Asian Cup Matchday Review (Quarter-Finals)

We’re through to the finer end of things as we set up for the Asian Cup semi-finals that will take place on Monday and Tuesday. While Iran shone with a stunning attacking performance over China, the round was defined by some solid and tactically aware defensive performances from Japan and tournament dark horses Qatar. With so much still to unbox (not to mention the introduction of VAR into international Asian football), let’s start with looking back at the key talking points from the quarter finals.

The Player

While Japan’s attacking intensity has noticeably eased off this tournament, victory over Vietnam saw an element of hope that a return to the positive ways of old is on the horizon. The lack of a classic number 10 has been sorely missed in this Samurai Blue side; the semi-retirement of Keisuke Honda, and lack of form of Shinji Kagawa was eased by the emergence of Shoya Nakajima late last year, but injury put pay to that plan on the eve of the tournament. Filling the void hasn’t been easy, but Ritsu Doan’s performances of late suggest all is not lost for Hajime Moriyasu.

The Groningen man has had an up and down tournament, largely excusable given his age (not 21 until the summer), inexperience (still less than 10 caps) and the deep tactical shape infringed on the squad by Moriyasu. However, with Japan afforded more possession against Vietnam, Doan took on more responsibility, drifting in from the right to initiate build-up with Minamino and Kitagawa (who have rarely looked up to this level), Doan forced notable openings early on, and represented the only source at times Japan had of forcing a breakthrough against a well organised Vietnamese defence, and when breached, a commanding Dang Van Lam in net.

The key moment came, as Doan showed his inventiveness and wiliness to take on his marker, drawing the first VAR penalty awarded at the tournament. Whether there was contact or not (see my opinions on Twitter), the impact was telling and Doan’s responsibility to take the resulting penalty kick (despite Haraguchi’s success last week) illustrates how much his reputation has grown within this team. With Iran ahead of them, in decent form both in attacking areas and in defence, Moriyasu’s tactical expertise will be tested to another level. One thing’s for sure, after this performance Doan’s involvement will be integral going forward.

The Team

The third quarter final between South Korea and Qatar was always likely to be the match to swing a tournament on; the favourites for some (myself included) against the outsiders, this was the true test of both sides mettle. Qatar’s triumph with a late winner, backed up with a fifth consecutive clean sheet has sent waves across Asian football. The side that was only supposed to come to the table in four years’ time at their own controversial hosting of the World Cup, is turning the tables on some of Asia’s elite from the outset.

There was plenty eulogised about Qatar on the build up to the Korea matchup, many suggested they’d test their opponents back line early, that the match would be a much more open showing than we’ve seen so far this tournament. Instead, we witnessed a cagey first half, where Korea dominated possession and Qatar comfortably sat deep, happy to sniff out chances when they came and not to concern themselves too much if their counters broke down quickly. A maturity we’d hardly expect from a fledgling outfit, but there was more to come.

In the second period they burst out, pouncing on weakness and setting the Koreans back on their heels. No one expected anything from Qatar, the pressure was on Korea, with the returning Son Heung-min looking a weary figure under the weight of a nation. In truth Korea looked the side happy with extra time, and with that Qatar pounced. A quick, direct shot from distance from the unlikely source of Abdulaziz Hatem had them caught cold, in which they had little answer to.

Some have already sought to compare this Qatar team to the UAE side of four years ago. And while this is a similar shakeup to the elite order in Asian football, UAE were carried along by individual performances that have rarely been bettered. This Qatar team are exactly the opposite, in that they are a team, headed by a tactically aware coach that has set his stall out to perform. This is just the beginning, 2022 seems an awfully long way away at this point, but an Asian Cup final appearance could well set this side up for a great future.

The Talking Point

Thursday’s quarter-final defeat to Iran brought to close China’s Asian Cup adventure, but also the career of a true managerial great in Marcello Lippi, who is set to retire with a glittering CV that includes a World Cup and two continental club titles. Lippi’s time in charge of China however has been a head-scratcher; on one hand – China made it to the quarter-finals of a continental showpiece, further than anyone had expected pre-tournament, on the other - we’re left questioning how much further has he taken this team and football as a whole in the country?

Lippi arrived to save face, after a miserable start to latter World Cup qualification. Expectations were modest, focus was clear – redevelop this squad ahead of the Asian Cup and bring back some pride in the national team ahead of another World Cup cycle. What came to pass was a meagre reconstruction job, patching up holes where possible but no long-term fixes to China’s quite obvious issues. Lippi predictably relied upon the old guard that brought him success while at Guangzhou Evergrande, selecting the oldest squad at the tournament, captained by 38-year-old Zheng Zhi. He’s hardly leaving his successor with any resources to progress forward with.

The CFA and CSL have emphatically pushed their agenda of late, to increase youth participation in domestic football and upped the amount of national youth camps but stopped short of pushing this on the national team. The few players under-25 that did gain minutes at the Asian Cup were borne out of necessity rather than being chosen on merit. Their success on an individual tournament basis is also misleading given they struggled in overcoming Kyrgyzstan before losing connivingly to Korea in the group stage, ahead of narrowly beating Thailand in the knockouts. Thursday’s humiliation in a defensive capacity against Iran was a heavy blow, that in all reality had been in the pipeline for weeks. China are left with a moderately successful campaign on paper, but with plenty to do in reality if they are to see any noticeable uplift going forward.

Asian Cup Matchday Review (Group Stage GW2)

Matchday two saw a return to form in terms of results for the elite nations, and while performances continued to be strong for those fighting against this, the round as a whole was predictable fair. As we head towards the final matches of the group stages; we already know the names of nine teams that will take place in the Round of 16. For the rest, have your calculators at the ready, we're in for a confusing final few days of the group stage. For now, here are my player, team and key talking point from the week just gone.

The Player

Long been touted as the breakout star of this generation of Chinese players, Wu Lei's transition from one of the CSL's finest domestic talents to international goalscorer has rarely materialised. His mercurial display against Philippines however lay down a clear marker of both China's expectations going forward in this tournament, but also the striker's hopes of living up to the vast potential he has.

It could be argued Wu Lei's two goals against Philippines have been the finest two efforts of the tournament so far; his first a quick reactionary close control then looping lob from the corner of the area, before an instinctive volley in the second half, both showed his vision and sheer ability to find the net from at best mere half-chances. His general play at the Asian Cup has been a step above his recent showings in Chinese red, his hold up play has been more effective, his initiative to drop off the central striker more calculated but generally his willingness to accept responsibility is developing. He's not alone in shouldering heavy expectations, South Korea's Son Heung-min has often struggled with such a heavy burden, but in a similar way off the back of a successful club season Wu Lei looks to be finding his place in the national team.

