Asian Cup 2007 ***SPOILERS***

[IncredibleLE]

Lets dicuss it here. who do you guys believe will take the cup? wat do you guys think about the addition of australia into the cup?

[Redstar]

i hope china do well. i think Korea R will probably win.

[dbzclips]

Iraq!

[aabbabb]

its between Maldiv and Guam

[mehdan]

aabbab, who is that woman in your avatar? She is very pretty imo :D

Anyways, I say Japan, Iran or Korea, but its in SE Asia, so very humid/terribly hot in summer...maybe Thailand?

[loki]

Saudi Arabia definitely.

Iran/Japan may be close contenders.

Just accept that Saudi will win now, so when it happens, you won't be so disappointed. :D

[realGaurab]

I think Australia is a good addition to the tournament. Previously it was dominated mostly by only four nationals - Saudi Arabia, Iran, Korea and Japan. Now there will be another power added. And time for emerging powers like China, Thailand, Uzbekistan, etc to show what they are actually made of.

[aabbabb]

aabbab, who is that woman in your avatar? She is very pretty imo :D

Anyways, I say Japan, Iran or Korea, but its in SE Asia, so very humid/terribly hot in summer...maybe Thailand?
thats catherine bell

[skraz]

go australia

[mattwinter0]

Yeah I reckon Australia will go close, at least semi-finals.

[zahidmaqbool]

its going to be India :)

[soniq]

IRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNnn

[realGaurab]

its going to be India :)
3-0 home loss to Yemen and 6-0 away loss with Japan means even qualifying for the tournament is hard.

:( No Nepal in the qualifiers this time! wtf? Guess political reasons left them out of the qualification, and hence the whole tournament.

[sof2xlc]

3-0 home loss to Yemen and 6-0 away loss with Japan means even qualifying for the tournament is hard.

:( No Nepal in the qualifiers this time! wtf? Guess political reasons left them out of the qualification, and hence the whole tournament.
INDIA WILL GET IN B/C WE HAVE NUKES

[IncredibleLE]

^ so do north korea but they aren't even in the qualifying tournament.

[aqualex]

17 teams were omitted from the tournament because they chose not to enter (this includes india and nepal) the reasons why they didn't enter were not given though. but that aside. we all know HONG KONG will win. i dont even know why anyone else bothered showing up.

[Daei]

Iran will definately take it depending on the health of players, Karimi is gonna get mvp honors again.
its gonna be Iran - Japan in the final,
and South Korea - China for third place

quick question, anyone knows why they waited only 3 years for this asian cup, isnt it supposed to be every 4 years?

[kryptonum]

Australia will do

[numbaz]

There's no doubt that Korea will be on top once and for all.

[Skyboy17]

i think Japan will win it again~~~!!

[jwalk]

There's no doubt that Korea will be on top once and for all.

no doubt!

[Dennis_cool]

Iran And Japan And korea can win

[samuel19]

China will get the Champion:D

[doraemon]

win Australia cup can.

[aabbabb]

China will get the Champion:D
I can't see why not!! You seem to have good connections with the corrupt federation...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lURJaFenhcQ&search=iran%20china
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbUcToJWYgw&search=iran%20china

China is a disgrace along with Bahrain and all the other cheating scumbags.

[loki]

One good thing about the Aussies being included is that possibly it'll be shown on the BBC, I just hope that Australia at least get there first team to the competition as it would be more competitive :D

[Ramsi]

I have confidence in Iran..
even that they didnt play good at the wc 2006..
still I think they can develop more..
They have some great players..
only they need a new and better coach..

It will just take some time..
so I wont be suprised if they win this Asia Cup 2007!

[rollinjc]

Australia or Japan will win IMO

[sytheman]

This is time for Korea Republic to yell out, "Again 1960"

[rollinjc]

One good thing about the Aussies being included is that possibly it'll be shown on the BBC, I just hope that Australia at least get there first team to the competition as it would be more competitive :D

Dream on!!

[Socceroo21]

We proved ourselves in Germany....Although we now have alot of the A-Leage players representing..and not the European ones...and soccer has only just really taken off in the last 12 months..in Aus....we should still do very well...if it comes up to Australia v Japan..we have already proven we can beat them.....Australia will win...


GO THE SOCCEROOS

[HiJazzey]

Dream on!!

They show the African cup, why not the Asian?

[soniq]

very important match on sept 2 between iran and korea for asian cup qualifiers, these two teams are what i called rivals,

iran has two very impressive wins over korea in its history:

Iran 6-2 South korea (asian cup 1996)
Iran 4-3 South korea (asian cup 2004)

both very beatiful games,beautifully played by both teams

[IncredibleLE]

wat a match that iran/ south korea one was. hopefully the second leg will produce more goals

[RedDevil10]

Philippines! YEAH! LOL! Just kidding... we don't have a prayer in winning but I think we're trying to atleast qualify and finish last in the tourney!

Anyway, I don't know if anyone is aware of the situation in the Philippines but what do you guys think should be done to pull us out of this hell hole?

[iKnan]

Spoilers from Sep. 6 matches

















South Korea 8-0 Taiwan

China 0-0 Singapour (last minute red card for Chinese player)

Lebanon - Bahrain CANCELLED

Hong Kong 0-0 Uzbekistan

Yemen 0-1 Japan (90th minute goal for Japan)

UAE 0-0 Jordan

Qatar 3-0 Bangladesh

Syria 0-2 Iran

Oman 5-0 Pakistan

Iraq 2-2 Palestine

Kuwait 2-0 Australia (I think Aussies used A team)

KSA 7-1 India

[IncredibleLE]

i think the aussies used their b team. i think only 2 were from the wc squad.

[iKnan]

i think the aussies used their b team. i think only 2 were from the wc squad.
I read in many sources that it was their A team.

[icecold]

has pakistan even qualified? :D

GO IRAN!!!

[IncredibleLE]

I read in many sources that it was their A team.
o wow. than kuwait did great.

[soniq]

well considering that lebanon pulled out of the competition i think the aussies didnt really need a win

[matt.morris]

I read in many sources that it was their A team.

It was a mixture if A and B, but all are European based players (no A-League players this time around).

Graham Arnold can blame the conditions and lead-up all he wants... the fact remains that we played like shit, and when we went one down Arnold just froze up. He really proved to the nation that although he may be a great assistant coach/manager, he is no-where near the type of coach/manager that this country needs or wants.

Massive holes in centre midfield and left defence, little to no marking and just general apathetic play. Kuwait score two absolutely fantastic goals, but both were preventable as they both came from huge defensive holes on the left.

The thumb needs to come out of the arse and we need to start developing our football to be dominating our new federation, if not up there in the top 15-20 footballing nations in the world. At this point, it really has to come from an International coach/manager that will demand excellence from the grass roots levels.

