Asian Football: AFC Asian Cup 2007
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Group D news
Super Al Jassam sends Saudi through
Jul 18, 2007
PA Sport
PALEMBANG - A second half brace from Taisir Al Jassam steered Saudi Arabia to a 4-0 drubbing of Gulf neighbours Bahrain at the Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium in Palembang on Wednesday and a place in the quarter-finals of this year's AFC Asian Cup
The three-time Asian Cup champions built on a 2-0 lead by the end of the first half thanks to goals from Ahmed Al Mousa and Abdulrahman Al Qahtani before Al Jassam scored two goals in the 68th and 80th minutes as Saudi Arabia finished at the top of Group D standings.
Both coaches had only one change in their starting line-ups as Saudi Arabia coach Helio Dos Anjos introduced Taisir Al Jassam as a replacement for the suspended Khaled Aziz while the Czech coach of Bahrain Milan Macala replaced Mohammed Hubail by team skipper Talal Yusuf.
Bahrain had a powerful start to the match as they have controlled the early proceedings and they could have opened the scoring on seven minutes when Salman Isa sent Ismail Abdullatif clear but the 20-year-old striker could only shoot in the side netting of the Saudi goal.
Saudi Arabia started to get into the game gradually and their first chance fell for striker Malek Maaz in the 15th minute when he went into the area before shooting a powerful ball from the left flank but Bahrain goalkeeper Abdulrahman Abdulkarim blocked the ball.
However, the Saudis scored the opening goal three minutes later when a long ball edged Bahrain defender Abdullah Al Marzouqi who slipped inside the area and Saudi Arabia midfielder Al Mousa edged the Bahrain goalkeeper and scored in the empty goal on the left low corner.
Bahrain recovered from the goal as they controlled the midfield and they could have levelled in the 36th minute when Sayed Mohammed Adnan sent a cross to Isa who sent a curled ball on the far corner but Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Yasser Al Musailem cleared the ball for a corner.
One minute later, Saudi Arabia midfielder Abdulrahman Al Qahtani saw his powerful shot from the edge the area saved by Bahrain goalkeeper Abdulrahman Abdulkarim.
The last minutes of the first half saw quick play from both sides and Bahrain nearly equalised two minutes before the break when Sayed Mahmoud Jalal tested the Saudi goalkeeper with a long drive while Maaz nearly doubled Saudi Arabia advantage with a long chip which went wide after a quick counter attack in the first minute of stoppage time.
The Saudi's were not to be denied a 2-0 lead though after another quick play which saw Yasser Al Qahtani feeding Maaz on the left flank before sending a low cross to Abdulrahman Al Qahtani who tapped the ball in the empty net in the last seconds of the first period.
Bahrain started the second half brightly and they could have pulled a goal back eight minutes after the restart when Isa sent a cross from the right flank directly towards the goal and Saudi goalkeeper Al Musailem deflected the shot into the right upright before the ball was cleared by Saudi Arabia defenders.
The Saudis killed the game off in the 68th minute when they made it 3-0 as Maaz centred the ball to Taisir Al Jassam who fired a 30-yard drive which sailed into the top right corner of Abdulkarim's goal.
And Al Jassam scored his second goal on the night after a nice piece of play which started from Maaz to second half substitute Omar Al Ghamdi who sent the ball from the left flank to Al Jassam who made no mistake with 10 minutes remaining.
Three minutes before the end, Al Jassam nearly completed his hat-trick with a powerful drive from inside the area but the ball was cleared from the goal line by Sayed Mohammed Adnan. -
Group D news
Koreans edge into quarters
Jul 18, 2007
PA Sport
JAKARTA – Korea Republic booked their place in the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup, downing co-hosts Indonesia 1-0 at a sold-out Gelora Bung Karno Stadium to squeeze into the last eight.
Saudi ArabiaÂ’s comfortable 4-0 win over Bahrain coupled with the victory over the Indonesians means Pim VerbeekÂ’s team stay alive in the competition despite only picking up four points in their three Group D games.