His explosion on the international stage comes at a timely juncture also, as his club side Shanghai SIPG have reportedly put in a bid for Austrian forward Marko Arnautovic. Wu, in a similar fashion to the West Ham United player has blossomed from a predominantly support striker into a flexible leading number 9, is starting to put his face in the window of a potential switch the other way. While Chinese football concentrates on the ever ludicrous domestic rule making, the next stage of development requires a player to shine in Europe, something Wu definitely has the potential in doing. With a group deciding tie against Korea (and a returning Son no less) on the horizon, is this the perfect encounter to prove his worth to a wider audience?

The Team

Who needs pre-tournament form? Who needs a proven goal scorer? Who needs a manager with an ounce of experience? On all counts, clearly not Jordan. I look rather foolish in my questioning of Vital Borkelmans in my Asian Cup preview series now, yet given his meager CV and the fact he dispensed of Hamza Al-Dardour on the eve of the tournament, Jordan look a better side for it. After providing the shock of the tournament to date, edging reigning champions Australia in matchday one, Jordan went on to go two-from-two in their comfortable passage against Syria in matchday two, to become the first side to progress to the knockout stages.

Their success has been down to identity, tactical shape and unity. The squad has always had quality players to call upon, but has yet to truly resemble a quality team. In the Emirates, they have a united force, both strong and committed in defence, neat and unfussy in midfield, whilst quick and maneuverable in attack. From within a squad that generally hails from the domestic league, the likes of Yaseen Al-Bakhit and Musa Al-Taamari have blossomed with their responsibilities given their pedigree away from Jordanian shores, currently the two standout players in their group stage triumph.

Looking at the side and their evolution going into the knockouts, the final match dead rubber (as far as Jordan are guaranteed top spot) will hold snippets of information crucial for their longevity, Borkelmans' set up has thrived off quick transitions and a united philosophy, so it'll be interesting to see how the rest of the squad performs once rotation starts to play it's part. Having vanquished two pre-tournament favourites for the latter stages, Jordan head into the Round of 16 fearing no one, and with a defence headed by veteran keeper Amir Shafi, a back-line that looks impenetrable to anything thus far.

The Talking Point

Hot on the heels of a competitive (if not in terms of shock results) first matchday, the second batch of matches came and went in sadly predictable fashion. In the twelve matches played, all twelve were won to zero goals conceded, with all but one seeing the nominated favourite triumph. The only tie that broke the trend - Jordan beating Syria - was hardly the most unexpected either. While this isn't a stick to beat the quality at this tournament (there were notable performances from India, Kyrgyzstan & Oman over the week), it has generated plenty of debate in the Asian football fraternity, in terms of the tournament schedule, it's capability for shocks, and whether or not we've seen a narrowing of the field or a greater disparity between the elite and the rest.

My take on the matter surrounds the organisation of the tournament, rather than it's expansion per se. As alluded to above, and in particular in matchday one the quality of football has been on the whole better than we've seen for a while, an early legacy of what was a fine qualification campaign. Out of the 24 teams in the Emirates, the two who have looked a clear distance behind the pack; Yemen and North Korea have experienced notable handicaps in the last year, surrounding coaching appointments and general infringements politically. I'd go as far as saying North Korea could've been fighting for progression, if they'd have made a wiser coaching replacement, than reverting to type as they have done for this tournament.

But that's the thing, both teams mentioned still have a crack at progressing, which in a three match group stage shouldn't be the case at this point. The expansion to 24 teams hasn't hindered the tournament in regards allowing access to developing nations, rather than it dilutes the first stage in allowing "lucky loser" spots to be granted to teams that finish third. Given the foolish scheduling, the fight for third spot at present makes for grim reading, given two teams are currently down for progression without accruing a point so far. It'll all be to play for on the last day, where the two lowest seeds of each group will in most cases be fighting for third spot.

Having such standard of teams looking to progress isn't an issue in my view, but how we got to this point (ie. most of these teams have lost two matches from two) is. Syria/Palestine in Group B, currently with the second best record of all third placed sides are in a good position to progress even if they draw their final match 0-0. Meaning they might not only make the knockout stages without winning a match, but they will without even scoring a goal. In context, considering other tournaments (U20 World Cups and Euro 2016) who deploy the same format, no team has progressed with lower than 3 points, this could indeed be an unwelcome first.

For those who cry out "elitist" at me assuming I have an agenda against those outside the top dozen in Asia, have got to remember the Asian confederation are in a tentative position of having to fight up at both ends of the spectrum. Despite a successful World Cup over the summer, the standard of the top few has been quite abject in the early stages of this Asian Cup. Watering down the group stages, in which it's harder to exit than it is to progress is not helping anyone. 

Taking Australia for example, who lost surprisingly on the opening day against Jordan. They could've again tasted defeat to Palestine this last week and still had it in their hands to progress on the final day. It's no wonder South Korea were so accepting of Son Heung-min's limited cameo, or Australia's willingness to carry injured players in their squad, if progression was a near guarantee. I ludicrously predicted months ahead of the tournament that there would be no shock exits in the group stage, despite being over-hyped going into the Asian Cup Syria look to be the only team to be threatening that argument.

Anyone that has followed my analysis of Asian football over the cycle should know I'm not against development of the so-called emerging nations, I'd even put it ahead of results throughout qualification in that regard. India and Yemen were given a second shot of qualification after both failed miserably in the second round of qualification, and just look at the improvement that was made. But for the AFC to give the same second chance opportunities in the continental showpiece looks to devalue their primary product on a larger scale. By how much, is something to dissect upon the tournament's culmination, but for now let's hope for some long overdue do-or-die action in the final set of matches, something we've been severely lacking so far.

Asian Cup 2019: China (Preview)

Is it finally the end of a bleak few years for China, or merely just the beginning of another stagnant chapter? While stability is hardly a word you’d affix to the Chinese football landscape, the national team has remained consistently below par for some time now. The rushed appointment of Italian legend Marcello Lippi steadied a ship in qualification, that in reality needed a complete rebuild. The months and years that later passed, have seen little improvement, leaving few with any positive hopes for Asian Cup progress.

Come January, Chinese football can look back on the last 12 months in with mixed feelings; the league season was one of the most enthralling for years, the CSL contributed to two teams in the last 16 of the Champions League and general quality of Chinese players featuring domestically saw a noticeable increase. At direct opposition to this however, the national team looks to have been severely left behind, devoid of any relation with other CFA initiatives, leaving a worrying chasm going into another hopeless World Cup qualification campaign.

Two of the most talked about and most controversial news stories of the last year, involved top down directives intent on improving the domestic stock. While the introduction of stricter U23 rules on the CSL followed by a bizarre military U25 camp to end the season were widely criticised, the ambition (however it was done) was agreeable – how do we build a stronger, younger national team? You’d be forgiven in the thinking that Marcello Lippi missed the memo.