This is not a happy footballing nation right now. More to come. :(

[kenshinmuyo]

hi everybody, i'm just starting to get into football and i am extremely interested in this asian cup. are they at they playign qualification games now? how do you guys watch the games because they dont show them here in canada. thanks for your help

[IncredibleLE]

^ yeah, they're in teh qualifying group stage. you can track the process here
http://www.afcasiancup.com/en/

[IncredibleLE]

well, on the eve of matchday 5, there's 7 slots left out of 16 for qualifying nations in the asian cup. so far the qualified are the 4 host nations: Viet Nam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia; Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, and Qatar. Tomorrow, Korea Republic, Iran, Oman, Iraq, and China can all qualify. Korea and Iran need draws to get in, while Oman, Iraq, and China all need wins. should make for an interesting day.

[Redstar]

iran is pretty much 100% to qualify, south korea can probbly tie it at least.
china have a good chance.

[IncredibleLE]

iran should blank chinese taipei. korea should atleast get a draw with syria. the syrians did pull off that draw with iran earlier so they might be alittle bit of a trouble for korea. china and qatar should win and move on. oman and uae are going to have to fight it out.

[matt.morris]

Australia play Bahrain in half an hour for a chance to top their group and take a seeded place in the finals.

:D

[IncredibleLE]

having beat them on matchday 1 3-1, australia does seem to be the clear favorite. but depends on wat team the australians will play. they might play alot of youth players and mess it all up

[pydgey]

well we've got a supposedly strong squad

i'm optimistically patriotic :D

[IncredibleLE]

spoilers below
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-HIGHLIGHT BELOW FOR SPOILERS
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as expected, iran won 2-0 over chinese taipei, south korea drew 1-1 with syria, and australia won 2-0 over bahrain. still waiting on scores from japan/india, qatar/china, oman/uae.
edit: japan 3-0 over india, uzebelistan 4-0 bangladesh
china and iraq qualify. now there are only 2 slots left. in group d it will be a final matchday meeting between kuwait and bahrain, winner goes on. and in group f hong kong needs a big win margin over bangledesh and hope that qatar spanks the uzbeks.

[IncredibleLE]

i'm very sorry if my listing of todays match scores has ruined the viewing of mathces for anyone. i saw how dead this thread was so i wanted to bring it back by listing the outcome of the remaining matchdays. i'm very sorry if i spoiled any scores for anyone.

[Redstar]

umm u should press edit. for ur post and change it to this:


SPOILERS WILL FOLLOW
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[Imran]

umm u should press edit. for ur post and change it to this:


SPOILERS WILL FOLLOW
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I further edited it, check it out, making font white is quite a good way of posting results but not spoiling it for anyone

[IncredibleLE]

wow, who would think that jeonbuk would be going into the final matchday vs al karama with a 2-0 advantage

[sirmax858]

any chance for capping the youth championships?

I really, really want to see the Korea-Australia game on the 6th...

[emma_my_girl]

As much as I love upsets....I have to go with Japan for the championship in 2007. Potential surprises...........Thailand maybe??? Australia, if they don't play Japan before the final, should face them for the championship.

[iKnan]

12 teams have qualified after today's matches including the 4 hosts.

Iran are the only team that have remained undefeated through the qualifiers and they took the group B top spot after a 2-0 victory over South Korea today.

[IncredibleLE]

man, can't wait for the 19th to come. Who draws on a tuesday anyways? Viet Nam Tien Len!!

[Rhys]

Group A
Thailand
Iraq
Oman
Australia

Group B
Vietnam
United Arab Emirates
Qatar
Japan

Group C
Malaysia
China
Uzbekistan
Iran

Group D
Indonesia
Saudi Arabia
Bahrain
South Korea

[pydgey]

ooh thanx for that i almost 4got about it.

hmmmm so we got iraq :eek: .

oh well, shldn't be too problematic :cool:

[SwingDancer]

Aussie Oi,

I woke up this morning and remembered so I came down here....

Australia
Thailand
Oman
Iraq

IS this a good draw for us? Is it like the world cup where the top two teams in every group advance?

Australia's gonna win the group and win the cup!!!!!:D

[IncredibleLE]

you should have posted that in white for the ones waiting for Respectrum to release the video of the drawing.

[soniq]

only problem in iran's group should be china, and we'll get our revenge this time

[Redstar]

Go China Go!!!

[No1_Dave]

Go China Go!!!

I second that Big time :D

[pydgey]

IS this a good draw for us? Is it like the world cup where the top two teams in every group advance?

Australia's gonna win the group and win the cup!!!!!:D
yes, yes and yes :)

well graham arnold is thrilled - The World Game (http://www.theworldgame.com.au/home/index.php?pid=st&cid=80139)

Extracts:
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold is thrilled with Australia's draw for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, saying he is glad to avoid 2006 World Cup qualifier Saudi Arabia.

Arnold said Australia would field most of its European-based players.

"The interest is massive (back home). We will have a huge contingent of Australians going to Thailand to have a holiday at the same time." [:)]

But Arnold also issued a word of caution.

"Historically the host nations of the Asian Cups have done well so Thailand will be looking to continue that record."

"Oman are a bit of an unknown quantity. We have never played them before and they have had some solid results recently which shows they can beat anyone on their day."

The Socceroos will play their first match against Oman on Sunday 8 July and then will take on Iraq on Friday 13 July and Thailand on Monday 16 July. All those matches will be played in Bangkok.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage, which will culminate in the final in Jakarta on July 29.

Should Australia finish top of Group A they will play the runner-up of Group B while the runner-up of Group A will play the winner of Group B in the quarter-finals.

Australia will face either Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, Qatar or Japan in the quarter-finals should they finish in the top two of their group.

Viet Nam Tien Len!!
English only in these forums u know :mad:
Tough task facing Vietnam
Vietnam coach Alfred Riedl is under no illusions after his team were drawn to face defending champions Japan and Gulf rivals Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in Group B of the AFC Asian Cup 2007.