The Koreans take second place in the group and will now face the winners of Group C at Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
Kim Jung-woo scored the only goal of the game when his shot from the edge of the area was deflected past Indonesian goalkeeper Markus Rihihina in the 34th minute, after Verbeek had made wholesale changes to his starting line-up
The Dutchman dropped six of the players who lost to Bahrain in the previous game, including Middlesbrough striker Lee Dong-gook and Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Lee Ho.
Indonesia, too, made changes with Astaman Ponaryo recovering from injury to return as captain while Yandri Pitoy made way between the posts for Markus Rihihina.
Despite both sides needing a win to be sure of a place in the knockout phase, the game started cautiously with Lee Chun-soo hitting his sixth minute free kick straight at Markus while three minutes later the Koreans could have claimed the opener.
Markus did well to parry Cho Jae-jinÂ’s shot only for Son Dae-ho to push his attempt across the face of goal.
The Indonesians always looked dangerous on the break, though, and Elie Aiboy was a constant menace in the opening 45 minutes.
Just before the half-hour mark, the Arema Malang man shot just over the bar from the edge of the area after a searing run into the Korean half by Firman Utina had the visitors panicking.
But with 11 minutes to go to the break, the Koreans went in front. Lee Chun-sooÂ’s run across the Indonesian penalty area was followed by a pass to Kim Jung-woo and his right-foot shot was helped past Markus by the finest of deflections off defender Muhammad Ridwan.
With seconds remaining in the half, Indonesia could have pulled level but ElieÂ’s run into the penalty area ended with a shot across the face of goal rather than Lee Woon-jae picking it out of the net.
As the game wore on, the Koreans looked the more likely to strike again, but their problems in front of goal continued.
Nine minutes after the restart Kang Min-soo should have made it 2-0 when Cho Jae-jinÂ’s header across the six-yard box gave him the simplest of opportunities, only for his attempt to cannon off the head of Richardo Salampessy.
Fourteen minutes later Kim Jung-woo looked odds on to score his second of the night when Lee Chun-soo set him up to score 12 yards from goal, but instead the Nagoya Grampus Eight midfielderÂ’s shot was saved by Markus.
The Koreans, however, managed to successful run down the clock, breaking the hearts of the 90,000 Indonesian fans and setting up a possible showdown with Iran in the last eight. -
Group C news
Iran defeat brave Malaysia
Jul 18, 2007
PA Sport
KUALA LUMPUR - A 29th minute penalty from Javad Nekounam coupled with a second half goal from Andranik Teymourian helped a struggling Iran secure a place in the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup by narrowly beating resilient co-hosts Malaysia 2-0 on Wednesday night
Needing to win convincingly in order to assure themselves of top spot in Group C and claim a place in the tournamentÂ’s knockout phase, Iran were made to work all the way by a heroic Malaysian outfit.
Despite constantly struggling to find a way past MalaysiaÂ’s massed ranks, UzbekistanÂ’s 3-0 victory over China assured the Iranians of pole position and they now face the prospect of a last eight meeting with Korea Republic in Kuala Lumpur.
Iranian players and officials celebrated wildly at the final whistle, whilst Malaysian heads were held high, with some pride restored following the South East Asian outfitÂ’s 5-1 loss to China and the 5-0 drubbing they suffered at the hands of Uzbekistan.
Having called for a heroic rearguard action, Malaysia coach Norizan Bakar, who kicked off with six recognised defenders in his starting 11, will have been delighted with his chargesÂ’ overall resilience, although possibly
less pleased with the time and space afforded to Vahid Hashemian whose close-range ninth minute shot from TeymourianÂ’s cross was superbly turned onto his bar and away to safety by Malaysia goalkeeper Azizon Kadir.
Three minutes later and Azizon was in the thick of things again as he dived to deflect a fiercely struck Reza Enayati shot onto his right hand post.
Despite their early dominance, Iran failed to find a way through the home sideÂ’s massed defence and nearly conceded themselves when Aidil Radzak burst through a static Iranian backline, but the youngsterÂ’s shot was deflected safely into the arms of Iran stopper Hassan Roudbarian.
The breakthrough came after 29 minutes. Ali KarimiÂ’s well timed run into the Malaysian box was checked illegally by Hussain Khaironissam according to referee Muhsen Basma. Javad Nekounam, scorer of IranÂ’s equaliser against China in a 2-2 draw, tucked away the resulting penalty with ease.