Lippi, who was sworn in to ultimately save face at the end of World Cup qualification, has slowly looked a man disinterested or simply unequipped to take up the role of national team coach. The team remains stagnant with the same old faces that crept by in qualification only to crumble in the big matches, fleetingly introducing younger players who have come on in progress since the introduction of the U23 rulings, but rarely demonstrating his full trust.

What has come to pass has been mediocre, blind testing but ultimately ineffectual preparation, only managing to pick up one victory in their last five preparation friendlies, including reputation damaging home draws to India and Palestine. Lippi remains at a loss to get the best out of the players he’s loyal to, tinkering with styles of play, formations and personnel, without really going the extra yards in scrapping the vast majority of this generation altogether.

His loyalty, borne out of his time with Guangzhou Evergrande may be the sticking point. Lippi has already agreed to walk away after the Asian Cup, so to him, bringing in untested younger players would not benefit him personally in in the immediate short term. The likes of Zhang Linpeng, Feng Xiaoting, Zhang Zhi and Gao Lin are all consummate pros, arguably the finest selection of the last decade, yet the signs are already there that something isn’t clicking.

The one piece of the puzzle that Chinese fans will hope to slot into place, is that of Shanghai SIPG striker Wu Lei. Having led the domestic goal scoring charts for Chinese players over the last few years, Wu has gone one step further in topping the lot this term, in his side’s first title success. Blossoming in an attack featuring Brazilian internationals Hulk and Oscar, Wu has not merely acted as backup, but the spearhead, developing his all-round game, into a player that could easily make the transition to European club football.

Getting the best out of him in a Chinese shirt however, is proving a galling task. Without a clear plan, or the suited personnel around him, Wu has been squeezed into a number of positions, all failing to best utilise his talents. His combination play with Gao Lin, has yet to provide fruit, while acting as a foil off a target man, such as Yang Xu or Yu Dabao hasn’t worked either. In the end, a move back to a defensive, counter game with Wu as an isolated leading figure may be the opening gambit set for the UAE.

Without that additional spark from a dearth of experience outside the domestic league, Wu and China look set for a frustrating run in attack. While this is a worry, one redeeming feature seems to be their improving defence. Amongst the Evergrande heavy set up, SIPG keeper Yan Junling and Beijing Guoan central defender Yu Yang, demonstrate the one area the national team has improved in over the outgoing cycle. While initial expectations are thin on the ground for progression, low scoring draws are at least a starting point.

Having drawn South Korea, alongside two dark horses with little expectation on their shoulders in Kyrgyzstan and Philippines, China couldn’t have imagined a tougher group to go into. Casting an eye over the tournament as a whole, the fact teams can progress from the group stage in third spot, few shock exits are predicted; yet China’s star will no doubt be the first to fall. Lippi’s farewell tour, that many expected being constructing the dawn of a new generation of Chinese football, looks more to be the lowest ebb of their modern-day progress.

Key Men

Head Coach - Marcello Lippi (ITA)

Highly experienced coach, who has won the World Cup, European & Asian Champions League trophies across an illustrious career. The man behind, the most successful Chinese side of all time; Guangzhou Evergrande, winning three titles in a row with them. The Asian Cup will bring to end his time in China, and almost certainly bring down the curtain on his illustrious managerial career.

Star Player - Wu Lei

Wide man or centre forward, peaking at the right time, after finishing as the domestic league top scorer (with 27 in 29) in Shanghai SIPG’s title triumph. Has developed his all-round attacking game, his speed to run in behind, aerial ability to contest for headed goals and initiative to force tap ins. Has generally underwhelmed for the national team thus far.

Under Pressure - Zhang Linpeng

Swashbuckling right full back or centre half, who has all the talents to be a legend in Asian football but has failed to provide his A-game for some years now. One of the few Evergrande players that Lippi puts his hat on to perform at the Asian Cup, much will depend on Zhang and his Guangzhou defensive partners, to see how successful a send off it is for his Italian boss.

Young Prospect - Wei Shihao

One of only a few under 23-year-old players to break the national team with any sort of regularity. Has already made a name for himself at national tournaments, starring at the East Asian Cup last year and the Asian Games this. The unpredictable striker has European experience of playing in Portugal but is now back in the CSL with Beijing Guoan.

WC Qualifying Review (Round 3 MD3 & 4)

We’re edging closer to the half way point of the final stage in World Cup qualification, and the landscape remains pretty open for those still hoping to keep their chances of reaching Russia in 2018 alive. The big matches of the last week concerned those at the top of the leader board, with Australia hosting Japan (in a 1-1 draw) and Korea Republic travelling to Iran (to lose 1-0). Outside of this there was a first win for new Qatar boss Jorge Fossati, while Syria and Iraq also collected their first wins of the stage. Looking back on the last week, here is my key player, team and talking point of the international window.

The Player

The Japan national team is going through somewhat of a slump at present, so it’s worth wondering where they would actually be now if they weren’t spurred along by Genki Haraguchi. The Hertha Berlin midfielder who returned to national team duty last summer after a few years away, has been a revolution in this final stage of qualification, scoring in the last three qualifiers, while eclipsing the effect of under-pressure playmaker Shinji Kagawa. Assuming Japan return to playing a typical striker next month, when they return home, Haraguchi again is firm favourite to take the spot of Kagawa on the left hand side; a great swing in preference from coach Halilhodzic that has occurred only recently.

Haraguchi’s involvement over the last year has been of the less spectacular kind; an all action midfielder that fills in the gaps, while the likes of Kagawa are given room to create. His recent performances however have combined both his functional aspects with the more attractive, adding goals to his work he conducts across the pitch for the team. Equally effective on the left or right, Haraguchi has gone from being on the fringes of the squad to a firm favourite in the line-up.

His first goal this week, the opener against Iraq came through a perfectly timed run to the front post before back heeling it past Mohammed Hameed. Controversy may have ensued as Hiroshi Kiyotake was clearly offside in the build-up, but Haraguchi didn’t wait around for the flag. His second, the Tuesday after showed again his expertly timed running skills, dissecting the Australian back line before coolly slotting past Matt Ryan for another game opening goal. You may point out that Haraguchi was the unfortunate party to concede the second half penalty later on, but we’ll put that down to an occupational hazard of a midfielder who makes an impact in both boxes, unlike that of the under-performing Kagawa. 

The Team

Despite recording back-to-back victories in the first two matches of the stage, Saudi Arabia were very fortunate to have anything more than 1 point, after some debatable penalty awarding and generally some sub-standard finishing by their opponents. The challenge was expected to be considerably upped when they faced Australia and UAE this week, but the Green Falcons soared to collect another 4 points to surprisingly lead the way in Group B after 4 matches.