Despite their status as co-hosts, the Vietnamese will be seen as the underdogs in a group that features the three-time champions, the recently-crowned Asian Games gold medallists and a nation that reached the final of the 1996 Asian Cup.
Full article: The World Game (http://www.theworldgame.com.au/home/index.php?pid=st&cid=80159)

I hope this helps. :D

edit: I second that Big time :D
thanx a lot :mad:

[No1_Dave]

edit:
thanx a lot :mad:

I'll support the Aussies as my 2nd team ok? ;) :D


English only in these forums u know

well unbelievably there is a french only thread now, travesty :(

[matt.morris]

GROUP A: (Bangkok)
1. Thailand http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/5782/thailandun8.gif
2. Australia http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/1375/australiabo5.gif
3. Oman http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/3762/omanvp5.gif
4. Iraq http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/7776/iraqzy4.gif

[size=2]July 7: Thailand v Iraq
July 8: Australia v Oman
July 12: Oman v Thailand
July 13: Iraq v Australia
July 16: Thailand v Australia
July 16: Oman v Iraq

GROUP B: (Hanoi)
1. Vietnam http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/1962/vietnamww5.gif
2. Japan http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/8329/japansk3.gif
3. Qatar http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1241/qatarvf2.gif
4. UAE http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/456/uaenw6.gif

July 8: Vietnam v United Arab Emirates
July 9: Japan v Qatar
July 12: Qatar v Vietnam
July 13: United Arab Emirates v Japan
July 16: Vietnam v Japan
July 16: Qatar v United Arab Emirates





Fucking rapt about Australia playing all their group games in Bangkok. Looks like I'll be there afterall!

[matt.morris]

GROUP C: (Kuala Lumpur)
1. Malaysia http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/6647/malaysiabj8.gif
2. IR Iran http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/9416/iranlt1.gif
3. Uzbekistan http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/451/uzbekistanjg4.gif
4. China PR http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1913/chinaak5.gif

July 10: Malaysia v China
July 11: Iran v Uzbekistan
July 14: Uzbekistan v Malaysia
July 15: China v Iran
July 18: Malaysia v Iran
July 18: Uzbekistan v China

GROUP D: (Jakarta)
1. Indonesia http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/381/indonesiato1.gif
2. Korea Republic http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/6934/korearepublicef2.gif
3. Saudi Arabia http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/1115/saudiarabug8.gif
4. Bahrain http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/7497/bahrainzc3.gif[/size]

July 10: Indonesia v Bahrain
July 11: South Korea v Saudi Arabia
July 14: Saudi Arabia v Indonesia
July 15: Bahrain v South Korea
July 18: Indonesia v South Korea
July 18: Saudi Arabia v Bahrain

FINALS:
July 21: Quarter-final 1 (winner Group A v runner-up Group B), Bangkok
July 21: Quarter-final 3 (winner Group B v runner-up Group A), Hanoi
July 22: Quarter-final 2 (winner Group C v runner-up Group D), Kuala Lumpur
July 22: Quarter-final 4 (winner Group D v runner-up Group C), Jakarta

July 25: Semi-final 1 (winner Quarter-final 1 v winner Quarter-final 2), Venue TBD
July 25: Semi-final 2 (winner Quarter-final 3 v winner Quarter-final 4), Venue TBD

July 28: 3rd/4th playoff (loser Semi-final 1 v loser Semi-final 2), Venue TBD

July 29: Final (winner Semi-final 1 v winner Semi-final 2), Jakarta

[pydgey]

Fucking rapt about Australia playing all their group games in Bangkok. Looks like I'll be there afterall!

I'll see you there!!! :D :D :D

[matt.morris]

I'll see you there!!! :D :D :D

Better see you at T.D. for the last home game on the 12th Jan beforehand! :D

[iKnan]

This year, it's Iran's year. In 2004 we were ruled to 3rd place with bad calls and all but that's not going to stop us now!!!

THE LIONS OF ASIA ARE BACK W/ A BRAND NEW RAP !!! :D

[IncredibleLE]

yes, yes and yes :)

well graham arnold is thrilled - The World Game (http://www.theworldgame.com.au/home/index.php?pid=st&cid=80139)

Extracts:



English only in these forums u know :mad:

Full article: The World Game (http://www.theworldgame.com.au/home/index.php?pid=st&cid=80159)

I hope this helps. :D

edit:
thanx a lot :mad:
its not like i was trying to have a conversation in vietnamese. its just a chant.

[Rhys]

QF 1: Australia v UAE
QF 2: Japan v Iraq
QF 3: Iran v Saudi Arabia
QF 4: Korea v China

SF 1: Australia v Japan
SF 2: Iran v Korea

F : Australia v Korea

:D

[pydgey]

Better see you at T.D. for the last home game on the 12th Jan beforehand! :D
:D
oh i heard we may be playin argentina some time in June [:confused:] in Melb :)
Australia may then play a couple of games in March, with two designated FIFA match dates for European and other qualifiers in that month, as well as two games in Australia on FIFA dates on June 2 and 6. There is speculation that Argentina could provide the opposition for those June matches, one of which would be a blockbuster at the MCG.
Full article - The Age (http://www.theage.com.au/news/soccer/cahills-recovery-is-music-to-arnolds-ears/2006/12/14/1165685824255.html)

QF 1: Australia v UAE
QF 2: Japan v Iraq
QF 3: Iran v Saudi Arabia
QF 4: Korea v China

SF 1: Australia v Japan
SF 2: Iran v Korea

F : Australia v Korea

:D
put a spoiler warning next time :D :p

[georgez]

Australia is the best team in Asia and will win it easily there only competition is South Korea.

[No1_Dave]

wow, your confidence is admirable, we'll see :rolleyes: :D

[iKnan]

Australia is the best team in Asia and will win it easily there only competition is South Korea.
I take it that you don't even follow Asian football. You're probably looking at WC2002 still. S.Korea atm is getting slapped around and they'll have one hell of a time qualifying to the second round.

[IncredibleLE]

Australia is the best team in Asia and will win it easily there only competition is South Korea.
like ikan said, brush up on your asian football. they haven't made any dent in asian football yet so they can't be the best.

[savvas]

Australia is the best team in Asia and will win it easily there only competition is South Korea.

You Cocky Bastard, You better be right or i'm going to blame you if we don't make it to the World Cup 2010! Well, It's going to be hard, it would be good if we had a couple of friendlies leading up to the Asian Cup. I hope we organise some. I'd also like to see how Australia play under Arnold if they are down by a goal or 2 against a good opposition. Will Arnold be smart and wise enough to have a plan b? I hope he helps Australia play their best football otherwise i'll be quite dissapointed.

[pydgey]

You Cocky Bastard, You better be right or i'm going to blame you if we don't make it to the World Cup 2010! Well, It's going to be hard, it would be good if we had a couple of friendlies leading up to the Asian Cup. I hope we organise some. I'd also like to see how Australia play under Arnold if they are down by a goal or 2 against a good opposition. Will Arnold be smart and wise enough to have a plan b? I hope he helps Australia play their best football otherwise i'll be quite dissapointed.

it's speculated that we're to play argentina in 2 friendlies: June 2nd and 6th, in Melbourne :cool: and Sydney

[Mitch23]

it's speculated that we're to play argentina in 2 friendlies: June 2nd and 6th, in Melbourne :cool: and Sydney

they would be awesome games

[24hrs]

A shame the ffa left us with arnold...
I know we can't really afford a super coach after snapping up Baan for TD, but honestly, i can't see him taking us forward at all, let alone keep us stationary..
He doesnt even look good in a suit!

