudi Arabia.
South Korean coach Pim Verbeek boldly predicts to bring home the tournament crown, which would be the first for the country since the 1960 event, but with the team riddled with injuries, critics question whether he has the right men to back his words.
The Dutchman canÂ’t afford to lower his expectations, however, as a lackluster tournament performance could come at the cost of his future with the Korean national team, with the ever-petulant Korean Football Association (KFA) yet to give him the vote of confidence.
Hong Myung-bo, a Korean football legend who starred in four World Cup tournaments and now part of VerbeekÂ’s coaching staff, downplays the worries over the teamÂ’s depth.
``The absence of Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo and some of our other regulars gives us lesser options but we believe we could offer just as potent of a lineup using our younger players. This team has a lot of talent and we have perfect chemistry, said Hong, adding that his players are playing ``smarter, not just harder.Â’Â’
``The players have a better understanding of our strategies and are doing a better job in moving the ball and creating space. The team has full confidence in our defensive unit, as the players are young but mature beyond their age,Â’Â’ he said.
ItÂ’s hard to deny that Verbeek would not have wished for a situation where he had to rely on his less-experienced players more than he wanted to.
The absence of Manchester UnitedÂ’s Park Ji-sung, nursing a knee injury, and Suwon Samsung midfielder Kim Nam-il, who was the teamÂ’s skipper before being left off the roster with a sports hernia, deprives the team of its two best distributors.
Tottenham defender Lee Young-pyo and Reading winger Seol Ki-hyeon are also in crutches, forcing Verbeek to completely switch his left flank.
Operating with an injury-struck midfield, Verbeek has gone the safe way by adopting a 4-5-1 formation, packing the midfield with five players and having either Middlesbrough forward Lee Dong-gook or Shimizu S-PulseÂ’s Cho Jae-jin put on the role of lone striker.
Although the enlarged midfield would certainly help the team keep possession, it could come at the expense of the attack should wingers Choi Sung-kuk (Ulsan Hyundai) and Yeom Ki-hun (Chunbuk Hyundai) are forced to play deep to cover for defense, which would leave the target man isolated for long stretches.
Verbeek has yet to choose between Lee or Cho as his starter, as both face questions over their abilities to play the grueling role of lone striker.
Lee is the better finisher of the two when healthy, but has yet to fully recover from a knee injury that forced him to miss last yearÂ’s World Cup tournament. The 28-year-old showed flashes of brilliance in limited appearances for Middlesbrough this year but has yet to be tested for longer stretches.
LeeÂ’s confidence also seems to have taken a hit, as he pulled himself twice from practice in training camp while openly admitting his fears of re-injuring his surgically-repaired knee. No doubt Verbeek is constantly reminding him that he scored 10 goals in the past two Asian Cup tournaments.
Cho, a sturdy forward who stands at 1.85 meters, has all the physical attributes to be a dominating attacker but his growth has been limited by raw skills.
With Lee out of the tournament, Cho was forced to play lone striker for Korea in last yearÂ’s World Cup and performed rather impressively, showing keen ability to win the ball in air and keep possession until support arrived.
However, ChoÂ’s efforts never materialized into a goal, which, fair or not, proved the point of his critics that he lacks the special ``sixth senseÂ’Â’ for the net. Cho is doing his best to quiet the skepticism, scoring two goals in a friendly against Uzbekistan last week.
With Verbeek leaning towards bringing Lee off the bench to lessen his pressure, the starterÂ’s job may be ChoÂ’s to lose.
``The World Cup in Germany last year helped me grow as a player and now I believe I have developed to a point where I can compete with Lee. I think Verbeek will have a hard time deciding who will start,Â’Â’ said Cho, meeting reporters after a team practice in Jakarta.
``Nobody has to remind me about the importance of our first game against Saudi Arabia. We have nothing to fear, and if we concentrate and stay focused till the end of the game, we will win,Â’Â’ he said.
It bears further watching whether VerbeekÂ’s game plan could coax his players to perform better than the sum of its parts. Saudi Arabia undoubtedly poses a strong test, with the midfield __ the KoreansÂ’ biggest weakness __ being their biggest strength.
Saudi ArabiaÂ’s point man in the midfield is Saud Kharir, two-time AFC Champions League winner with Al Ittihad, who will be supported by ``Baby MaradonaÂ’Â’ Mohammad Al Shalhoub, 2006 AFC Player of the Year nominee, and the up-and-coming Ahmed Darwesh.