The Malaysian woodwork was rattled again only moments later when Rahman RezaeiÂ’s delicate headed cross was thumped against the bar by Hashemian.
Malaysia came close to equalising after 44 minutes when Shukor AdanÂ’s thrusting run down the right flank saw him find space to fire in a shot that brought the best out of Roudbarian to send the home team into the break in a buoyant mood.
With Malaysia continuing to fight for every blade of the Bukit Jalil National Stadium turf, Iran had to wait until the 58th minute for their first serious attempt of the half, TeymourianÂ’s effort being tipped away acrobatically by Azizon.
Substitute Rassoul Khatibi duly headed horribly wide from only five yards before he was booked for attempting to win a penalty with a dramatic dive.
A long range pile driver from Hashemian was then gathered well by Azizon as Malaysian bodies continued to thwart Iran, a terrific team spirit that was epitomised in the 71st minute as Hamzani Omar reacted brilliantly to deny Khatibi a clear attempt on goal.
Javad KazemianÂ’s lobbed effort on 75 minutes looped agonisingly wide before IranÂ’s superior possession was turned into something more tangible three minutes later when Teymourian converted a Mehdi Mahdavikia pass with unerring accuracy to beat Azizon at his near post.
KarimiÂ’s last gasp shot was turned onto the bar by Azizon, the save proved to be the last meaningful action of a game which Iran may have won but from which Malaysia emerged with plaudits galore. -
Group D news
Players make Kolev proud
Jul 18, 2007
PA Sport
JAKARTA – Indonesia coach Ivan Kolev hailed the performance of the AFC Asian Cup co-hosts, even though a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Korea Republic ended the nation’s participation in this year’s competition.
Kim Jung-woo scored the only goal of the game 11 minutes before half-time as the Koreans joined Saudi Arabia in the last eight, leaving Indonesia in third place in Group D and out of the competition.
“I’m disappointed that we cannot go through to the next round but I’m proud of the players,” he said.
“They were fighting to the end. I’m proud of the players because from the very beginning until the last game they played at their best level even though we knew our opponents would be tough.”
Indonesia came into the event as rank outsiders but caused an early upset when they defeated Bahrain 2-1 before losing in injury time to Saudi Arabia. A win over the Koreans would have saw them go through to the last eight for the first time.
However, despite their exit, Kolev believes Indonesia will benefit from their participation in the event and sees a bright future ahead.
“There are so many lessons that we have learnt, I can’t explain them all but I’m sure it will mean that we are a much better team in the future because of all the hard work we have done,” he said.
“We started training two-and-a-half months ago and it was not enough time but hopefully we can stay in good shape and have a good team in the future.”
The former Myanmar coach hailed his teamÂ’s battling qualities as they tried to pull themselves back into the game.
“The level of the Korean team and the Indonesian team is different,” he said. “Korea is slightly higher but I’m proud of the Indonesian players especially in the second half of this game and to keep the score at 1-0.
“The Indonesia team is not like England or Germany or France, who can change their strategy in every game. Coming into the game we had so many injuries so I could only maximise what I had.” -
I feel so disappointed with Korea. It's true that they won but they played badly. This is one of the worst performances of Korea I've seen in years. It's hard to accept that. It's embarassing 
The problem lies with a few reasons.
1) the formation is not right. It's rather negative football, with only 1 lonely striker of Cho Jae Jin up front. Facing strong teams using this formation might work better but against Indonesia, they should be more confident despite the Indonesians having supporters at home.
2) Head coach Pim Verbeek selected the wrong players for big games. How can he use the inexperience and young rookies with only 4 to 6 caps, especially on both defensive flanks. Kim Chi Woo on the left and Oh Beom Seok on the right. Really a mistake. On a few ocassions, if Indonesia had taken their chances well, they might be able to upset Korea. And I won't be surprised. Both defenders are not bad but they are too inexperience and lacking confidence, resulting in several mistakes made. Left back position should be given to the 185cm tall Russia-based Kim Dong Jin and right-back should be given back to Suwon Bluewing's Song Chong Guk (28 years old), the 2002 World Cup player who has played for Feyenoord in the Netherlands. Seriously, I don't even agree to some of the players he's selected.