Should've signed neeskens while we had the chance :(
Nurrr


On topic:
I'll hold my predictions until we're a little closer to the Cup..


Off topic again :D :
An Argie double would be fantastic stuff! Imagine the crowds!

[RSA]

korea or iran

[SlickAs]

The Australian side does look like like it is by far the best in Asia to people who follow the English Premier League. On paper, they should walk through Asia easily.

A first class goal-keeper who plays for Middlesbrough who defends against shots from the likes of Thiery Henry, Christiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba, etc. week-in week-out in the Premier League and UEFA Cup wont be intimidated by too many of the Asian strikers. Hard to match that sort of experience for all those Asian goalkeepers who come in from the J-League, K-league, Irani league, Thai league or the one in like Vietnam.

And that just goes on forward for every single position on the ground with the same logic.

The Australian players in the English premier league dont even get an automatic start for Australia and have to compete for a spot with the players from other leagues who also play:

Take mid-field for example: who do you choose for mid-field? Evertons Tim Cahil, Blackburns Brett Emerton, Wigans Skoko or Fulhams Elrich would be a start for any mid-field for any team in Asia, but then you need to make room for midfielders Palermo's Bresciano, and Parma's Grella from Italian Serie-A both of whom did so well in the world cup. Then you have the mid-fielder from UEFA Champions League Dutch PSV's Jason Culina. And that is before you go to the other midfielders playing in the rest of Europe (FC Twentes Wilkshire, or FC Basels Chipperfield, both from Australia's 2006 World Cup amonst others for example).

Then, from all those players, to choose a 3 man mid-field line-up (for a 4-3-3 strategy) you might have to make room for this man who is currenly injured but back training again for his club: Liverpools Harry Kewell. There is only 3 spots, remember? Kewell, Bresciano, and Grella? What about Cahil? He has to get in there somewhere. Glad it is not me making the choice. Pretty strong side for Asia, hey? 15 - 20 world class midfielders for Australia before they even start looking at their A-league. Absolutely no doubt that it has the strongest mid-field in Asia ... world-class.

And when you look at the other strong Asian sides ... Japan has Celtic's Nakamura. He is good. But when Australian striker, Mark Viduka played for Celtic, he kicked the most goals in the league won Scottish League Player of the year before moving on to Premiership. Nakata plays for Bolton, Inamoto plays for UEFA Champions League Turkish club Galatasaray, Shinji Ono played for Dutch club Feyenoord where he did well. Other than that, Japan's players are just J-league guys.

You would have to follow the J-league to recognise who they are. Is the J-league any good? As good as the A-league? Maybe, maybe not. We will see in the upcoming Asian Champions League for the first time. It will be interesting to see where the A-league sits. It might be not even close to as good as J- and K-Leagues. It might be just as good. Might be better. We will see. One thing is for sure, it is not English, Spanish or Italian leagues, and A-league players cant get a birth in the Australian team (for good reason ... if they were good enough to displace a European based player, they would be playing in Europe and earning those million dollar salaries). The Japanese J-leaguers will not be up to marking, being marked or recognising the creative plays by the guys playing in the big leagues you wouldn't think.

Similarly for Korea: They do look like they are a stronger outfit. Park Ji-Sung is their big star. Manchester United. He really is the stand out player for Korea, and I expect the whole side to be organised around him. Lee Young-Pyo has struggled at the Spurs, and Seol Ki-Hyeon has scored a goal or 2 for Reading, and is still very much proving himself. Lee Dong-Gook has just played his first match with Middlesbourough (alongside Australias Viduka, Schwartzer, and Bradley Jones) ... good luck to him. Lee Chun-soo is in Norhern Ireland and threatening a boycot playing unless he moves to relegation threatened Wigan(!) who hardly seem to want him. They are their world-class players, the rest playing for K-league. But people will be looking forward to Australia playing South Korea as the quality game in the championship as their players are on the brink of the big league.

I mean, the Australian team are big players for Asia, for UEFA, maybe not, just a competitive side, but for Asia they are superstars compared with the competition. This will raise the standard of the game, and any Asian player that does well against Australia will draw the interest of European managers for the first time. What a good thing for Asia!

Iran really has no-one of note in their side, Andranik Teymourian just started at Fulham, we will have to see how he goes. Javad Nekounam has started in Spain for Osasuna, although he must be good since the Spanish league has a "3-non-EU" passport club players, and thus he has beaten out players from Brazil, Argentina, etc. for his spot. I cant see that Iran would have a single player that would even be picked in the AUstralian squad, besides perhaps that guy, and he would be working like hell just to get his spot against someone at Everton or somewhere.

Saudi Arabia who has no-one at all in the big leagues. Iran, Japan and Saudi Arabia failed to win a single game at the world cup and all finished at the bottom of their respective tables. South Korea did themselves proud by drawing with France and winning against Togo. Australia was the only asian nation to progress past the group stages.

So when I look at it, Australia seems to be, on paper, the strongest team there, and I will be looking forward to the Australia v South Korea match as the highlight of the competition. If South Korea can draw with France, they are the threat to Australia.

Japan will be looking for a re-match with Australia of their defeat at the World Cup, and that should be a fun game.

I know Iran got lucky and beat Australia 8 or 9 years ago coming back from 2-0 down in a world cup reperchage spot, and football is a funny game, but I just cant see that happenning again in 2007. But football is not a game that is won on paper. It is a game that is won by scoring goals on match-day, and being as it is, upsets happen. Australia's inclusion in Asia definately makes the Cup more interesting, anyway. If only that we all expect them to win and that any Asian nation that beats them must have something of value amongst its players.

Here is looking forward to some good football.

[Salin]

Its here soon :)

I still belive Iran will win this and japan will come second :).

Saudi arabia - South korea for third place i think :D.

Oh yea i just hope Karimi playes good :D this is his last chance to show his skills.

[Rhys]

Australian squad

Goalkeepers: Mark Schwarzer, Brad Jones, Michael Petkovic.
Defenders: Lucas Neill, Brett Emerton, Michael Beauchamp, Michael Thwaite, Mark Milligan, Patrick Kisnorbo.
Midfielders: Mark Bresciano, Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill, Vince Grella, Mile Sterjovski, Luke Wilkshire, Jason Culina, Carl Valeri, Nick Carle, David Carney.
Forwards: Mark Viduka, John Aloisi, Archie Thompson, Brett Holman.

[No Use For A Name]

Very nice sqaud although it's a shame that chipperfield is out and also that skoko and mcdonald didn't want to play but kewell and timmy are back

[savvas]

Very nice sqaud although it's a shame that chipperfield is out and also that skoko and mcdonald didn't want to play but kewell and timmy are back

Why is Chipperfield out, im sure he is better than that Valeri and Luke Wilkshire

[No Use For A Name]

Ahead of the 23-man Socceroos squad being named Friday, first-choice left-back Chipperfield has pulled out to remain at home with his pregnant wife, who is due to give birth around the time of the tournament.

