AFC Champions League Preview (West - 2019)

A month on from the Asian Cup, the rise of Qatar looks set to spill over into club football ahead of the new season of the Asian Champions League. Qatar in the main came from the periphery, formed around a squad that was almost exclusively based at home, thrusting previously unheralded youngsters Almoez Ali, Akram Afif, Bassam Al-Rawi and Assim Madibo into the limelight. Now, ready to prove they’re more than a mere flash in the pan upon the resumption of the Asian club calendar, can they wrestle back the ACL title to the West for the first time in 8 years?

The pinnacle may have been reached internationally, but the progress at club level is already in full flow; Qatari champions Al-Duhail and current league leaders Al-Sadd made it to the last eight of the Champions League last term, only to falter after the World Cup break against eventual finalists Persepolis (in the quarter & semi-final stages respectively). That added bit of experience required to take the initiative in these type of matches, is slowly seeping its way into the two pillars of Qatari club football, and off the back of their continental crown internationally, can attest to having the best home-grown players in the whole competition.

The foreign contingent is hardly lacking either; Al-Sadd’s Algerian striker Baghdad Bounedjah has amassed an incredible 34 goals across 18 matches this season, along the way pipping Lionel Messi to the ultimate world golden boot across the calendar year for 2018. He’s backed up by the highly influential Spanish duo of Xavi and Gabi from centre midfield and will be able to call upon Korean international Nam Tae-hee if they indeed replicate their exploits from last term and make it to the last eight.

Al-Duhail similarly boast a strong overseas quota; adding Japanese playmaker Shoya Nakajima and Belgian wide-man Edmilson Junior to an already terrifying attack line led by Moroccan Youssef El-Arabi. They’ve also sought to reaffirm defensively, bringing in Medhi Benatia from Juventus; a real coup for Asian football in general given his pedigree and his age, which sets up a tantalising partnership with the highly rated Al-Rawi in central defence.

The ingredients are set for a sustained return to form for the West. However, the regular argument against such is the highly detrimental mid-campaign break, which has the possibility of disrupting harmony and squad membership across a number of teams. This year in particular promises extensive upheaval, with the young Qatari contingent; headlined by Almoez Ali and Akram Afif, looking likely to head to Europe over the domestic off-season. Then there is always the case of managerial change; given neither Qatari club will envisage an close season where they settle for a domestic runners-up spot gladly. Where this leaves West Asian clubs in general is equally uncertain, and far from an ideal standpoint for any side with serious ACL title ambitions.

A side that has such focussed priorities, Al-Hilal from the Saudi Pro League, can attest to the schedule's drawbacks, given their tendencies for wholesale changes at the drop of a hat. The club synonymous with the Champions League of late, boast the strongest overseas contingent of the whole tournament; not just in their four nominated ACL players, but in their strength in depth available to them domestically. The signing of Italian Sebastian Giovinco in the January transfer window, more than makes up for Omar Abdulrahman’s continued injury layoff, in behind prolific French striker Bafetimi Gomis and Brazilian playmaker Carlos Eduardo, the Riyadh club’s attack makes for an exciting balance that promises an abundance of goals.

Further back, the inclusion of Socceroo Milos Degenek as their fourth overseas player, squeezes out the likes of Jonathan Soriano, Andre Carrillo, Ali Al-Habsi and Alberto Botia. An embarrassment of underutilised riches some may say, but with a domestic title bout to juggle alongside the Champions League group stages, the flexibility at hand for new coach Zoran Mamic looks impressive in its possibilities.

The criticism against them surrounds their mentality and tendency for change. Aside from odd moments, Saudi football regularly frustrates, the playing staff on paper may look to be tremendous options; Salman Al-Faraj, Salem Al-Dawsari and new signing Hatem Bahebri are all seasoned internationals, but have regularly looked off colour , especially in January’s frustrated Asian Cup campaign where Saudi Arabia generally struggled. In addition, the swift hand of change above them, most notably and inexplicably demonstrated in the sacking coach Jorge Jesus last month, can only threaten to destabilise the club’s pursuits further.