3)Wrong selection on the shortest guy, Choi Sung Kuk. He's been put to play on right winger position. He doesn't even produce great result to his club. Maybe only ocassionally. So I don't know why he can be selected for national team. His bad habit is dribbling too much and his lack of height is really a problem, especially facing long balls or cornerkicks. Even if selected, he shouldn't be in the starting 11.
4) The refusal to select Ahn Jung Hwan, who has vast experience over the years in Europe and Japan. He's back in Korea playing for Suwon Bluewings. He might not have played a lot recently but with him in the national squad, he can boost up the morale of the young team. Remember what he did to USA and Italy in the 1-1 draw and 2-1 win in 2002. He's a little bit like Inzaghi, who can just score suddenly out of nowhere although most of the time, he's offside.
5) Lee Eul Young, one of the main veterans of 2002 and 2006, at 31 now, should be included as he's a tough guy. Played his games in the Belgium league before. In the absence of captain Kim Nam Il, the team needs another experienced guy to lead the youngsters, especially in defense.
Well, afterall, we miss the services of Seol Ki Hyeon, Lee Young Pyo, Kim Nam Il and Park Ji Sung. I believe if they're around, the team would be different. It'll be more attacking and more confident in attack. Lee Dong Gook would have more chances created for him. I'm a little worried about the future of Korean football if these guys are not around. It's a transitional period now and we can understand the difficulty at times for the team but we can see some problems occuring. It's time to for the KFA to do something.
For the next game against the Iranians in KL, Malaysia, coach Verbeek has better do something to change the style of play. Or else they're gonna lose to the strong Iranians.
Look at China. It's a disappointment to see them crash out of Asian Cup 2007. I thought they would have qualified with the way they started earlier....
Guys, thanks for your support.
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Nice detailed analysis.
I'm not very sure if Korea can beat Iran based on the way they're playing now.
But if both teams step up their game, it'll be a good contest.
I'm also eagerly anticipating the match between Japan and Australia. -
Yesterday, Wednesday, July 18, 2007, Match Day 11
Match #21
18/7/07 17:20 (JKT Time)
Indonesia 0-1 Korea Republic
Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia
Match #22
17:20 (JKT Time)
Saudi Arabia 4-0 Bahrain
Jaka Baring Stadium, Palembang, Indonesia
Match #23
20:35 (KL Time)
Malaysia 0-2 Iran
National Stadium Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Match #24
20:35 (KL Time)
Uzbekistan 3 - 0 China
Shah Alam Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Saturday July 21, 2007 Match day 12
21/7/07
Match #25
17:20 (Hanoi Time)
Quarter-Final 3
Japan v Australia
My Dinh National Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam
Match #26
20:20 (BKK Time)
Quarter-Final 1
Iraq v Vietnam
Rajamangala National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand
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Sunday July 22, 2007 Match day 12
22/7/07
Match #27
18:20 (KL Time)
Quarter-Final 2
Iran v Korea Republic
National Stadium Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Match #28
20:20 (JKT Time)
Quarter-Final 4
Saudi Arabia v Uzbekistan
Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia
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Glad Korea made it.Originally posted by Jaeyoon: I feel so disappointed with Korea. It's true that they won but they played badly. This is one of the worst performances of Korea I've seen in years. It's hard to accept that. It's embarassing
The problem lies with a few reasons.
1) the formation is not right. It's rather negative football, with only 1 lonely striker of Cho Jae Jin up front. Facing strong teams using this formation might work better but against Indonesia, they should be more confident despite the Indonesians having supporters at home.
2) Head coach Pim Verbeek selected the wrong players for big games. How can he use the inexperience and young rookies with only 4 to 6 caps, especially on both defensive flanks. Kim Chi Woo on the left and Oh Beom Seok on the right. Really a mistake. On a few ocassions, if Indonesia had taken their chances well, they might be able to upset Korea. And I won't be surprised. Both defenders are not bad but they are too inexperience and lacking confidence, resulting in several mistakes made. Left back position should be given to the 185cm tall Russia-based Kim Dong Jin and right-back should be given back to Suwon Bluewing's Song Chong Guk (28 years old), the 2002 World Cup player who has played for Feyenoord in the Netherlands. Seriously, I don't even agree to some of the players he's selected.