That's the reason why

[iKnan]

I f'en hate our coach...our team is going down the drain with this piece of $hit leading the team. :'( He has invited a bunch of unknown defenders (except for Rezaei and Nosrati) alongside some unknown strikers (except for Hashemian).

Can someone provide a small profile that I can access for the players invited by Australia?

[IncredibleLE]

I f'en hate our coach...our team is going down the drain with this piece of $hit leading the team. :'( He has invited a bunch of unknown defenders (except for Rezaei and Nosrati) alongside some unknown strikers (except for Hashemian).

Can someone provide a small profile that I can access for the players invited by Australia?
i'm starting to feel the same about the viet nam coach. hes going to include alot of Viet Nams U-23 squad in the asian cup. they're doing great in the olympic qualifers but i rather see our more experienced players for matches with japan and uae

[mattx]

Our Australian side does look good, but I hope they do not go there thinking it will be easy, I hate over-confidence, I think thats one reason why England never win world cups.

Anyway, Im REALLY looking forward to the competition, and Im SO happy that Aisia allowed Australia in. Im an Aussie living in Japan, so it will be especially awesome to beat Japan again, I hope!

Last time in the World cup, the Japanese media were VERY arrogant, and were predicting Japan would EASILY beat Australia! I dont think it will be the same this time!

Another highlight will be seeing Harry Kewell back in action! And next to Viduka, who is in great form! Lets hope he finally has a chance to score some goals for the national team!

Here are the players:


John Aloisi (Alaves, Spain)

Michael Beauchamp (Nuremberg, Germany)

Mark Bresciano (Palermo, Italy)

Tim Cahill (Everton, England)

Nick Carle (Newcastle Jets, Australia)

David Carney (Sydney FC, Australia)

Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven, Holland)

Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers, England)

Vincenzo Grella (Parma, Italy)

Brett Holman (NEC Nijmegen, Holland)

Brad Jones (Middlesbrough, England)

Harry Kewell (Liverpool, England)

Patrick Kisnorbo (Leicester City, England)

Mark Milligan (Sydney FC, Australia)

Lucas Neill (West Ham, England)

Michael Petkovic (Sivasspor, Turkey)

Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough, England)

Mile Sterjovski (Basel, Switzerland)

Archie Thompson (Melbourne Victory, Australia)

Michael Thwaite (Wisla Krakow, Poland)

Carl Valeri (US Grosseto, Italy)

Mark Viduka (Middlesbrough, England), right

Luke Wilkshire (Twente, Holland)

STANDBY PLAYERS
Daniel Allsopp (Melbourne Victory), Mark Bridge (Newcastle Jets), Simon Colosimo (Perth Glory), Adrian Leijer (Melbourne Victory), Scott McDonald (Celtic), Jade North (Newcastle) Danny Vukovic (Central Coast Mariners)

POSSIBLE STARTING XI
Schwarzer; Kisnorbo, Neill, Thwaite; Emerton, Culina, Grella, Cahill, Bresciano; Kewell, Viduka

[IncredibleLE]

Mr. Riedl has released the Viet Nam squad for the asian cup:
GK: Duc Cuong (U23), Quang Huy, Hong Son,

DF: Nguyen Van Bien (U23), Viet Cuong (U23), Phung Van Nhien, Quang Thanh, Nhu Thanh, Huy Hoang, Hung Dung

MF: Vu Phong (U23), Cong Minh (U23), Minh Chuyen (U23), Mai Tien Thanh (U23), Dong Huy Thai (U23), Tan Tai, Tai Em, Minh Phuong, Duc Duong

FW: Anh Duc (U23), Cong Vinh (U23), Phuc Hiep (U23), Thanh Binh (U23)

RESERVES: GK-The Anh, DF-Long Giang and Chau Phong Hoa, MF-Hong Minh and Mai Xuan Hop, FW-Hoang Ngoc Linh and Viet Thang.

[iKnan]

BE AFRAID ASIA, BE REAL AFRAID...THE LIONS OF ASIA ARE HERE!!! :D Iran will face ghana in about 2 weeks for a friendly. the team melli training camp has started without Nekounam and Rezaei.

http://media.farsnews.com/Media/8603/ImageReports/8603220313/1_8603220313_L600.jpg
http://media.farsnews.com/Media/8603/ImageReports/8603220313/2_8603220313_L600.jpg
http://media.farsnews.com/Media/8603/ImageReports/8603220313/3_8603220313_L600.jpg
http://media.farsnews.com/Media/8603/ImageReports/8603220313/4_8603220313_L600.jpg
http://media.farsnews.com/Media/8603/ImageReports/8603220313/5_8603220313_L600.jpg
http://media.farsnews.com/Media/8603/ImageReports/8603220313/6_8603220313_L600.jpg
http://media.farsnews.com/Media/8603/ImageReports/8603220313/7_8603220313_L600.jpg
http://media.farsnews.com/Media/8603/ImageReports/8603220313/8_8603220313_L600.jpg
http://media.farsnews.com/Media/8603/ImageReports/8603220313/9_8603220313_L600.jpg

[MoFF]

Hmm. Needs more photos I think iKnan ;)

Anyway, I think it's time to download the Australian WC 2006 games.

[iKnan]

lol...DID I GET MY POING ACROSS!? sorry guys, I always get hella inspired with pics. I'm so pumped for this tournament...I know that our coach is shit right now but I still have faith in the players...specially our midfield.

[IncredibleLE]

Heres China's squad for the asian cup:
GK: Li Leilei, Yang Jun

DF: Ji Mingyi;Sun Jihai;Sun Xiang;Du Wei;Zhang Yaokun;Li Weifeng;Zhuang Suai;Cao Yang

MF: Zheng Zhi;Li Tie;Mao Jianqing;Zhou Haibin;Wang Dong;Zhao Xuri;Zheng Bin;Shao Jiayi

FW: Han Peng;Dong Fangzhuo;Qu Bo;Zhu Ting;Wang Peng

Reserves: Xin Feng;Li Yan;Xu Yunlong;Du Zhenyu;Tao Wei;Chen Dong(GK);Zhong Lei(GK)

[iKnan]

I'm not familiar with their team, who are their legionaries?

[IncredibleLE]

some of the key guys to look out for are zheng zhi, he played for charlton this past premier league season. Sun xiang is also a good player. shao jiayi is a solid midfielder, plays for energie cottbus. du wei is a good defender. he had a good trial at celtic the season before this past one. you probably heard le tie and sun jihai in the prem. dong fangzhuo is a question mark. hes the man united striker that spent season before this past one on a successful loan spell with royal antwrop (sorry for the spelling) but has only seen reserve team action this past season. i think he came on a few times as a late sub for the senior team.