With that, the solid proposition, of experience and relative organisation is an outside bet for success. With this look no further than last year’s finalists Persepolis. Rarely flashy, with a diminishing amount of star power, they offer a hearty alternative to the big spending nature of many of their West Asian neighbours. While they still can call upon Iranian international goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand and Iraqi midfield maestro Bashar Resan, the recruitment of Mehdi Torabi may give them that extra spark to force home wins in those early group stage encounters.

From the elite to the chasing pack, on paper at least a gulf in quality is starting to grow. No league has been left behind more in this regard, than the Arabian Gulf League, which looks to be entering this continental season at their lowest ebb. Al Ain, their primary force for many years look a pale imitation of their past, Al-Ahli have plummeted since their intercity merger, whilst Al-Jazira’s continued absence from the top table of Asian football remains a frustration to many, given their significant talent base to call upon.

Al-Wahda and Al-Wasl make up the Emirati representatives, with neither having experienced great form of late, the latter in particular will be considerably more focussed on the prospect of relegation than competing in Asia. After their whirlwind start to last season, the wheels are well and truly starting to fall off. They’ll hope the individual brilliance of their Brazilian catalyst Lima will be enough to propel some energy, both at home and on the continent.

Another to be feeling the strain, Saudi giants Al-Ittihad are in even worse trouble, currently in the automatic relegation places, with nine games to go and onto their fourth coach in 12 months. Into the breach of the underwhelming tenure of Slavan Bilic comes former Itti coach José Luis Sierra, returning after leaving the club only last summer, with fans of the Tigers praying that they can return to the form of last season, spearheaded by the likes of Fahad Al-Muwallad, Romarinho and new signing Abdulaziz Al-Bishi.

Outside the usual gameplayers, the re-emergence of Uzbek football (this sounds familiar…) is promised once again on the upcoming Asian Champions League campaign. While champions Lokomotiv Tashkent look slightly weaker for their off-season transfer business, fellow capital giants Pakhtakor are starting to make waves, thanks to a number of interesting domestic signings and an early signal of intent through the ACL playoffs.

Purchases of key cogs from Uzbekistan’s strong youth set up that succeeded continentally of late; defensive anchor Odiljon Hamrobekov, left back Akramjon Komilov and the returning Dostonbek Khamdamov from Russia, Pakhtakor will look to bring through some of the same inventiveness and speed, impressively demonstrated at the Asian Cup through to the club environment. Supplementing the arrival of an extensive youth stock, leading Uzbek scorer over the last two seasons Marat Bikmaev returns, after leaving Pakhtakor back in 2004, to add a focal point at the sharp end of the attack.

The lowest expectations of any group stage side might be found at Al-Zawra’a, who thanks to IPL colleagues Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, who dominated the AFC Cup over the last few years, have sealed Iraqi football an automatic birth into the round robin stage of the tournament for the first time. While little is expected of them, the fact they get to play in their own country (ironically not the case for much of their group given the ongoing political tensions) and can call upon a couple of notable gems in the making (headlined by young midfielder Safaa Hadi), they’ll be up to cause some real upsets early on.

AFC Champions League Preview (The West - 2017)

2016 was another example of regional dominance in Asia, as Jeonbuk Motors made it 10 titles from 11, and four in succession for East Asia when they beat Al Ain from the West in November’s AFC Champions League final. The decline in Western fortunes has run alongside the demise of some of the region's biggest teams, a trend that in 2017 looks to be reversed to a degree with the return of a couple of the more established names.

Esteghlal, one of Asia’s most recognisable teams return to the continent showpiece for the first time in three years. Recent campaigns have been pretty miserable for the the Blues, a state of affairs that persists to this day with a crushing transfer ban hitting them only at the start of the year, denying them and neutral football fans alike to witness a central midfield duo made up of Asian legends Andranik Teymourian and Server Djeparov for the upcoming Champions League campaign.

Ban withstanding it’s been a pretty productive last week for Esteghlal; they were able to inch into the group stage after a penalty shoot out victory over a Xavi Hernandez led Al-Sadd (the Spaniard has now failed to reach the ACL group stages in two playoff attempts), before clinching all three points in the all important Tehran derby with fellow ACL competitors and current Persian Gulf Pro League leaders Persepolis.