From the first minute in Jeddah against Australia, Saudi Arabia’s game plan had demonstrably improved from September. Pressing high up the pitch immediately against Asia’s inform team, they not only rushed the Socceroos’ attacking plays, but they spurred their own opportunities, through the ever improving Nawaf Al-Abed and Yehya Al Shehri on either flank. The Saudis may have lost the lead, going down 2-1 into the second period, but rebounded impressively through substitute Nasser Al-Shamrani, and could’ve easily found a winner late on.

The same organisation was shown against UAE after the weekend, but this time after they took the lead there was no looking back, comfortably putting their Emirati neighbours to the sword 3-0, including a potential goal of the year contender from Fahad Al-Muhwallad to open the rout. While Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk continues to generally look disinterested in Saudi football off the pitch, on it - he’s honed the wealth of talents at his disposal into a team now looking to upset the balance and qualify for the World Cup. Up next the real test to their development, an away trip to Japan.

The Talking Point

Chinese football continues to hog the headlines, with mainly western media outlets choosing to jump on any piece of negative news coming out of the country’s development since the well-publicised government injection of cash into the Chinese Super League. It’s hardly breaking news that the national team is still a way behind the elite in Asia, with little chance of qualifying for the World Cup, and so it ran according to trend that they recorded back to back defeats this week seeing coach Gao Hongbo resign from his post minutes after their 2-0 defeat in Uzbekistan.

The worthy discussion however surrounds their future direction. For a country starting at the bottom of the ladder with an ambition of competing for the World Cup trophy itself in the next 40 years, you’d assume some sort of foundations will have been established. However the complete opposite seems to be in place, with Gao’s last four games as coach of the national team seeing more short term decisions and plenty of grasping of straws in hope of picking up WCQ points rather than prioritising any worthwhile long term development experience.

Changes galore were made ahead of the Syria defeat last Thursday, before 7 more were made ahead of Uzbekistan. None seemed to be calculated, none seemed to be looking further afield than the present, and none seemed to be considering the fledgling talent they have. The worry is that China may be trying to run before they can walk, were they realistically thinking they could qualify for Russia? 

Whoever replaces Gao in the coming weeks or month, will need a long term plan spelt out. This team needs an identity, but it needs to be realistic with the quality it already has. To expect within a few years of spending big on overseas talent and academies, to then qualify for a World Cup at the first attempt would’ve been sadly amiss. The fact they are pretty much out already may at least force them to reconsider their position in Asia let alone the world and look to the long term.

AFC Champions League Round Review (Quarter-Finals)

Last week saw the AFC Champions League narrow down to the final four, with the second legs of the Quarter-Finals taking place across the continent. Lokomotiv Tashkent’s impressive journey as one of the tournament’s most talked about underdogs is over after losing to Al Ain, while El Jaish were gifted much of their result after Al Nassr had to forfeit their comfortable first leg victory over player ineligibility. In the East it was a clash of countries with Korea Republic’s K-League coming out on top; meaning Jeonbuk Motors and Seoul will contest for a final place at the expense of Chinese Super League duo Shanghai SIPG and Shandong Luneng.

The Player

With Omar Abdulrahman struggling through illness, failing to make a greater impact than he did against Lokomotiv, Al Ain had to turn to a resolute defensive performance to overcome their Uzbek opposition and make it to the final 4, led strongly by the ever improving Khalid Essa in goal. Back-to-back clean sheets alongside a string of saves to keep them in it over the two legs, Essa’s really starting to put his name forward as one of West Asia’s top keepers, after only really breaking through on the international scene over the last couple of years.

His problems previously have surrounded his stature, hardly a keeper’s build at just over 5’6’’ and relatively slender also for his positioning. He has all of a sudden seemed to show confidence, be it in claiming crosses or contesting 50-50 challenges while upping his regularity on what he’s always been good at, spectacular saves or bursting off his line at speed. His form has now cemented him a place in the national side, which he carried forward into last week’s WCQ’s producing a couple of notable performances against Japan and Australia.

Back to the Champions League, and you can reel off tie defining moments; from his save to deny a long range effort from Sandjar Shaakhmedov in the first leg, before brilliantly denying Marat Bikmaev late on in Tashkent. I’ve always had a worry over Essa, mainly due to his style which can often leave him being labelled as quite erratic. Over the last month however, his performances have become consistent and dare I say it solid, a true run of form which he’d hope to take through to the semi-final with El Jaish.

The Team

Hulk’s long awaited debut in the ACL for his new club Shanghai SIPG turned from anti-climax to downright embarrassment within 45 minutes as Jeonbuk Motors hammered the Chinese outfit 5-0 on Tuesday. Shanghai were touted as the Chinese Super League’s greatest hope after Guangzhou Evergrande swiftly exited in the group stage, but the Korean champions proved that their experience and team chemistry are still worth plenty above that of a growing SIPG side and their glamourous star striker.

The tie was finely poised, 0-0 in China before heading back to Korea this last week. While the match stayed level going into half time, Jeonbuk were clearly the better side creating plenty of promising openings, it seemed a case of when rather than if. And when it did come, it well and truly open the flood gates. Jeonbuk scored two within quick succession; a well worked move ended emphatically by Brazilian winger Leonardo from outside the area before Lee Jae-Sung, who’d openly snubbed CSL the day before, mazed through the limp SIPG defence before forcing an own goal by Shi Ke.

The goals kept coming after Lu Wenjun saw red (rather unfairly) for Shanghai for a high boot, Leonardo scoring from the penalty spot before substitute Lee Dong-Gook added a brace late on. In truth Jeonbuk ran riot in attack, in a match that was reminiscent of the same nation’s competing on the international stage in last week’s World Cup qualifiers. While the score wasn’t as emphatic, the nous, quality in the final third and general game plan displayed by the Koreans was again streets ahead of that of Chinese. It’s been an admirable debut ACL campaign for SIPG, but a demonstration in class by East Asia’s leading side at present Jeonbuk shows they have much more work to do.

The Talking Point

While much has been digested over Wanderley’s forged passport situation, the talking point concerning the football on the pitch surrounded the aforementioned billed coming of age round for the Chinese Super League sides. In the end they flattered to deceive, with both Shanghai SIPG and Shandong Luneng exiting to Korean opposition. While much will be put on the supposed false dawn of the Chinese Super League, there are areas to explain the last week’s round of exits rather than simply the league’s glamour clubs aren't living up to their lofty expectations.

Firstly the run of form the clubs have experienced. The fact Shandong at least made it through to this stage of the competition was a relative surprise given their struggles domestically and their changing managerial situation, while Shanghai themselves look to a distance behind ACL qualification also at present. While money has been continually splashed across the league, Shanghai have been less than fortunate in terms of injury, Hulk made his debut in the ACL in the second leg after missing much of his short spell with SIPG through a knee injury, while further setbacks for Dario Conca and Elkeson left the physical Brazilian broadly alone in attack on Tuesday.