KOREA REPUBLIC SQUAD FOR AFC ASIAN CUP™

GK - LEE Woon Jae(Suwon), KIM Yong Dae(Seongnam) JUNG Sung Yong (Pohang)

DF - KANG Min Soo, KIM Jin Kyu, KIM Chi Woo (Chunnam) KIM Dong Jin (Zenit) Oh Bum Seok (Po-hang) SONG Jong-guk (Suwon)

MF- KIM Doo Hyun, KIM Sang-sik, SON Dae Ho (Seongnam) KIM Jung-woo (Nagoya) KIM Nam Il (Suwon) LEE Ho (Zenit)

FW- CHO Jae Jin (S Pulse) CHOI Sung Kuk (Seongnam) LEE Chun Soo WOO Sung Yong (Ulsan)

Reserves- YANG Sang Min, BAEK Ji Hoon (Suwon) PARK Ju-Young (FC Seoul) KIM Chang Soo (Dae-jeon) KIM Young Kwang, OH Jang Eun (Ulsan)

[IncredibleLE]

THAILAND SQUAD FOR AFC ASIAN CUP™
GK: Kosin Hathairattanakul, Veera Kerdputsa, Narit Taweekul.
DF:Suree Sukha, Kiatprawut Saiwaew, Patipan Petchpul, Punnarat Klinsukon, Jetsada Jitsawad, Niweat Siriwong, Prat Samakrat, Nattaporn Phanrit, Apichate Puttan, Kraikiat Beadtaku, Nattapong Samana.
MF: Datsakorn Thonglao, Suchao Nutnum, Therdsak Chaiman, Tawan Sripan, Jakkrit Bunkham, Nirut Surasiang, Hattaporn Suwan, Narongchai Vachiraban, Pichitpong Cheuichiew.
FW: Kiatisak Senamuang, Teerathep Winothai, Teerasil Dangda, Sarayud Chaikumdee, Kwanchai Phuangprakob, Pipat Tonkanya, Sutee Suksomkit.

MALAYSIA SQUAD FOR AFC ASIAN CUP™
GK: Azizon Kadir (Negeri Sembilan), Suffian Abdul Rahman (TMFC).
DF: Kaironnisam Sahabuddin Hussain (UPB-MyTeam), Hamzani Omar (Johor Pasir Gudang), Fauzie Nan (Perlis), Nazrulerwan Makmor (PKNS), K. Nanthakumar (Perak), V. Thirumurugan (Pahang), Rosdi Talib (Pahang), Aidil Zafuan Radzak (Negeri Sembilan).
MF: Hardi Jaafar (TMFC), Norhafiz Zamani Misbah (Pahang), Ivan Yusoff (Kuala Lumpur), Fadzli Saari (Selangor), Shahrulnizam Mustapha (Perak), Eddy Helmi Manan (Johor FC), Nor Farhan Muhammad (Terengganu), Fauzi Shaari (Kedah), Shukor Adan (Selangor).
FW: Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli (Selangor), Safee Sali (Selangor), Indra Putra Mahayuddin (Pahang), Hairuddin Omar (Pahang).
Reserves: Syed Adney Syed Hussain (Selangor), S. Subramaniam (Perak), Khyril Muhymeen Zambri (Kedah), Amirulhadi Zainal (Selangor), Azi Shahril Azmi (Perlis), Rezal Zambery Yahya (Negeri Sembilan) Ronny Harun (Sabah).

INDONESIA SQUAD FOR AFC ASIAN CUP™
GK: Jendry Pitoy (Persipura), Marcus Horison (PSMS), Feri Rotinsulu (Sriwijaya FC)
DF: Supardi (PSMS), Ricardo Salampessy (Persipura), Firmansyah (Sriwijaya FC), Charis Yulianto (Sriwijaya FC), Hary Saputra (Persis), Maman Abdurrachman (PSIS), M Ridwan (PSIS), Erol Iba (Persik)
MF: Ponaryo Astaman (Arema), Firman Utina (Persita), Mahyadi Panggabean (PSMS), Eka Ramdhani (Persib), Syamsul Chaerudin (PSM), Atep (Persija)
FW: Ismed Sofyan (Persija), Ellie Aiboy (Arema), Bambang Pamungkas (Persija), Budi Sudarsono (Persik), Zaenal Arief (Persib), Rahmat Rivai (Persiter)
Reserves: Achmad Kurniawan (Arema), Aris Budi Prasetyo (Persik),Bayu Sutha (Persib), Achmad Amiruddin (PSM), Achmad Jufriyanto (Persita), Legimin Raharjo (PSMS), Irsyad Aras (PSM)

JAPAN SQUAD FOR AFC ASIAN CUP™

GK: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata), Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus Eight), Yohei Nishibe (Shimizu S-Pulse), Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale)

DF: Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama Marinos), Keisuke Tsuboi (Urawa Red Diamonds), Akira Kaji (Gamba Osaka), Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Urawa Red Diamonds), Yuichi Komano (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Hiroki Mizumoto (JEF United Chiba)

MF: Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic/SCO), Hideo Hashimoto (Gamba Osaka), Naotake Hanyu (JEF United Chiba), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale), Keita Suzuki (Urawa Reds), Yuki Abe (Urawa Reds), Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo), Satoru Yamagishi (JEF United Chiba), Yoshiaki Ota (Jubilo Iwata), Masahiko Inoha (FC Tokyo), Koki Mizuno (JEF United Chiba), Keisuke Honda (Nagoya Grampus Eight), Akihiro Ienaga (Gamba Osaka)

FW: Naohiro Takahara (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Ryuji Bando (Gamba Osaka), Seiichiro Maki (JEF United Chiba), Ryoichi Maeda (Jubilo Iwata), Hisato Sato (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Kisho Yano (Albirex Niigata)

[pydgey]

KOREA REPUBLIC SQUAD FOR AFC ASIAN CUP™

MF- KIM Doo Hyun, KIM Sang-sik, SON Dae Ho (Seongnam) KIM Jung-woo (Nagoya) KIM Nam Il (Suwon) LEE Ho (Zenit)

I think Kim Nam-Il, the captain, is out of the squad now. South Korea will be without their Premier League stars Park Ji-Sung, Seol Ki-Hyeon and Lee Young-Pyo to injury - pretty big blow!


'Strayan squad looks pretty good, all things considered. Let's hope we can go all the way :D. Looking forward to Harry playing the central striker role. On a side note - I'd like to thank LFC for paying Harry's wages and getting him fit in time for our major tournaments :).