Another Asian great Persepolis can hardly complain given their transfer dealings of the last year, bringing in Iranian internationals Jalal Hosseini and Alireza Beiranvand to supplement an already growing list of national team squad hopefuls. That being said, the last week has shown whatever Alireza Mansourian has brought into Esteghlal during his short tenure, makes you believe that the Blue half of Iran’s capital city could have something of a redemption in form ahead of the ACL, with Kaveh Rezaei leading the line (after impressing in the same competition for Zob Ahan last year) you could punt for a lot worse.

One of their group rivals in the first round are returning ACL finalists from 2015 Al-Ahli Dubai. An all too good example of the erratic nature of the domestic Arabian Gulf League, Ahli return as domestic champions, sandwiched by two (so far) disappointing league campaigns; a lowly 7th placed finish in 2014/15 and this season, where they currently trail leaders Al-Jazira by a considerable 9 point margin. As they proved two years ago however, a lacking domestic campaign can inspire a change of scenery in Champions League football, and with a strike force that comprises of Asamoah Gyan, Everton Ribeiro, Ahmed Khalil and Lima (once returned from injury) they’ll be handily tipped, on paper at least to go far.

In the void left by the usual suspects, a more gritty, defensively organised approach has reaped the rewards in the West, especially from the less fancied teams in the draw. Last year’s runs from Zob Ahan and Lokomotiv Tashkent, may not have been aesthetically pleasing, but they warranted their progression and were arguably the story of the year in the West. They were the only two sides to progress to knockout stages unbeaten, with the meanest defences along the way. Zob Ahan, tournament specialists in recent campaigns return as Hazfi Cup champions, while Loko, as reigning UFPL champions will have to do without their talismanic playmaker Djeparov who has ended up at Sepahan on loan for the rest of the season.

Relying on the blueprint that a system and clear style of play is usurping quality on paper, the Leicester City of Iran, Esteghlal Khuzestan enter for their ACL debut. Solid, organised but far from flashy, Esteghlal like their English counterparts are predictably struggling in their domestic defence (currently lying in 7th in the PGPL) and will have little pressure applied to them to succeed on the continent. Serial Champions League team-hopper Aloys Nong is always a credible goal threat in this competition, while Mohammad Tayebi is looking to finish his career on a high after peaking over the last 12 months, as the resolute linchpin in the Persian champions’ defence.

Predictable money may be better placed however on those who achieved the most last term. Finalists Al-Ain look a decent bet again, given Omar Abdulrahman avoided leaving in the winter and they've brought in experienced Saudi forward Nasser Al-Shamrani in attack to provide that killer instinct severely lacked against Jeonbuk late last year. Al-Shamrani’s parent club Al-Hilal also look in good shape, with a tight grasp on the Saudi Pro.League title race at present, with the acquisition of Omar Hawsawi from fellow title rivals Al-Ahli Jeddah proving a defensive master stroke so far domestically.

While they may be lacking their defensive bedrock, the reigning Saudi champions Ahli remain poised to mark a challenge. The usual attacking cohort of Omar Al-Somah and Taisir Al-Jassim is boosted by some credible service supplied by one of the best players of the last 12 months in Iraqi international Saad Abdulameer and Abdulfattah Assiri who has impressed in his first season since moving from local rivals Al-Ittihad.

Elsewhere, a case could be made for a Qatari challenge, with the return of another familiar face to the fold in Al-Rayyan, led by another regular on the continental scene Sebastian Soria. Or will it eventually be time for an Ali Makbkhout inspired Al-Jazira to take the initiative; the current Emirati pace setters are finally in the groove and finding some consistently after letting down admirers over the last few campaigns.

One thing we’re assuming is that the finalist spot looks destined to come from the Gulf, with the usual lurking presence of the Uzbek Pro League taking a back seat from contention. The diminishing power of their domestic game runs in stark contrast with their national team fortunes which remain positive in World Cup qualification. A clear trend of outward transfers seems to have been behind this; key players at key clubs, with the likes of Igor Sergeev and Egor Krimets at Pakhtakor and Sardar Rashidov at Bunyodkor having moved elsewhere in Asia; great for national team progression, but not so great for their home clubs they’ve left behind.