The forward line is also packed with capable attackers, with Yasser Al Qahtani, Malek Maaz, Saad Al Harthi, and Saleh Bashir all vying for a place in the starting lineup.
The SaudiÂ’s all-out attacking style will put VerbeekÂ’s 4-5-1 to the ultimate test, with the Koreans looking to grind down the game into a slow and ugly slugfest while taking their chances on transition when they can.
The South Koreans have locked their sights on finishing top of Group D and Saudi Arabia and co-hosts Indonesia pose as the biggest threats. The 16-team tournament is being staged jointly by Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand, with the finals taking place in Jakarta on July 29. -
China certainly looked impressive in this match against the hapless host malaysians. The gulf in class is too huge, and the scoreline could have been even more embarrassing for the hosts, if not for China putting their foot off the pedal at 4-0, around 60minutes into the game, and allowing a brief spirited fightback from the tigers. According to a post match report, the China coach was quite infuriated at how his team allowed malaysia to sneak a goal past them. From this, you can tell how much emphasis the chinese place in winning this competition.
A few notable individuals who impressed in this game:
Wang Dong (15): Ever present in the attacking plays, nifty footwork and workrate down the line, and 2-goal hero.
Peng Han (9): Giant striker with great aerial ability and finishing, able to hold up the ball and build up attacking plays excellently
Mao Jianqing (20): The bald-headed 20yr old starlet was practically toying with the malaysian defence throughout the game; the malaysians had no idea how to stop this guy's trickeries, except to foul him illegally; have pace and able to create chances for teammates; however his shooting and finishing ability has plenty of room for improvement, as witnessed in the game whereby he missed a sitter in the 6 yard box by putting the ball high over the bar, and in the 2nd half he made scoffed shot during which his shin guard flew out
Overall, the china team looked impressive. Even 'premiership stars' such as Dong Fangzhuo and Li Tie are bench warmers. Look out, Japan and Iran! -
We can forget about the pre-tournament favorites and take a closer look at the teams who have shown that they can also rise up to expectations. Realistically speaking I dont see how Malaysia ,Bahrain or UAE is going to bounce back into the chase but only to look for the nearest emergency exits.To be a winner in this particular competition a team has to be a runaway train or 'no horse run' as the saying goes in Hokkien,China is showing that potential.After tonight we will be able to tell where Korea and Iran stand in Asia Soccer.Good luck to all!
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Originally posted by Cristiano@Red_Devils.com:
Li Tie is not in the Sheffield United first team at all. I think he only played once or twice in the League cup for them.
China certainly looked impressive in this match against the hapless host malaysians. The gulf in class is too huge, and the scoreline could have been even more embarrassing for the hosts, if not for China putting their foot off the pedal at 4-0, around 60minutes into the game, and allowing a brief spirited fightback from the tigers. According to a post match report, the China coach was quite infuriated at how his team allowed malaysia to sneak a goal past them. From this, you can tell how much emphasis the chinese place in winning this competition.
A few notable individuals who impressed in this game:
Wang Dong (15): Ever present in the attacking plays, nifty footwork and workrate down the line, and 2-goal hero.
Peng Han (9): Giant striker with great aerial ability and finishing, able to hold up the ball and build up attacking plays excellently
Mao Jianqing (20): The bald-headed 20yr old starlet was practically toying with the malaysian defence throughout the game; the malaysians had no idea how to stop this guy's trickeries, except to foul him illegally; have pace and able to create chances for teammates; however his shooting and finishing ability has plenty of room for improvement, as witnessed in the game whereby he missed a sitter in the 6 yard box by putting the ball high over the bar, and in the 2nd half he made scoffed shot during which his shin guard flew out
Overall, the china team looked impressive. Even 'premiership stars' such as Dong Fangzhuo and Li Tie are bench warmers. Look out, Japan and Iran!
Dong is not in the United first team too.
So they are not premiership stars really, at least not for last season. -
getting hijacked by EPL again???
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No, never my intention...
I support the Asian Cup! -
Finally I see more friends coming in to contribute their comments or opinions.Originally posted by ordinaryguy32:No, never my intention...
I support the Asian Cup!
Thanks, ordinaryguy32!
Have a nice day.