3)Wrong selection on the shortest guy, Choi Sung Kuk. He's been put to play on right winger position. He doesn't even produce great result to his club. Maybe only ocassionally. So I don't know why he can be selected for national team. His bad habit is dribbling too much and his lack of height is really a problem, especially facing long balls or cornerkicks. Even if selected, he shouldn't be in the starting 11.
4) The refusal to select Ahn Jung Hwan, who has vast experience over the years in Europe and Japan. He's back in Korea playing for Suwon Bluewings. He might not have played a lot recently but with him in the national squad, he can boost up the morale of the young team. Remember what he did to USA and Italy in the 1-1 draw and 2-1 win in 2002. He's a little bit like Inzaghi, who can just score suddenly out of nowhere although most of the time, he's offside.
5) Lee Eul Young, one of the main veterans of 2002 and 2006, at 31 now, should be included as he's a tough guy. Played his games in the Belgium league before. In the absence of captain Kim Nam Il, the team needs another experienced guy to lead the youngsters, especially in defense.
Well, afterall, we miss the services of Seol Ki Hyeon, Lee Young Pyo, Kim Nam Il and Park Ji Sung. I believe if they're around, the team would be different. It'll be more attacking and more confident in attack. Lee Dong Gook would have more chances created for him. I'm a little worried about the future of Korean football if these guys are not around. It's a transitional period now and we can understand the difficulty at times for the team but we can see some problems occuring. It's time to for the KFA to do something.
For the next game against the Iranians in KL, Malaysia, coach Verbeek has better do something to change the style of play. Or else they're gonna lose to the strong Iranians.
Look at China. It's a disappointment to see them crash out of Asian Cup 2007. I thought they would have qualified with the way they started earlier....
Guys, thanks for your support.
You really know your football, and that's commendable.
Now that China's out, I'm rooting for Japan and Korea to do well, and Vietnam to give a good account of themselves against Iraq.
Iran would be tough though... -
i think this tournament is a failure.
there are hardly any crowd.
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Congratulations to all the winning teams regardless of how bad or how good they have played.Good luck in the next round!
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too many upsetsOriginally posted by dragg:i think this tournament is a failure.
there are hardly any crowd.
hope japan can beat australia and go thru.
australia's player's half hearted play is an insult to asian soccer. -
Our secret weapon is that the Aussies dont know our strengh and weakness because of the new faces from the J-league.We will be playing as underdogs but every bite must count.Australia can go Waltzing Matilda back to OceaniaOriginally posted by crazy monkey:too many upsets
hope japan can beat australia and go thru.
australia's player's half hearted play is an insult to asian soccer. 
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Japan being the defending champion can't really be considered as underdogs,besides Aus isn't as good as they seem.Originally posted by Short Ninja:Our secret weapon is that the Aussies dont know our strengh and weakness because of the new faces from the J-league.We will be playing as underdogs but every bite must count.Australia can go Waltzing Matilda back to Oceania -
Sorry for the frank opinion I am giving.
Actually, the 2004 Japan was not the best team. And they were not as good as what people think although they won that year.
They were really very lucky. there were 2 games they nearly lost. They didn't run much and were lazy at times but could pull level and won with a few minutes left and during extra time. The better teams then were Iran but they lost to China in the semi final by penalties.
Don't be mad at me, Japan supporters. I'm just stating some facts in case nobody noticed. And Zico's ideas were not good. The same team went to the World Cup last year and finally they were punished. Luck cannot always be with you.
I think that the 2000 team was much better. -
I totaly agree.They were lucky and Zico survived the beheading to continue his work into the World Cup.Japan however did slightly better at the WFC than the AFC but all those times had nothing to do with Zico.He is by far the laziest coach and depended on his "Star" Players to save his money faced ass.As a player he was a Soccer legend but as a coach he is just as hopeless as Norizan Bakar (Malaysian Coach).Osim is more realistic and the team is gaining confidence under his charge but still their talents are raw and need just a little bit more time to blossom.Originally posted by Jaeyoon:Sorry for the frank opinion I am giving.