In each of the last two editions Uzbekistan have provided 4 participants to the group stage, this term however they only just scraped two. In the long run a penalty shootout victory in this year’s ACL playoffs for Bunyodkor against last season’s semi-finalists El-Jaish could be pivotal to the league’s longevity. Amongst a talented home based lineup that breaks from the old ambitions of high spending, Dostonbek Khamdamov and Eldor Shomurodov eyed up as the next stars to move abroad (maybe even to make inroads into Europe) are a couple of players with “one to watch” tags affixed to them. With little made of their hopes, the Uzbek clubs may be merely keen to avoid another clean sweep of group exits, as was recorded in 2015.

As we edge closer to kick off, while the general consensus remains that the East remain out in front, the draw of clubs in the West looks extremely enticing. With a mixture of the established (Esteghlal, Al-Hilal, Persepolis) along with the new (Esteghlal Khuzestan, Al-Taawoun), we could be looking at a pivotal season given the impact this may have on the national game. I for one am quick to grumble that West Asian players are too cautious when it comes to testing themselves abroad either in East Asia or Europe, however with so much talent now playing in WCQ one week, then the ACL the next, the region’s game can only benefit.

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.

AFC Champions League Preview (The West - 2016)

Tuesday marks the return of the AFC Champions League group stage, some 3 months since Guangzhou Evergrande lifted last year’s trophy in late November. The Chinese giants’ victory continues to reaffirm the trend of East Asian domination, clinching the region's third trophy in a row, and 4th out of the last 5 attempts. The question remains, after a busy off season in China, are the West in threat of being left behind?

Many aspects suggest they will. Spending power for one is starting to become a sore point; despite the vast amounts of wealth being utilised in the Gulf, West Asian leagues such as the Qatar Stars League and the Arabian Gulf League’s recent spending has looked mediocre in comparison to their Eastern neighbours. The “big” name signings in January, (albeit the mid-season window) included many in-league trades rather than the expected plundering of Europe’s elite leagues which we’d grown accustomed to over the last 5 years. One of the few that made the headlines was Kenwyne Jones’ move to Emirati side Al-Jazira. A recognisable name but hardly of the quality to compare with the likes of Alex Teixiera and Jackson Martinez.

Those who had previously modelled themselves as “galactico” impersonations have either scaled back their spending or suffered severely on the pitch. Qatari champions Lekhwiya, often criticised locally for buying their way towards domestic and continental success have cut their budget significantly, letting go two of their most prized assets in Mohamed Muntari and Vladimir Weiss, while fellow QSL side Al Sadd, despite fielding arguably the biggest name of them all in World Cup winner Xavi Hernandez fell in the ACL playoffs.

It looks unlikely that either of the remaining QSL clubs in the competition will make a sustained push for a final birth, mainly because of their domestic form. Lekhwiya alongside El Jaish, who qualified via the playoffs are already a clear distance behind surprise package Al Rayyan domestically, and will now look to reengineer some form ahead of the ACL.

There lies one issue for the West; the ACL calendar. It suits the majority of the East Asian participants, as it runs the same pattern set out by their domestic schedule. However, for the likes of the West (excluding the Uzbek Pro League which kicks off in March), the teams taking part often achieved their qualification almost 9 months prior when their 14/15 domestic seasons concluded in May.

The clear example of this is ACL qualified Al-Jazira from the Emirates. Second last term after a great 14/15 season, but have subsequently gone off the boil, as they struggle currently in mid-table of the Arabian Gulf League. Conversely Al-Ahli Dubai came to life in the latter part of the year, currently contesting for top spot domestically and made it all the way to the ACL final in November. Irrespective of form Ahli had no effect on their qualification for this year’s tournament after finishing way off the pace domestically back in May, consequently won’t be playing in this year’s edition.