The other area to comment on is pure quality, which isn’t going to improve over night, especially against such experienced campaigners like Jeonbuk and Seoul. Last week we saw the league’s national teams do battle with similar results, the truth is the Chinese local talent base needs time to improve to reach continental class levels. It doesn’t matter how much overseas talent is brought in, if the foreign player cap remains, the home based players need to pick up the slack. While Jeonbuk and Seoul regularly rely on the likes of Lee Jae-Sung, Kim Shin-Wook and Kwak Tae-Hwi within their ranks, the Chinese outfits have yet to develop those players with that sort of experience to call upon.

AFC International Week Focus (June)

It’s been more than 14 months since Asia’s elite nations last had the chance to test their metal with the World’s best in international friendlies, in that time of course we’ve raced through Round 2 of World Cup/Asian Cup qualification, finding out the final 12 in the race for Russia 2018. Alongside this window which saw the very best compete against some of Europe’s finest, of course preparing for their very own continental tournament, we also saw some inter-regional clashes in friendly tournaments and some competitive action for Asia’s minnows facing off in the first round of Asian Cup qualification playoffs.

Asia's Top 10 Friendlies

2014's World Cup was the clearest reminder of how Asia has fallen behind the rest of the world. From now on, if a major Asian nation with World Cup qualification aspirations isn't organising friendlies with Europe's elite during international windows, it's broadly seen as a missed opportunity. Australia have been at the forefront of this, after successfully drawing with Germany last year. This time it was less successful in terms of the results, but again Ange Postecoglou's side came out of their three fixtures with plenty of credit and admiring glances, suggesting a real improvement from 2015's Asian Cup victory.

A narrow defeat to England (1-2) was followed up with a win (1-0) and a defeat (1-2) at home to Greece. Every match had it's positives and negatives, while Postecoglou rolled out both 433/442-diamond formations that have become expected to followers of the Socceroos, while there were numerous debutants with varying levels of success. The next stage as the coach stated himself is to ensure more of his players are moving, and playing regularly in Europe, primed directly at midfielder Aaron Mooy who's likely to leave Melbourne City this summer.

Elsewhere the greatest success story of the week came through Iran, who recorded back to back victories against Macedonia (3-1) and Kyrgyzstan (6-0). Hardly the kind of tests they'd desired, given their Croatia friendly fell through late on, but it was another decent opportunity to illustrate their attacking capabilities, Sardar Azmoun in particular impressing with four goals over the week.

It was a very up and down week for Korea Republic followers, initially getting smashed 6-1 to European champions Spain, before redeeming themselves somewhat with a 2-1 win over Czech Republic. The first result will however linger long in the memory, as this match was promoted as Korea's chance to illustrate how far they'd come under Uli Stielike, having not lost since their Asian Cup final appearance last January. The loss was greeted with disdain, some comparing it to the country's most embarrassing defeat in their history, something that needs to evaporate quickly ahead of their World Cup qualification return.

Also this week, China PR predictably opted to stay at home, as they've been known to for year's of international windows, mainly due to their lack of European based talent. Hence their opposition was at a weaker level, with established nations warming up for their respective continental tournaments. A 4-2 victory over Trinidad & Tabago followed by a shock loss to Kazakhstan does little in inspiring the nation however, especially given their limp progression to WCQ Round 3 in March. Amidst the disappointment strikers Jiang Ning and Zhang Yuning helped their causes with promising displays against T&T. The former notched his fourth in three starts since his return from three years away from the national team setup, while the latter scored a brace and laid on another for Jiang on his debut.

In Kirin Cup action, the first edition of the tournament that included more than two teams taking part in it for 5 years, hosts Japan broadly met current expectations. Facing European sides free from Euro 2016 commitments. Japan waltzed past Bulgaria 7-2, underlining their ability to fly past teams who they dominate possession against, before losing to Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-1 in the final, illustrating some of the same shortfalls that have been present for a while. One being the lack of fighting spirit or physical grit needed to compete against other continents, highlighted by coach Vahid Halilhodzic. It remains the same old story sadly.

Finally, considering the one off friendlies of Asia's elite, Uzbekistan who had their friendly against Equatorial Guinea cancelled earlier in the week went on to taste defeat against Canada in their encounter in Austria, while Qatar, who also traveled to central Europe, despite a promising opening went on to lose 3-1 against Euro 2016 qualified but considerable outsiders Albania.

King’s Cup

Thailand's King's Cup, a regular friendly tournament usually a place for Youth team experimentation felt a much more worthwhile venture this year with fellow WCQ Round 3 qualified nations UAE and Syria alongside a continental Top 10 side Jordan. For one it allowed an interesting look at those outsiders for World Cup qualification, but for another it pitted the West of Asia against Thailand in the East Asians back yard. 

The Thais became eventual victors first avoiding a scare against Syria in the semis, initially losing a 2-0 lead before progressing on penalties, while in the final they eased past Jordan 2-0 for their first title in the event since 2007. Jordan themselves will be happy with their efforts given their devastating exit in World Cup qualification in March, while rebuilding under a home coach such as current caretaker Abdullah Abu Zema, already illustrates the benefits of not extending Harry Redknapp's brief spell in the national team hot seat.

Syria bounced back from defeat on penalties to Thailand by clinching third over UAE. National pride was at stake, if nothing else given both nations were missing key players, however results such as these do offer hope that Syrian expectations in WCQ don't necessarily need to be so low.

AYA Bank Cup

Elsewhere in the region, Myanmar hosted the inaugural AYA Bank Cup in Yangon. Vietnam who made it through to the final with a penalty shoot out win over Hong Kong, clinched the title with style easing past Singapore 3-0 in the final. For the losers it was another disappointing week of football. They did clinch a debut victory for incoming boss Varadaraju Sundramoorthy, however they did do it against the run of play against the hosts in the semi-finals.

Overall it was a case of what could have been for Myanmar, often regarded as a minnow of South East Asian football, they more than competed once again. After cruelly being beaten by Singapore in the semis they eased past Hong Kong 3-0 to clinch third. All four East Asian nations will take part in Asian Cup Qualification Round 3 when the group state returns in March. 

Asian Cup Qualification Playoffs

Speaking of ACQ Round 3, there were still 8 places to be decided, to be determined over two rounds of home/away playoffs, the first of which took place this week. Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Tajikistan and Yemen all clinched their place in March's group stage, while the losers will be given another chance to redeem themselves when they join Bhutan in September/October's second batch of playoffs.

The first tie between Cambodia and Chinese Taipei was broadly seen as a match up of two of the worst sides from WCQ Round 2, however provided one the most entertaining ties of the week. Cambodia's successful 4-2 on aggregate victory after initially clinching a 2-2 draw away in Taiwan can be attributed to a fantastic home support in excess of 50,000 in Phnom Penh. Keo Sokpheng stood out in particular over both matches as a talented wide midfielder, in what was a heated battle on and off the ball.