Actually, the 2004 Japan was not the best team. And they were not as good as what people think although they won that year.
They were really very lucky. there were 2 games they nearly lost. They didn't run much and were lazy at times but could pull level and won with a few minutes left and during extra time. The better teams then were Iran but they lost to China in the semi final by penalties.
Don't be mad at me, Japan supporters. I'm just stating some facts in case nobody noticed. And Zico's ideas were not good. The same team went to the World Cup last year and finally they were punished. Luck cannot always be with you.
I think that the 2000 team was much better. -
Why I say we are underdogs is because on record the Aussies are better.Over the years before the World Cup they have always fared slightly better in friendies but at the WFC we lost to them big time.
I never realised how bad shape Korea was in until I saw how they played against the Indonesians.I think they have some internal problems that need to be quickly resolved or eles book an early flight back to Seoul.A Korea Vs Japan final would be very ideal but I am afraid destiny wont have it that way as Iran is now a hot favorite and the Aussies could still get what they came for. -
Well Ninja, I can also be humble enough to say we are underdogs too against the Iranians.Originally posted by Short Ninja:Why I say we are underdogs is because on record the Aussies are better.Over the years before the World Cup they have always fared slightly better in friendies but at the WFC we lost to them big time.
I never realised how bad shape Korea was in until I saw how they played against the Indonesians.I think they have some internal problems that need to be quickly resolved or eles book an early flight back to Seoul.A Korea Vs Japan final would be very ideal but I am afraid destiny wont have it that way as Iran is now a hot favorite and the Aussies could still get what they came for. in the previous Asian Cup campaigns since 1996, we've met Iran. They kicked us out in 1996, in 2000, we met them and we won and in 2006, they knocked us out of the quarter final. We were leading 3-2 until 2 Iranian goals turned the score to 4-3. We also met Iran in the Olympic and we beat them. In 1990's Asian games, Korea were favorites to be the gold medalists but after dominating the entire 90 mins against the Iranians in the semi final, we ended up losing 1-0 in extra time with a Iran counter attack. I remember that year, Korea had beaten Singapore 7-0 in the group stage. Singapore also lost 5-1 to China. (Singapore had arguably a so-called dream team of what Singapore fans refer to as Fandi Ahmad, Sundram Moorthy, Malek Awab, K. Kannan, Hasnim Haron, David Lee etc.. and yet were trashed like what Malaysia is experiencing now 
) In 1990, Japan was still a minor in Asia. They were still wearing white or red. I can still remember. They even had hard times beating any Southeast Asian teams. Ramos, Miura Kazuyoshi were the stars in Japan during those days but not good enough.
Back to Iran-Korea rivalry..... So I don't understand why we always have the fate to meet Iran. And I have to say that Iran tend to obstruct us from going further in major competitions.
Japan is lucky that they always don't meet Iran in tournaments. Otherwise, Iran might post an obstacle for Japan too. -
Ninja, the chance for Korea - Japan final is very slim. We have to overcome Iran tomorrow and your side has to overcome Australia today before we have a higher chance to meet.Originally posted by Short Ninja:Why I say we are underdogs is because on record the Aussies are better.Over the years before the World Cup they have always fared slightly better in friendies but at the WFC we lost to them big time.
I never realised how bad shape Korea was in until I saw how they played against the Indonesians.I think they have some internal problems that need to be quickly resolved or eles book an early flight back to Seoul.A Korea Vs Japan final would be very ideal but I am afraid destiny wont have it that way as Iran is now a hot favorite and the Aussies could still get what they came for.
Anyway, do you find that Korea tend to not get good results against west asian teams? However when Korea meets Japan, the statistics tell us that Korea beats Japan most of the time. Japan can always defeat other countries but tend to have difficult times against Korea. Soccer is a strange game. -
Ninja, don't worry. Australia is not that strong. They're over-rated by the English media.
The only thing that Japan is losing out is that Japanese players are shorter and less physical. But technically, Japan is better, I believe.