Theoretically if to succeed you need consistency of form over a number of years rather than flash in the pan seasons, which arguably leaves many of the Saudi Pro League qualifiers with the best chance of success this year. Champions Al-Nassr alongside Al-Ahli Jeddah and Al-Hilal were all present in the 2015 edition, and will all look to build on their foundations this year. Al-Nassr may be struggling domestically this term but have announced Raul Caneda as their new coach after sacking Fabio Cannavaro earlier this month, while Ahli’s extraordinary domestic unbeaten record that stretches back to January 2014 continues to show their consistency and resilience which at times was apparent in their ACL campaign last year.

Al-Hilal, despite missing out on the domestic title for the last couple of seasons, will once again be West Asia’s spearhead, and most likely side to make it to the ACL final. Their revamped forward line of Carlos Eduardo and Ailton Almeida now have 6 months of Middle Eastern football in them and have already shown their capabilities on the continent. This alongside the re-emerging Nasser Al-Shamrani, who’ll want to put 2015 to the back of his mind, after missing much of the calendar through injury and suspension.

As is always the case however with Saudi football, controversy on and off the field tends to make the headlines. To follow up their planned boycott of Palestine in World Cup qualification, the Saudi Football Federation have put in a bid with the AFC to move their ACL away matches in Iran to neutral venues over safety concerns. You won’t be surprised to hear that this hasn’t gone down well with Iran who hardly have a good relationship with the Kingdom already. If such a proposal is accepted, Iran have counter proposed that they’ll withdraw their clubs from the competition. The AFC have wimped out at making any further ruling until March, deferring all group matches between the two countries taking place in Iran until match day’s 5 and 6 in May.

Going into 2016, Iranian football on the pitch is hardly in a good place anyway. The league’s meagre resources continue to pale in comparison with their Gulf rivals, one comparison being the quality of overseas recruits they have; the top 12 goalscorers in the Persian Gulf Pro League are all Iranian, compare this to the Qatar Stars League and the Arabian Gulf League, where only 1 of their top 14 goal scorers is a home national, and you instantly see the differing pools of players the clubs' coaches have at their disposal.

The other problem area which in this case is shared with Qatar is the demise in form of the country’s so called bigger clubs. Iran go into the ACL for a second year running without Tehran heavyweight Esteghlal, alongside rivals Persepolis or even their best achiever of last year Naft Tehran. In their place champions Sepahan are currently sitting in mid-table domestically, Tractor Sazi who after multiple losses in the summer transfer window are languishing in 7th while Zob Ahan, arguably the form of the three, lack any recent history of continental action. After such a torrid time last year, it looks to be another struggle for the PGPL clubs in 2016.

This comes back to a desirability of consistency. Something the Uzbek Pro League can usually build upon, given their unique position within the West of currently being in their off season. Similar to the advantages felt in the East, the clubs in top form are consequently the clubs entering the ACL group stage namely champions Pakhtakor, Cup winners Nasaf Qarshi, alongside Lokomotiv Tashkent and Bunyodkor. Four sides with comparatively large amounts of experience at this level with a good base to work from given they’ve been in pre-season for a few months.

The downside for the UPFL sides is their economic climate, which remains the weakest in the region. Such a lack of resources is a clear catalyst that saw all four of their representatives exit at the group stage last time out. Twelve months down the line, you’d struggle to claim that any are in a better shape, with big names exiting regularly; (Sardar Rashidov and Egor Krimets have left for to Uzbekistan’s more affluent Asian neighbours) alongside a lack of any notable imported talent.

With a lack of money flying about, the clear policy has shifted to focus purely on youth. Bunyodkor, traditionally the big spenders of the league have drastically curtailed their spending, in place they’ve developed a set of fantastic youth talents that can rival any side in Asia. Members of the Uzbek’s U20 World Cup squad that made the quarter-finals in New Zealand last year; Khamdamov, Urinboev & Shomurodov lead the line for the Swallows, adding some unpredictability into whether they can actually step up on the continental club game as we start the ACL group phase.