And in other news... apparently the Socceroos are already into the Final of the Asian Cup -> *** (http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/793375) <- :eek:

[mattx]

Just wondering why the S.Korean Premier League players arent playing for S.Korea?

Doesnt that cheapen the competition?

At least the Aussies are committed bringing Viduka, Kewel, etc

[No Use For A Name]

And in other news... apparently the Socceroos are already into the Final of the Asian Cup -> *** (http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/793375) <- :eek:

Think i may skip the tournament and pre-order the dvd :p

Talk about a massive spoiler!!

[Dogme]

The first week of the Asia Cup coincides with the last week of the Copa America :O Might as well give up my social life then that week :D

[IncredibleLE]

Just wondering why the S.Korean Premier League players arent playing for S.Korea?

Doesnt that cheapen the competition?

At least the Aussies are committed bringing Viduka, Kewel, etc
injuries

[iKnan]

I feel that S.Korea are a bit over-rated, they have been under-performing at Asian level and were decent in world cup.

They usually play good in big tournaments but at Asian level they get bumped around a bit.

-edit-
Iran is showing some depth in the squad after a long time...they managed to win the WAFF (against full squad teams) with the B squad and played beautiful football actually. It's comforting for me and many others because some believed that without the likes of Karimi, Mahdavikia, Hashemian, Nekounam, Teymourian...Iran is nothign.

[mattx]

Think i may skip the tournament and pre-order the dvd :p

Talk about a massive spoiler!!


Im ozzie too, but that kind of arrogance isn't sporting I think.

Id rather support the battlers, who are comitted to winning, rather than a we will win, we are the best attitude. EG the English national team, who have all the talk but never win!

Dont count your chickens!

Im going for Australia, but would equally be happy if a team like Thailand come and teach us a lesson!

But I just hope we play and THRASH Japan into the ground...coz I live here!

[Mitch23]

i dont think any one should be sayin that Australia are in the final already

its gonna be a tough tournament

[iKnan]

interesting read for me, and I'm sure you guys will enjoy it as well.

source: goal

Asian Cup Focus: Can Iran's Stars Light The Way?

Last time Iran won the Asian Cup, personal computers were not invented; internet was a concept in laboratories and the year was 1976.

Thirty one years ago, it was a common occurrence for Iran to win the various football championships in Asia.

In 2007, football in Asia is much more competitive and Iran is just one of at least five teams with championship aspirations.

On paper, the 2007 version of the Iranian national team is more internationally experienced than the version that played in the 2004 Asian Cup. This time around, three of players (Mahdavikia, Karimi, Hashemian) played their last season in Germany, one in England (Teymourian), one in La Liga (Nekounam), one in Italy (Rezai) and one elsewhere in Europe (Zandi).

Add to that the four other successful players in the leagues around the Persian Gulf (Moabali, Enayati, Kazemian and Khatibi) and one would expect a starting team of mostly non-Iranian based players to show up on the field in the Asian Cup.

Since the great disappointment of the 2006 World Cup, Iran’s national team has been trundling along a bumpy road. The preparation process for the Asian Cup has been minimal. Amir Ghalenoi, the new head coach, spent more time talking about his “great vision and plan” than exercising such plans for these games.

At last however, some elements of planning were shown as Iran played three friendly matches against Mexico, Ghana’s Olympic team and Jamaica.

Compared to the other main contenders, Iran finds herself in the easiest of the four groups. Grouped with China, Uzbekistan and Malaysia, many in Iran believe that advancing from the first round is a high probability and are already worried about the next round’s opponent.

I also think that Iran has an easier draw than other top major teams however I do believe that Uzbeks will give Iran a hard time and China will press Iran mildly. As one of the hosts, Malaysia has the element of home field advantage although expectations are not that high.

One problem for Iran is the goalkeeping position. At the moment, the keeper that seems to have the upper hand is Roodbarian who only two weeks ago was third choice for the gloves. Roodbarian performed well during the West Asian tournament and that elevated him over Talebloo to become the likely starter. Interestingly, last season, Roodbarian was not even a starter for his own club.

The defensive line has gone through a lot of ups and downs. Ferydoon Zandi, a midfielder during the 2006 World Cup has been installed on the left side but Rezaei as the central defender, is still the cornerstone of the defence.

The defensive midfielders’ line is the strength of Iran. Nekounam had a superb season in La Liga and Teymourian played well in England. In front of them, captain Mahdavikia brings a wealth of experience.

Ali Karimi on the other hand is coming out of his worst professional playing year. Karimi had a miserable World Cup and followed that with a forgettable season at Bayern Munich. Karimi needs to prove that he still has the sparkle and hunger that made him an unbelievable player a few years back when he starred with three goals against South Korea in the quarter-final of the 2004 Asian Cup.

In attack, with Ali Daei’s retirement, Vahid Hashemian is now the main target. Hashemian has another tall striker, Enayati, playing next to him. Between these two, Iran’s air power should prove superior to most opponents.

Iran’s biggest question mark is not on the field but it is on the bench. Many in Iran’s media, including this writer, question if Ghalenoi was the right choice to lead the national team. At this point, Ghalenoi has the best players Iran has to offer and his team is in a relatively easy group. It is up to this coach to keep his team focused and show leadership to get Iran to the semifinal round.

Along with Australia, Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia, Iran is another favorite to win this year’s Asian Cup.

On paper, Iran has all the right players. The question is if the head coach can lead this team of star players into the right galaxy.

[IncredibleLE]

read that Vietnam's first opponents, UAE, arrived in Hanoi today. i thought we weren't going to have a chance but our recent victory over bahrain raised my hopes. the bahrain coach was so confident that they would beat vietnam that he was all over the media saying that once they had beaten us, they would tell us how to beat UAE. we said no thanks and beat them 5-3.

[No Use For A Name]

China wins game of three halves

July 04, 2007 CHINA completed its Asian Cup warm-up with an uninspiring 1-0 win over A-League champion Melbourne Victory in bizarre conditions.

Despite objections from Victory, the match was played in three periods of 30 minutes with free entrance for fans, although only a few hundred people turned up.

"The rules change every five minutes. They want to make sure it's an exhibition match," said Victory chairman Geoff Lord.

"It's changed four times since we've been here."

After a tepid start substitute Wang Dong opened the scoring in the second period, heading in a corner from the highly rated Zheng Zhi.

The former Charlton Athletic man was China's most dangerous player, registering the first shot on target - a free-kick from distance after 24 minutes - and tormenting the Victory defence with a run and shot.

Victory goal keeper Michael Theoklitos was also tested by a Zheng shot on 46 minutes while Wang came close with an audacious effort from the halfway line towards the end.

Victory midfielder Matthew Theodore almost shocked China 10 minutes into the last period with a ferocious shot that pole-axed defender Cao Yang.