I'm looking forward to see Korea facing Saudi tonight. I'm really worrying about Korea. Hope they can get at least a draw if they can't beat mighty Saudis. -
Thanks for supporting the Asian Cup.Originally posted by ordinaryguy32:No, never my intention...
I support the Asian Cup!
We're Asians, we should support Asia even if we're not up to the European and South American standard yet.
Cheers!
From Jaeyoon,
Republic of Korea. -
Don't worry, Korea will go through with Saudi Arabia.Originally posted by Jaeyoon:Finally I see more friends coming in to contribute their comments or opinions.
Thanks, ordinaryguy32!
Have a nice day.
I'm looking forward to see Korea facing Saudi tonight. I'm really worrying about Korea. Hope they can get at least a draw if they can't beat mighty Saudis.
Understandably, big guns don't like to face each other in the first fixture. -
I agree.Originally posted by Jaeyoon:Thanks for supporting the Asian Cup.
We're Asians, we should support Asia even if we're not up to the European and South American standard yet.
Cheers!
From Jaeyoon,
Republic of Korea.
For me, I am first a Singapore fan, followed by Gombak United, followed by Arsenal, and no I am no England fan.
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Jaeyoon,
I have read your previous posts, and I like your spirit about supporting Asian football.
I am surprised you follow Singapore's fortunes that closely. Not many die-hard fans like to do that, especially when we are losing.
For me, I don't mind if Singapore loses, if they tried 100%.
My prediction for Korea -Saudi match is a draw. Maybe 2-2. -
Simi bukit gombak?Originally posted by ordinaryguy32:Jaeyoon,
I have read your previous posts, and I like your spirit about supporting Asian football.
I am surprised you follow Singapore's fortunes that closely. Not many die-hard fans like to do that, especially when we are losing.
For me, I don't mind if Singapore loses, if they tried 100%.
My prediction for Korea -Saudi match is a draw. Maybe 2-2. A draw would be nice for those two teams but after the Indonesian victory over Bahrain,Saudis and Koreans would have to go for each other throat so early in the game.This is exactly what the Koreans need to get them performing above themselves.So if someone offers you a level /half ball and they take Saudis then I think its a good deal........are you listening ar not Jaeyoon??? Final Score South Korea 2 and Saudi Arabia 1. 
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Ninja, I got your point.Originally posted by Short Ninja:Simi bukit gombak? A draw would be nice for those two teams but after the Indonesian victory over Bahrain,Saudis and Koreans would have to go for each other throat so early in the game.This is exactly what the Koreans need to get them performing above themselves.So if someone offers you a level /half ball and they take Saudis then I think its a good deal........are you listening ar not Jaeyoon??? Final Score South Korea 2 and Saudi Arabia 1.
Ok. Thanks. I pray for victory for Korea. -
It's getting exciting. My colleagues are arranging for tonight's gathering to watch and support and my korean friends outside are also asking me to join them.Originally posted by Short Ninja:Simi bukit gombak? A draw would be nice for those two teams but after the Indonesian victory over Bahrain,Saudis and Koreans would have to go for each other throat so early in the game.This is exactly what the Koreans need to get them performing above themselves.So if someone offers you a level /half ball and they take Saudis then I think its a good deal........are you listening ar not Jaeyoon??? Final Score South Korea 2 and Saudi Arabia 1.
Even though we're not in Jakarta to support, I believe the several thousand Koreans living in Jakarta will be in the stadium to support the team.
Does anyone know where is the best place to watch and drink in Singapore?
I'm not familiar. Please advice.
Thanks! -
I'm sorry I can't help you there, but perhaps ninja can. After all, he can utter a word of dialect..Originally posted by Jaeyoon:
It's getting exciting. My colleagues are arranging for tonight's gathering to watch and support and my korean friends outside are also asking me to join them.
Even though we're not in Jakarta to support, I believe the several thousand Koreans living in Jakarta will be in the stadium to support the team.Does anyone know where is the best place to watch and drink in Singapore?
I'm not familiar. Please advice.
Thanks! 
I'm determined to be neutral, but good luck to you... -
I left Singapore many years ago and only visit a few times a year so I also cant recommend any particular place but there are many drinking oasis with big screens island wide, as long as they dont play EPL re-runs you good to go but then again dont end up in a Karaoke with some unker singing canton pop>Originally posted by ordinaryguy32:I'm sorry I can't help you there, but perhaps ninja can. After all, he can utter a word of dialect..
I'm determined to be neutral, but good luck to you...