The draw itself can once again be broken down into a number of inter-regional clashes between leagues rather than teams, as again only 5 countries are represented over the 4 Western groups. The annual predictability of these rounds is starting to drag but of course it’s the necessity given the considerable travel costs that are only partly covered by the confederation. The remaining certainty since qualification, that you’re guaranteed to play three from four different leagues takes a little from the excitement when the draw takes place, but there are still pockets of the scheduling that have caused some interest.

Aside from the Saudi-Iranian off the pitch tension which will be highly talked about right up until their encounters in May, it’s exciting to see Al-Ittihad return to AFC’s top competition after a year’s absence, if not for their on the pitch exploits but for their packed houses and passionate support that continue to be one of the region’s greatest selling points. The impressive form of the likes of Al-Ahli Jeddah, Al-Hilal and Al Ain will also top the bill as the must-see teams, but I’m probably not alone in feeling a little anticlimactic about this side of the draw.

We’re of course missing some big name form sides of the last six months, Al-Rayyan are 15 points clear in Qatar are absent, the top three in Iran are also, the region’s best player Xavi won’t add to his brief minutes in the competition, while the West’s best team of 2015 Al-Ahli Dubai haven’t even had the chance to qualify via the playoffs. Unless there’s a change to the running order, these gaps in form clubs qualifying is going to continue into 2017. At the end of the day, the West is playing catch up, and given the early signs from the continental draw and the activity in the January transfer window, the East look favourites once again. 

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.

AFC Champions League Preview (Group D - 2015)

The 2015 AFC Asian Champions League kicks off this week. Here's a quick preview of the West Asian side of the draw concluding with Group D; including Emirati champions Al-Ahli, Iranian side Tractor Sazi, Uzbek underdogs Nasaf Qarshi and on form Jeddah based Al-Ahli.

Team: Al-Ahli

Country: United Arab Emirates

Manager: Cosmin Olaroiu (ROM)

Key Man: Everton Ribeiro (BRA)

One of the two Al-Ahli’s in Group D, Dubai's representative come into the tournament in a bit of a slump. Currently way off the the likes of Al-Jazira and Al-Ain in the title stakes, the reigning AGL holders need a major turnaround even to make the ACL places this term. Up until now, they’ve stood behind their underfire coach Cosmin Olaroiu, who hasn’t exactly had the best of start’s to the year after disappointing in charge of Saudi Arabia before returning to domestic duties. Numerous names have been linked to the top club job in the Emirates, but the likes of national team coach Mahdi Ali look unlikely to take charge before the end of the season. Their team has been bolstered in the January window with the introduction of highly rated Brazilian Everton Ribeiro and former Liverpool winger Omar Assaidi. National team heroes Walid Abbas and Ahmed Khalil provide some home based talent for the fans to cheer on.

Team: Tractor Sazi

Country: Iran

Manager: Toni Oliveira (POR)

Key Man: Edinho (BRA)

Tractor Sazi’s progression came via the Iranian Cup which was clinched at the latter end of last season, however their form in the league this term has upped their credentials going into the ACL. Despite the loss of Karim Ansarifard after his loan expired in the summer, Edinho has continued in great goalscoring form, firing Tractor into a reasonable shout of at least a direct ACL qualification next year. Only taking part in their third ACL campaign in their history, the acquisition of national team anchor Andranik Teymourian could prove a real coup. Their defensive record remains pretty poor but in a group that is experiencing average form, it’s anyone’s guess who could make it through to the knockout stages in this one.

Team: Nasaf Qarshi

Country: Uzbekistan

Manager: Ruziqul Berdiev (UZB)

Key Man: Artur Geyorkyan (TKM)

Perennial outsiders in the Uzbek League, Nasaf Qarshi have threatened to make 3^rd spot domestically universally their own. This year however offers them a new opportunity to grow as they go through to the ACL group stage for the first time in three years, as they aim to better their bottom placed finish in the group back in 2012. That said they aren’t inexperienced on the continental stage, mixing it in the playoffs and in the AFC Cup on number of occasions, taking the title of Asia’s second tier competition in 2011. Piggy backing on the success of the national team at all age ranges, Nasaf have a solid set up to fall back on, bolstered by the goals of Uzbek Golden Boot winner Artur Geyorkyan. The Turkmenistani international will hope to replicate his sensational domestic record on the continent.