India went someway to proving their doubters wrong with a comprehensive 7-1 aggregate win over Laos, including a 6-1 thrashing upon their return home. There was much needed hope in the goal scoring department, something they've relied upon for so long from ageing central striker Sunil Chhetri. A possible successor is within their midst, Jeje Lalpekhlua scored the decisive goal in Vientiane before opening the scoring back in Guwahati.

Effective back-to-back home legs for Malaysia produced the same result, two 3-0 wins over Timor-Leste that assured their progression. While Malaysia looked a side back in full confidence, the state of East Timorese football continues to fall to a new low. Another example of putting their faith in either ageing Brazilian born nationalised players or local teenagers continues to falter. It often looks like a financial situation that contradicts its self, assuming they are paying considerable amounts to fly in Brazilian talent from their club bases across Asia, however they continue to lack the relevant resources, again turning up in fake knockoff Adidas kits for the matches.

On a more pleasing note, Tajikistan look a side that are moving quickly up the gears at the bottom of Asia's international game. A 6-0 aggregate win over Bangladesh was conquered in relatively comfortable fashion, almost branding the return leg in Dhaka as a dead rubber, and so it was played like. They'll go into March's next round of qualification in high hopes, in practice they shouldn't have got themselves in such a state that they needed to go through the playoffs, however the fact they witnessed competitive football during this window will only aid their preparation going forward.

Finally, Yemen lived up to what I've been hoping of them over the last few years, recording dual 2-0 victories "home" and away against Maldives. Their island nation opponents were still getting to grips with losing Ali Ashfaq to impending retirement, while injury would've ruled him out anyway here, while Yemen finally replicated their proficiency in defence in clinical style in front of goal. Their victory ensured that only East Asian sides are left at the wrong end of Asian pyramid, as the next round of playoffs approach. 

AFC Champions League Round Review (Round of 16)

The knockout stages of the AFC Champions League began in similarly enthralling circumstances to that of the group stage culmination earlier in the month, producing 4 debutant quarter-finalists in matches that included a penalty shootout victory for Seoul over Urawa Reds, last gasp winners for Chinese duo Shandong Luneng and Shanghai SIPG against Sydney and Tokyo and an enthralling near comeback which eventually saw Al Nasr edge Tractor Sazi. Elsewhere El Jaish put six past their domestic rivals Lekhwiya, Jeonbuk Motors turned on their vast experience against Melbourne Victory, Al Ain stunted Zob Ahan’s fantastic continental campaign, while Lokomotiv Tashkent defied the history books to succeed over West Asia’s most successful team in Al Hilal. Picking out the individual star performers, here’s a look back at the winners from the past fortnight.

The Player

With defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande and big spending Jiangsu Suning falling at the first hurdle in the ACL group stage, assumptions that the Chinese Super League would immediately dominate the continent threatened to fall flat even before they had begun. In the end the CSL needed two last minute winners to ensure they even had participation in the quarter-finals, a further two exits would’ve no doubt seen questions being fired at the league once more merely a month after their perceived group failure. While the foreign imports have been the league’s main head turners in the past few years, both winners were scored by home born stars, Wu Lei of Shanghai SIPG in particular is demonstrating that Chinese players are more than just team filler.

His two goals over the fortnight were SIPG’s only efforts, his away goal in Tokyo in the first leg ultimately being the difference to inch Shanghai over the line. The goals weren’t glamourous by any means, but they were predatory, initially latching onto a pass across the box in the first leg, before responding quickest to a goalkeeping save in the second. These were far from what we’ve grown accustomed to from Wu since his introduction onto the domestic and national stage. His positional variety has matured immensely since his transfer to SIPG last year, previously seen purely as a modern day link between midfield and attack, Wu has harnessed his physicality and range of abilities, to slot in on either flank or even flex around into a capable central striker, as both of his goals attest to.

Alongside Elkeson, Dario Conca and Asamoah Gyan, Wu is the fourth wheel in SIPG's devastating attacking vehicle, which hasn’t been deterred but seemingly improved since Gyan’s injury of late. His form domestically has mirrored his compatriots, however it’s been in Asia that Wu’s really stood out from the pack scoring 8 goals in his 7 matches, only missing the target in two of his games. His goals as indicated above have demonstrated Wu’s varied ability across the attacking line; typical cool striker finishes (v Suwon in March) one-twos in close proximity (v Gamba in April), finishing on the volley, shooting from distance after bursting forward from deep (both v Muang Thong United in February) and of course the predatory (v Melbourne in February & his double against Tokyo this month). Wu’s making a great case to become the player of the tournament already, and he’s far from done yet.

The Team

If you’d been pressed to predict a side that at the quarter-final stage would remain unbeaten, I’d hazard a guess you wouldn’t have picked Lokomotiv Tashkent, let alone anyone from the Uzbek Pro League. Eight matches in however, and the Uzbek Railways owned club continue on like the metaphoric train on their emblem after defeating Saudi giants Al-Hilal in the Round of 16. Years of heartache for Uzbek football seems to be finally turning a corner, with Loko going further than any Uzbek club since Bunyodkor’s famous semi-final run in 2012.

Their success which has been a story of steady improvement rather than a flash in the pan; 3 consecutive 2nd place UFPL finishes, two ACL playoff appearances, followed by their debut in the group stage last year. It’s been a gradual culture change in Uzbekistan also, long gone are the days where the country’s top players only went to Tashkent’s big two in Pakhtakor or Bunyodkor, Loko are now attracting players from up and down the league, including those from their capital rivals. Tempting back the likes of Timur Kapadze, Jasur Hasanov alongside returning national team captain Server Djeparov has seen them assemble one of the strongest sides in the league.

Their unbeaten run in Asia has been broadly based on a solid defence, only conceding 4 goals along the way, but they have been clinical when needed in attack. Another former Pakhtakor player Temurkhuja Abdukholikov is the form striker at home and abroad with 10 goals so far over both competitions, while national team defender Islom Tukhtahujaev proved his worth in the opposition’s box with the opener against Hilal. Both goals came directly off Djeparov’s delivery, but it would be a disservice to assume his return home was the sole factor in their season's rise, instead it’s been the final piece of the puzzle which could see Loko steamroll their way through to the final.

The Talking Point

This season as a whole has had a sense of changing the guard about it, with the established order struggling to compete with inexperienced but well organised so-called smaller sides. From Guangzhou Evergrande’s “shock” group no show, to Al-Hilal and Lekhwiya’s unexpected exits this week it hasn’t been an easy season for the likely lads especially in the West. Underdog tales including the attacking vibrancy of El Jaish, the assembled team ethic of Lokomotiv and the youthful dynamism of Zob Ahan have thoroughly leveled the playing field, leaving only one usual suspect on that side of the draw in Al Ain.

