Asian Cup 2007

[Dirko]

Australia vs Japan in VIETNAM, Hanoi, 21/7 @ 1720 local.
The Socceroos vs The Blue Samurai (Japan wins a point for the better nickname ! ).
Japan the TOP ranked Asia team (40 in the World)
Australia the THIRD ranked Asia team (48 in the World)(Iran ranked second at 47).
On form the Japanese should win. On paper Australia the better squad...

During the rounds...
Australia, started slowly vs Oman and never looked like getting out of the blocks
and luckily scored in the death for a draw.
Vs Iraq, terrible defence,and lack of midfield pressure and delivery going forward was
very average for a 3 - 1 loss.
Vs Thailand, much better defence, although still looked very slow in covering the flanks
but filled the holes alot better than previously. Going forward looked better although indisicion
cost them chances when going wide.
Cahill was the difference when he came on, he had a hand in the last three goals....
Great through balls ex the flanks, showed the Thais defence DID have holes.

Japan, started slowly also, drawing with Qatar. This was akin to the Aus/Oman game.
They then booted UAE out of the game with a 3 - 1 win. All 3 goals in the first half.
They then def the co-hosts Vietnam 4 - 1. A comprehensive win.
The Japanese however appear suspectable down back also, letting in a goal per game.
Japan has conceded 3, Australia conceded 4. Japan has scored 8, Australia 6.

The advantage the Australian may have is that, Japan is sismilar to us in regard to weather
and the Japanes players would feel the same about the heat as would the Aussies...
The Japanese seem to play the frist half a lot stronger, then the second, and this is the key.

If Australia can hold Japan in the first half, the superior fitness of the Aussies may hold the key.
I would run a 4-4-2 line...
The defensive will be critical. IMO I would start with ...
Beauchamp, Carney, Milligan, Emerton..
Midfield start Cahill, Bresciano, Grella & Culina
Front Viduka, Aloisi.
Would sub Kewell at the start of the second half for Bresciano.
Would then sub Cahill at 70 mins for Carle...DON'T LAUGH..
I rate Nicky, and he has tremendous speed and can score...
Perhaps at the end Viduka off for Sterjovski.
Wouldn't look at Neill , as I think his form has been average...

Shoud be a good game.
My prediction (I hope I am wrong JAPAN 2 - AUSTRALIA 1).

[Dirko]

The quarters are set...
Iran def Malaysia 2 nil to top GROUP C
Uzbekistan def China 3 nil to finish second and eliminate China in the process...
GROUP D
Saudia Arabia def Bahrain 4 - 0 to send the Bahrainians home...
Korea staggered over Indonesia 1 - 0 to send the co-host nation packing...

QUARTER FINALS * Predictions *
Japan vs Australia * 2 - 1 Japan *
Iraq vs Vietnam * 2 - 0 Iraq *
Iran vs Korea Republic * 1 - 0 Iran *
Saudia Arabia vs Uzbekistan * 1 - 0 Uzbekistan *

Let the games begin !

[smithy]

Leicester have produced 2 of the BEST EVER 'keepers in Banks and Shilton don't forget.

Along with Lineker, Frank's Worthington and McLintock.

Not bad players there.

Waddington, Wellar...........................70's were a great side.

BPBRB, I used to follow Leicester when I was in Oz, then when I came back here we lived so far away that I decided to follow a club a bit more local.

Yep used to be a solid club in the 70's and have struggled since then going up and down like a bride's nightie between the Premier and the CCCs. Some very good years under Matin O'Neill but we have struggled since he left. Also never been able to hang onto the superstars like Linekar and co over the years due to the bigger spending other clubs

P.S. It's Wallington and he was a great keeper too.

Can Liverpool have their 11 mill back that you received for heskey?

[BPBRB]

Ha Ha - don't worry we soon blew it buying a heap of duds.

[Dirko]

Well the Vietnamese musta been confident of getting through...
Vietnam’s player of the year Phan Van Tai Em will not feature in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup co-hosts’ quarter-final clash with Iraq on Saturday after the 25-year-old stayed home to celebrate his wedding.
“I released Tai Em because he is going to get married,” head coach Alfred Riedl said.
What The ??? mmm "No worry love, we are crap, we won't make quarters"
'Well if you do, I am the boss and I come before Football........""Yes Darling...."

[Sploosh]

1-1 at the 72 minute mark. Wish I had foxtel!

[Thiele]

Extra time Aus down to 10 men

[Sploosh]

2nd half of extra time, still 1-1, could be the nailbiting/dreaded penalties coming up. I guess that would be a good result with us having played with 1 less man for quite a while.

[Dutchy]

to penalties, good effort by Aussies with 10 men for last 40 mins

[Sploosh]

Come on Aussies...

[Sploosh]

Any news? I only have an Asian Cup web page to look at that gets updated very slowly...

[Dutchy]

They win 4-3 on penalties, should have never conceded the goal, terrible defence

[MightyEagles]

The ref was crap.

[Thiele]

Schwatzer saved us a couple of times

[heater31]

oh dear this makes the world cup look like a fluke we finally get the monkey off our back only for the bastard to jump straight back on in the next international competition

[devilsadvocate]

What a devastating finish. Missed the game, but read all the reports and it seems like we lost rather than Japs actually won it.

I wonder whether the decision to sub off Viduka and Aloisi cost us at the penalty stage? (Yes I remeber the Dukes WC qualifier debacle, but he's generally on song)

Very disappointing. I think the Japs will go through to the final from here. It should have been us!!!

[BPBRB]

The ref was crap.

Yep appalling all night! The sending off of Grella was a disgrace as well as booking Kewell for a dive when he clealry got clipped.

All through this tournament the referee's have been gunning for the Aussies and I'm sure it is to do with our recent inclusion in the Asian region which hasn't gone down to well with the traditional Asian countries and some arabic countries who have managed to squeeze into Asia as well. They can hardly complain, I don't see them as particularlyAsian???

[zipzap]

Kewell & Neill's extraordinarily inept penalty shots were what cost us the game, not Schwarzer who did his best to win the game for us several times. After holding on with 10 men during extra time, to approach the net so timidly and casually was at best embarrassing. Lucas Neil was totally unbalanced, and almost fell over. WTF?

[zipzap]

I wonder whether the decision to sub off Viduka and Aloisi cost us at the penalty stage? (Yes I remeber the Dukes WC qualifier debacle, but he's generally on song)

Don't forget Bresciano who has probably been our most creative player the entire tournament. Taking him and the Duke off was more than a trifle strange and disastrous in hindsight. Graham Arnold walked off the ground and down the race straight after the game, whereas Kossie went out to console the players. Speaks volumes...

[Dogwatcher]

Horrible, horrible stuff.

Firstly to concede a goal so soon after fighting to get in front.
Then Kewell's and Neill's woeful penalty shots, again after fighting so hard to get back into contention. Horrible.

Secondly, the refereeing. We were told we'd judged a little harder this tourney due to the Asian style of umpiring. However, when soooo many players play for fouls against us and get away with writhing on the floor like they've been shot, to see Harry get a yellow when he was clipped is just ludicrous. Pathetic.
However, we let the refs and the diving of the opposition frustrate us, and we only have ourselves to blame.