Team: Al-Ahli

Country: Saudi Arabia

Manager: Christian Gross (SUI)

Key Man: Omar Al-Somah (SYR)

Saudi Pro League’s Al-Ahli are a little praised outfit that could prove wonders in a favourable group. Their season is starting to pick up momentum despite trailing Al-Nassr in the Saudi title race at present. Recent results have seen them pick up back to back victories over ACL rival Al-Hilal and an impressive extra time victory over Al-Qadsia of Kuwait in the ACL playoffs. Their latter victory over Hilal secured the first silverware of the new season, claiming the Crown Prince Cup earlier in the month. The form of sensational goalscorer Omar Al-Somah continues to propel Ahli forward, his 15 goals in14 domestic matches have been crucial inspight of a cruel injury picked up just before the new year. Ahli’s talents start further back however with the rising talent of Mustafa Al-Bassas and the returning Brazlian Bruno Cesar pulling the strings in midfield.

AFC Champions League Preview (Group C - 2015)

The 2015 AFC Asian Champions League kicks off this week. Here's a quick preview of the West Asian side of the draw with Group C; including Iraian champions Foolad, Uzbek Cup winners Lokomotiv Tashkent, Saudi trailblazers Al-Hilal and experienced ACL campaigners Al-Sadd.

Team: Foolad

Country: Iran

Manager: Dragan Skocic (CRO)

Key Man: Soroush Rafiei (IRN)

Champions of Iran, Foolad alongside Naft are revolutionising the Persian Gulf Pro League with their new, exciting, youth focused brand of football. Both domestically and on the continent Foolad continiue to fly the flag, becoming the only bright spot of a disasterous ACL campaign for the country last time around by making it out of the group stage. A couple of disappointing results since the Asian Cup break has seen them drop down the table but they remain in with a shout of defending their title. While they’ve provided a solid unit, with the best defensive record of the PGPL, they have lacked a point of attack. However, the emergence of in form Cameroonian striker Aloys Nong seems to have solved their impotency for now as they prepare to kick off their ACL campaign.

Team: Lokomotiv Tashkent

Country: Uzbekistan

Manager: Vadim Abramov (AZE)

Key Man: Ignatiy Nesterov (UZB)

Uzbek Cup champions Lokomotiv Tashkent’s story from 2^nd division make weights to Premier title contenders has been pretty impressive. Flooded with money, Loko’s rise looks to have no end, with a title chase surely on the charge once the domestic game returns in March. They possess an array of talent including national team stalwarts, Ignatiy Nesterov who was one of the Goalkeepers of the tournament in January’s Asian Cup and the versatile Timur Kapadze who offers an experienced head in midfield. The worry they may have is in front of goal, as last season’s top scorer Farhod Tajivev has exited to Malaysia. The return to Uzbek football of highly rated Temurkhuja Abdukholiqov after a miserable time in Croatia promises much, but he will need to hit the ground running if they are to succeed in the group stage.

Team: Al-Hilal

Country: Saudi Arabia

Caretaker Manager: Ciprian Panait (ROM)

Key Man: Nawaf Al-Abid (KSA)

Arguably in possession of the deepest squad in the AFC, West Asia’s most successful outfit Al-Hilal are going through a relative slump after being narrowly pipped to the ACL title at the end of last year. Since then  everything’s really petered out as they’ve attempted to catch up on their games in hand. A bunch of erratic results later, compounded by a Crown Prince Cup final defeat to Al-Ahli saw hero turned villain Laurentiu Reghecampf exit as the club’s fall guy, leaving a club desperately seeking form and a new coach as they return to their favourite tournament. Never afraid of spending big, Marcelo Bielsa and Herve Renard are the latest names to be linked with the vacant job, whether a big name will eventually be in place to steer a title charge is yet to be seen.