This of course is a steady leveling that has been occurring regularly over recent seasons, the demise of Tehran giants Esteghlal and Persepolis has seen them both miss out on ACL football in recent seasons, while despite the high profile signing of Xavi, Al Sadd continue to struggle to find any sort of consistency. Elsewhere Al-Ahli Dubai languished in mid-table last term, unable to retain their West ACL title this term. Going forward to next season’s competition, the new/returning names of Al Rayyan of Qatar and Esteghlal Khuzestan of Iran are set to offer yet another dimension to the tournament.

The reasons behind the turn in fortunes differ from country to country, ranging from off the pitch financial struggles to on the pitch tactical naivety. The Asian game even up to very recently was a closed shop when in came to preparation and coverage, widening the competition to a global audience has enabled those astute enough to use tactics to their advantage, as Zob Ahan illustrated this year, a team made up of promising youngsters rather than seasoned professionals, can take advantage of the usual elite. In an enclosed state, the product continues to improve as a spectacle, as predicting a winner year on year becomes more and more difficult. Whether a lack of consistency in quality of some squads may prove detrimental when we go further down the line in West v East encounters and Club World Cup competitions, we'll possibly see as soon as later on this year.

WC/AC Qualifying Review (Round 2 MD9 & 10)

Tuesday saw the finale of the joint AFC World Cup/Asian Cup qualifiers Round 2 stage, as the continent splits to compete for qualification on two separate fronts. Alongside direct qualification for 2019’s Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates, the 12 sides to compete further for a place in Russia 2018 have been confirmed as Australia, Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Thailand, Syria, China PR and Qatar. The remaining participants will have to contend with Asian Cup qualification alone when Round 3 of both procedures kicks off in September. Looking back on the last week of football, here are some of the players, teams and talking points that particularly stood out.

The Player

It could be argued that Aaron Mooy is the whole Round’s most impressive player, going from being left out of Australia’s Asian Cup winning squad right through to one of their most important starters by the end of qualification in just over a year. His quality and influence has grown alongside his confidence to dictate play, with this week being by far his most devastating in Socceroo yellow. With plenty of rotation being actioned by Postecoglou over the final two games against Tajikistan and Jordan, Aaron Mooy’s name in the heart of the midfield remained unchanged, speaking volumes of his indispensability within the continental champions' hopes of World Cup qualification.

He was on form from the off against Tajikistan on Thursday, as he went on to assist two of the seven unanswered goals, but his performance in the crunch group decider with Jordan on Tuesday moved up another level. Involved in all three of Australia’s first half goals, the Socceroos were quickly past the previously hopeful Jordan side coached for the week by Harry Redknapp, eventually ending up 5-1 to the home side. Mooy was involved in a creative capacity in Australia’s first and third goals, with the same tandem of players; Robbie Kruse who teed up Tim Cahill for a brace. Mooy netted himself in between those goals, bursting down the left in space before finishing past the keeper coolly.

To further complement his phenomenal goal and assist records replicated in domestic football where he continues to dominate nearly every A-League statistic, Mooy’s usefulness for Postecoglou derives from the manager’s wish to regularly adapt his side’s play. Whether it be a defensive, more counter attacking game or a more possession focused patient approach, Mooy can fill in as a defensive terrier, midfield architect or lung burster from deep. All these characteristics make for an unsurprising read when you consider Mooy has featured in more qualification games than the likes of Mark Milligan, Mile Jedinak and Massimo Luongo. While his future in domestic football is far from secure, with a move to Europe in the offing over the summer, one thing is for certain; he’ll be starting for Postecoglou as soon as the Socceroos return in September.

The Team

They were all but gone weren’t they? Or so we thought anyway. Going into the final two matches of Round 2, China PR’s pursuit of a lucky loser spot looked in tatters. Defeat to Qatar and subsequent 0-0 draws with Hong Kong hadn’t exactly done their record any favours, and with Qatar running riot with a 100% record at the top of Group C, World Cup qualification continued to look distant. Over the winter break, out went the under fire Alain Perrin, and in came Gao Hongbo on a temporary contact for his second spell in the dugout purely to regain some respect for Chinese national football.

Two games later he’s turned things around, partially due to others collapsing but in the main for the improved back to back victories last week that clinched the final “best runners up” spot ahead of Korea DPR. Korea themselves had it in their own hands but blew their chances with a spectacular last 10 minute collapse away in the Philippines. Meanwhile in Doha, China were not just hanging on but thriving against arguably the team of the round in Qatar. Gao had made some brave calls including dropping target man Yang Xu for the red hot Jiang Ning who smashed in a hat-trick against the Maldives four days previous in what was his first national team appearance since 2013.

The picture isn’t wholly rosy by any means, there are plenty of areas to work on ahead of September but China at least looked confident and at times free flowing. Second half goals from Huang Bowen (criminally underused by Perrin) and Wu Lei late on sealed their place in the next round and for now brought the fans back around to the side of the national team. The next question now regards Gao’s future. Recently the CFA have made no secret in that they prefer overseas coaches to their own, the inflated reputation and financial muscle that Chinese football is experiencing at the moment also suggests Gao won’t continue on in his role for much longer. For now however the CFA can breathe a huge sigh of relief at avoiding a potential footballing disaster.

The Talking Point

As we’ve now reached the climax of Round 2, it feels the right time to fully assess the merits and constraints of the new format rolled out by FIFA and the AFC for this cycle of qualification. From a very narrow field, which allowed the established nations later entry but less game time for the smaller nations, to an even spread of game time amongst the vast majority, the main success point has been guaranteed regular football for the former “emerging” nations of the AFC.

We were instantly rewarded for this levelling of the playing field with improved performances from Hong Kong (pushing China hard for second place), Guam (who held Oman to a home), the Philippines (who beat Bahrain) and Korea DPR (who came within 10 minutes of qualifying for Round 2, beating Uzbekistan along the way) but in the end there were few if any real surprises; Thailand overcoming Iraq to top Group F wasn’t the greatest of shocks, while Syria’s headline grabbing second place finish was seen way before the draw was even made. Even then, despite looking streets ahead of their former peers (scoring an average of over 5 goals a game against them), Syria were easily beaten without scoring in both ties against top dogs Japan.

This lack of tangible success after Round 2 alongside isolated match days which coupled the best and worst teams in the groups against one another ending up predictably in clear one sided encounters, have left outsiders and critics sceptical not only of the new format but the level of Asian football in general. The initial aim is far from lost though, it’s really just got going. The increase in playing time is only half way through given Asian Cup Round 3 is just around the corner, this will build upon previous match experience, continental logistics etc. but will also pit similar strength sides against one another on a sustained basis. Every round and every game will improve the confederation from the bottom up, so it’s likely that the real benefit of the format switch won’t truly be realised for another 2 to 3 cycles.