Remember, there is nothing to be afraid of against the Australians. Their players are not stars, comeon. Don't listen to those people or media that keep portraying them as English Premier League stars. Tim Cahill is not a star. He's just an average Everton player. Emerton is also an average player in Blackburn. Who else? Kewell is a relatively better player in Liverpool BUT he's not a star. Viduka ended up in Middlesborough. None of the Aussies are in Big clubs like Man Utd, Milan, Barcelona, Chelsea or Arsenal etc..
To me, stars mean the likes of Ronaldo, Henry, Kaka, Ronaldinho.
Remember, never be afraid of the Australians. Their standards are not any higher. Their clubs in Australia even lost to clubs from Korea, China and Japan in the Asian Champions league. So national teams can beat theirs as well.
It's all up in the mind.
Good luck Ninja. Your team can do it. Let's watch it tonight. -
the way you put it the whole of asia are nothing to be afraid of.Originally posted by Jaeyoon:Ninja, don't worry. Australia is not that strong. They're over-rated by the English media.
The only thing that Japan is losing out is that Japanese players are shorter and less physical. But technically, Japan is better, I believe.
Remember, there is nothing to be afraid of against the Australians. Their players are not stars, comeon. Don't listen to those people or media that keep portraying them as English Premier League stars. Tim Cahill is not a star. He's just an average Everton player. Emerton is also an average player in Blackburn. Who else? Kewell is a relatively better player in Liverpool BUT he's not a star. Viduka ended up in Middlesborough. None of the Aussies are in Big clubs like Man Utd, Milan, Barcelona, Chelsea or Arsenal etc..
To me, stars mean the likes of Ronaldo, Henry, Kaka, Ronaldinho.
Remember, never be afraid of the Australians. Their standards are not any higher. Their clubs in Australia even lost to clubs from Korea, China and Japan in the Asian Champions league. So national teams can beat theirs as well.
It's all up in the mind.
Good luck Ninja. Your team can do it. Let's watch it tonight.
that makes them equal isnt it? -
Good Morning Jaeyoon.By 1990 all those Singaporean names that you mentioned earlier were already over their prime but only their names refused to shrink and hence they were thrashed in the Asian arena.I moved to Japan in 1992 when J-league was just about to start and later taught in a Secondary School where Hidetoshi Nakata was our star midfielder.Yes,I was a fan of Verdi Kawasaki featuring Ramos,Miura and more than half the National team played for that club.At that time the National Jersey was white and we drew more than we win and lost more than we drew.
Now lets talk about the existing teams and how I feel about playing with them.Iran for us is "Iranai" which in Japanese means (I dont need) because they can be heartbreakers when it comes to a semi final or final.When we play korea in korean soil its almost impossible to beat them but when they come to Tokyo we usually show them who is the boss.In a neutral environment I agree that Korea is half a pace faster and makes better kimchi.
The Aussies has got players names that is bigger than Godzilla but this is not the World Cup and I suspect some players are more loyal to their clubs than national pride at this level of competition.No one wants to risk injury.Our quick short passes is sure to give the kangaroos some headaches.They can guard Maki,Nakamura & Takahara for all they want but a solitary is going to come from someone like Kaji or komano from outside the box.Anyways good luck to both our teams as we try to clear the highest hurdle and who knows maybe a Korea -Japan Final? -
Every team is equal until they kena thrashed by others and start to scratch headOriginally posted by dragg:the way you put it the whole of asia are nothing to be afraid of.
that makes them equal isnt it?
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match tonite
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Saturday July 21, 2007 Match day 12
21/7/07
Match #25
17:20 (Hanoi Time)
Quarter-Final 3
Japan v Australia
My Dinh National Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam
Match #26
20:20 (BKK Time)
Quarter-Final 1
Iraq v Vietnam
Rajamangala National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand
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Sunday July 22, 2007 Match day 12
22/7/07
Match #27
18:20 (KL Time)
Quarter-Final 2
Iran v Korea Republic
National Stadium Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Match #28
20:20 (JKT Time)
Quarter-Final 4
Saudi Arabia v Uzbekistan
Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia
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dun worry Korea would overcome Iran and Saudi would lose,later tonight Vietnam win over Iraq.