No reason was given for the unusual rules although there was speculation China coach Zhu Guanghu, who has been threatened with the sack, was unwilling to risk losing a full match just days before the Asian Cup.

But the unconvincing result is unlikely to alleviate pressure on Zhu, who has been told by officials to reach the semi-finals "or else."

The match completes an unorthodox Asian Cup preparation for China, who fielded players from Hong Kong in Sunday's Reunification Cup victory over an ageing FIFA World Stars team.

China reached the final of the last regional showpiece but have failed to build on their success, dropping nearly 30 places in the FIFA rankings and failing to reach last year's World Cup.

They open their campaign against co-hosts Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on July 10.


Bit weird about the 3 halves. Anyway it seems China are struggling a bit in the lead up and the manager is under serious pressure.

[wong_ma]

you cant have 3 havles...doesnt make any sense...should it be three thirds? lol

come on china!!! do it for the pride!!!

[IncredibleLE]

i read somewhere that Zhu Guanghu has no idea for a starting squad for the cup. man, i feel sorry for the guy. he is under alot of pressure right now. he did a cool thing of taking all the blame for his teams recent results in friendlies.

[1maradona1]

read that Vietnam's first opponents, UAE, arrived in Hanoi today. i thought we weren't going to have a chance but our recent victory over bahrain raised my hopes. the bahrain coach was so confident that they would beat vietnam that he was all over the media saying that once they had beaten us, they would tell us how to beat UAE. we said no thanks and beat them 5-3.

Do you know when vietnam's first match will be? I'd like to follow it (i'm sure it's on tv somewhere)

[iKnan]

I think we should merge this thread with the one in the "Post match" forum. Anyone?

[IncredibleLE]

Do you know when vietnam's first match will be? I'd like to follow it (i'm sure it's on tv somewhere)
july 8 at around 12ish eastern time, i think. i forgot the time difference. you can watch the matches at vtc.com.vn

[bobkat]

july 8 at around 12ish eastern time, i think. i forgot the time difference. you can watch the matches at vtc.com.vn

will they be showing all the asia cup games? which vtc channel?

[IncredibleLE]

will they be showing all the asia cup games? which vtc channel?
don't know which games they'll air but usually its vtc2 and vtc3 that show football. all viet commentary too.

[1maradona1]

july 8 at around 12ish eastern time, i think. i forgot the time difference. you can watch the matches at vtc.com.vn

thank you. I assume that's midnight e.t. since they can't play that late at night there.
I can't say i'm in touch with follow viet football, so I'll ask you, how do you see this team do? second round at best? no? It's encouraging to see us defeat jamaica and barhrain.
forza viet nam!

[IncredibleLE]

^ we got a slight chance of making it out of the group stage. its very important for us to win against qatar. with that win and a possible draw with qatar and a good showing against japan. we did beat them the last time we played them.

scores from todays matches:
Thailand 1-1 Iraq
Sutee Suksomkit 6-penalty
Younis Mahmoud 32

[r9ronaldor9]

i think all the top teams will struggle in thier first game becouse of the humidity but i think australia and iran will meet each other in da final and if not in da semi ...its just destiny.

iran has one of the most talented sides in the tournament....the likes of karimi, kabi, mahdavakia and hashemian who are dribbling masters the only thing that bothers me is that fuckwit mizarpour :mad:

[Rhys]

3 hours :D

[iKnan]

3 hours :D
2 more hours...why so excited mate? max points aussies will get is 1 point out of this game :D:p

[r9ronaldor9]

its becouse we dont get coverage of any sides from asia the aussies r underestimating them... yes australia is a strong team but so r the asian countries and its important to no underestimate them.

[uniteder]

1-0 to Oman so far :D

Edit-

Cahill scores in the 90th minute and its level at FT. Australia better not underestimate their next opponents.

[r9ronaldor9]

that was one hell of a game and omg oman's passing was world class...on touch football everywhere, Australia were very very lucky to get a draw oman should of scored 3 or 4 more goals hope australia can have a betta showing.

now i just wanna c how iran performs.

[iKnan]

Please for farther discussions refer to the ASIAN CUP 2007 (http://fbtz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78286) Thread in the Post Match forum. Lets keep everything in there :)

[IncredibleLE]

OH YEAH!!! 2-0 over UAE. :D

Results from matchday 2:
Viet Nam 2-0 UAE
Huynh Quang Thanh 63, Le Cong Vinh 73
Australia 1-1 Oman
Badar Mubarak 32, Tim Cahill 90

[mattx]

Oman v Australia.

It was an enjoyable game actually!

Im an Aussie fan, but was very excited to see us be challenged.

Oman had beautiful passing, and were just so much quicker than the Aussies. They were really playing the beautiful game. Its a pitty they decided to taint their performance, by falling over too much...It really worked to get the Aussies angry and frustrated though...falling over just as Australia is making a forward movement. Im not sure the Omanians meant it though, I think they were really suffering...they were not as fit as they need to be and had a lots of cramp.

Australia had some good points. Scwartzer was AWESOME! As was Kewell, Neil, Cahill, Emerton, Aloisi, Breciano(in the 1st half) and Kewell. But the others were struggling. Even Viduka looked a mess and was beaten by his man a few times, he disappeared in the second half. Normally, even in the heat against Singapore he can turn players inside out...I thought he should have been taken off actually.

Even though I am an Aussie fan, I was still VERY happy with the result.
I dont think that the Aussies underestimated the competition, and our coach, even said they knew they would be tough. Oman played 98% perfect, Australia looked to be about 60%. Therefore, they can and will improve.

Id like to see Viduka step up, and also more play time from Aloisi/Holman/Cahill...I think in these conditions, the humidity is so bad, they should sub a LOT more and earlier.

[IncredibleLE]

wow, japan stumbles against qatar. 1-1

[iKnan]

Why don't you folks discuss in the Post Match thread? A bit lonely in there without you guys...it'll be nice seeing the Asian Cup fans contributing to that thead as well.

[IncredibleLE]

are you trying to divert everyone from my thread to yours? ;)
i see most people that post in this thread post in yours too.

[iKnan]

are you trying to divert everyone from my thread to yours? ;)
i see most people that post in this thread post in yours too.
lol...hell no. I actually wanted these 2 threads merged if possible, it'll just be lots of more replies and views. ;)

[No Use For A Name]

Following on the tradition of sackfrank.com there is now http://www.sackarnold.com/

Don't know how long it's been online but has 538 signatures to date. Made a joke yesterday that someone would probably create one given the way people have been acting and there you go, it has already been done.

[Rhys]

Following on the tradition of sackfrank.com there is now http://www.sackarnold.com/

Don't know how long it's been online but has 538 signatures to date. Made a joke yesterday that someone would probably create one given the way people have been acting and there you go, it has already been done.

SIGNED