East Asian Cup 2015 - SFG Team Previews

The EAFF East Asian Cup kicks off in China on the 1st August, and while the squads involved are stripped of the European based stars for the 4 team round robin tournament, the event will give us a greater insight into the manager’s plans for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and which domestic gems are set to break into the national team picture over the long run.

I’ve put together a number of previews of the competing nations for Asian football blog Sandals for Goalposts, exploring the key questions and players that we’ll be keeping an eye out for. Keep posted to their website and twitter feed for more on the tournament throughout the coming weeks.

CHINA PR - TEAM PREVIEW

 

KOREA REPUBLIC - TEAM PREVIEW

 

JAPAN - TEAM PREVIEW

 

KOREA DPR - TEAM PREVIEW

 

 

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AFC Champions League Round Review (Round of 16)

This last week saw the culmination of club football for much of Asia, as the AFC Champions League (ACL) went on their summer holidays at the end of the West Asian football calendar. While the likes of Japan, Korea, China and Uzbekistan kick on with domestic football through the coming months, those, especially from the Gulf were keen on finishing their season on a high with progress through to the last 8 of the competition. Those lucky sides to make it through to the quarter finals are Al-Hilal, Naft Tehran, Al-Ahli (Dubai) and Lekhwiya from the West, and Gamba Osaka, Jeonbuk Motors, Guangzhou Evergrande and Kashiwa Reysol from the East. The business end of the continental calendar kicks back into gear in August, in the meantime here’s a look back at the winners and losers from the round of 16.

The Player

Japanese footballing culture tends to gravitate to one talented individual who is often billed as a potential “Japanese Messi” that can lead the Samurai Blue over the coming generation that often ends in disappointment. The man in the current spotlight is Tokyo’s Yoshinori Muto, a speculated interest of English giants Chelsea. As the weeks tick by in the J-League season however, another, possibly greater known threat is starting to steal the young attacker’s thunder, that of Gamba Osaka’s Takashi Usami. He’s started the domestic season on fire, topping the early scoring charts in the J-League, and replicating the same calibre of performances on the continent as he guided his side through to the ACL quarter finals this Wednesday.

Ever since his return from his below par spell in Germany with Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim, Usami has revelled as a big fish in a small pond back in Japan. His movement in behind the forward line, or as a lone striker continues to cause all sorts of headaches for opposing defenders, this ACL round proved equally troublesome to the Seoul defenders aiming to shackle Japan’s highest domestic star. In the first leg, Usami immediately created the sublime, a fine volley from inside the box (on his unflavoured foot) crashed in for Gamba’s opener, before consolidating his side’s victory later in the half, twisting and turning a hapless defence before wrong footing the keeper with a low shot.

With the tie seemingly a formality, Usami was given a little time off as he left the field early in the second period of the return leg. His withdrawal didn’t come before being involved in both of Gamba’s first half goals however; first pulling the worried Seoul defence out to the left before picking out Brazilian Patric for the opener. His second assist of the night, this time a little more fortunate illustrated his nuisance factor more than his skill, as his blocked shot fell back to Kurata in space to clinch a second for the Japanese. Gamba’s back to back title successes domestically are starting to be fully realised with the quality they are demonstrating in the ACL. Another couple of Usami lead performances could see Gamba go all the way this year.

The Team

While for a neutral an Emirati derby of sorts between Al-Ain and Al-Ahli instantly jumped out as one of the stand out ties of the knockout phase, little observers would have expected the Dubai based Ahli squad to pose a great threat given they finished a whole 22 points off title winners Al-Ain in the Arabian Gulf League. The fact that Ahli are unlikely, unless they can muster a President’s Cup victory, to clinch a place in next year’s ACL made this encounter ever more important. What came, despite the level score on paper, was a thoroughly professional effort by Cosmin Olariou’s men, hitting one of ACL’s finest squads in a prolific 5 minute spell in the second leg that Ain couldn’t recover from.

The encounter over the two legs was broadly feisty and incredibly tight, the teams sharing a 0-0 stalemate thanks to the form of both keepers in Dubai. The second leg however lived up further to the billing as the sides shared 6 goals over the 90 minutes. After going in 1-0 down to another ACL Asamoah Gyan goal for Al-Ain, Al-Ahli came out the traps superbly in the second period, knowing full well that their clean sheet the week previous at home would count invaluably given the impact an away goal could be. Three goals in five minutes doomed the Emirati champions, who now needed three unanswered goals of their own to make it through.

The opener through Humeid Salmein, came with a little bit of luck attached to it, as it seemed to ricochet off the arm of the Emirati midfielder, however there was nothing fortunate about their second. Ahmed Khalil, often criticised for his streaky form in front of goal, was clearly having one of his good days, racing on to a through ball from Brazilian starlet Everton Ribeiro to fire past Khalid Essa. The same combo forced a third three minutes later, as Essa fumbled Ribeiro’s shot for Khalil to nip in with his second. Despite a late rally, a miracle would have been needed for Ain to turn it around as the game finished equal, with Ahli progressing on away goals. While their domestic campaign collapsed, an end of season promise of ACL silverware is now in the balance for Ahli. With an in form and firing Ahmed Khalil supported by the inspirational Everton Ribeiro behind, Ahli are one to watch out for in the quarters.

The Talking Point

It’s hard to make too many sweeping statements over one round of football, but the sudden collapse of three out of the four K-League representatives in the Round of 16 will lead to some murmured concerns from South Korean football fans. Only weeks after all four of their clubs made it through the group stage, defeats for Seoul (by Gamba Osaka), Seongnam (by Guangzhou Evergrande) and Suwon Bluewings (by Kashiwa Reysol) leaves Korea Republic with one sole representation of current champions Jeonbuk Motors in the final 8.

It has been argued over the last few years whether domestic Korean football is waning, given the quality of the playing staff available. Much of the Korean national side play abroad, mainly in Europe, but more and more in the wealthier Gulf, while overseas recruits into Asia are almost universally shunning Korea, not just for the West Asian cash, but now to East Asian rivals China and Japan. This concern was temporarily put to bed with an impressive ACL group stage but a major swipe of this scale could suggest future problems to come. The list of Korean winners of the ACL is lengthy, 6 sides have won the continental crown but none have really made their name as Korea Republic’s top dogs.

Recent records suggest that while this makes for a more attractive domestic game, with high competition for the title and ACL spots, success on the continent can’t be built upon as talent is usually spread around. It has become a region wide issue that has also been felt by Japan and Australia, leading to similar erratic performances on the continent. The gradual influx of money, focussed on the few, in particular at Guangzhou Evergrande, has seen the Chinese Super League profit from the high competition in their rival leagues. Once again the dominant Chinese outfit are through to the quarter finals, their fourth successive year since their major investment. Back to back titles and a growing foothold on the ACL could see Japan’s fortunes change in this area as Gamba Osaka build on their dominance, while Korea will be hoping for similar levels of consistency from their current leaders Jeonbuk in the next ACL round.