Team: Al-Sadd

Country: Qatar

Manager: Hussein Amotta (MOR)

Key Man: Khalfan Ibrahim (QAT)

One of the Gulf’s most impressive ACL performers in recent years, Al-Sadd go into 2015’s edition with a hand of luck after only qualifying for the group stage after back to back penalty shootout victories in the playoffs. They come through on a wave of excitement however after their game of the tournament dislay sharing 8 goals with Al-Wahda last week finally fell in the Qatari's favour. For years now they’ve possessed a great attacking lineup, but have until this stage lacked a real number 9 to pin their goalscoring duties on after Brazilian Muriqui picked up a substantial injury back in September. Another Brazilian, former Wolfsburg and Al-Ahli strker Grafite has joined just in time for the ACL, assisting the burden on the likes of Qatari wide man Hassan Al-Haydos, who now can move back to his desired position.

AFC Champions League Preview (Group B - 2015)

The 2015 AFC Asian Champions League kicks off this week. Here's a quick preview of the West Asian side of the draw with Group B; including Uzbek champions Pakhtakor, Saudi Cup holders Al-Shabab, Emirati galacticos Al-Ain and Iranian domestic leaders Naft Tehran.

Team: Pakhtakor

Country: Uzbekistan

Manager: Samvel Babayan (UZB)

Key Man: Jamshid Iskanderov (UZB)

Given the rise of Uzbek football, the fact that Pakhtakor ran away with the Professional Football League title suggests they are worthy challengers to the ACL crown this year. Their comprenstive victory can be attributed to a fresh squad coming of age at the right time. Impressive playmaker Jamshid Iskanderov has shown flurries of his exciting talent, while fellow Uzbek international Igor Sergeev has goals in him to worry any defence in the tournament. Three group stage exits in a row doesn’t provide too much hope this time around, as doesn’t the amount of preparation going into the tournament. The Uzbek season returns in late March after a long Winter break, leaving Samvel Babayan with it all to do in anticipation of the ACL kick off.

Team: Al-Shabab

Country: Saudi Arabia

Manager: Jaime Pacheco (POR)

Key Man: Rafinha (BRA)

After an impressive 2014, Al-Shabab go into the new year in mixed form and eagerly looking for a new spark. After starting the year in the mix for the title spots in the Saudi Pro League, last season’s Cup victors Shabab have fallen off the boil and have yet to pick up three points since the league kicked back into gear. Star striker Naif Hazazi hasn’t recovered from a luckless Asian Cup campaign with the national team, while the Park Chu-Young experiment was cut short early after numerous ineffective displays. Rafinha remains Shabab’s most likely source of creation, but more must stand up if they are going to make it out of what is a pretty tough group.

Team: Al-Ain

Country: United Arab Emirates

Manager: Zlatko Dalić (BIH)

Key Man: Omar Abdulrahman (UAE)

It can be argued that Al-Ain are the most glamorous side in West Asia, boasting a number of highly paid stars quite capable of succeeding on the European stage. It makes you wonder what happened last term, considering Al-Ain made a decent fist continentally they struggled so much in the Arabian Gulf League. A last gasp Cup victory helped them to ACL qualification, and from there, their form has gone from strength to strength. Joint leaders at present, spurred on by the attacking trident of Asamoah Gyan, Miroslav Stoch and Jires Kembo-Ekoko, Ain possess one of the strongest attacking set-ups in the league, in direct opposition to their leaky defence. A return from injury to newly tied down Omar Abdulrahman is yet another spectacular addition to one of this year's ACL favourites.

Team: Naft Tehran

Country: Iran

Manager: Alireza Mansourian (IRN)

Key Man: Alireza Beiranvand (IRN)

The ACL will truly assess the credentials of Iran’s currently form outfit who have gained plenty of admirers after a riveting first half to the Persian Gulf Pro League season. Naft Tehran possess some of West Asia’s finest young players from goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand to attacker Amir Matahari, however the loss of promising midfielder Pouraliganji to the Chinese Super League may prove detrimental to Naft’s second half of the season. Already slipping slightly in the league, their title pursuit looks a little fragile at present. A solid ACL campaign which started with an impressive playoff victory over Qatar’s El Jaish could reignite their charge.

AFC Champions League Preview (Group A - 2015)

The 2015 AFC Asian Champions League kicks off this week. Here's a quick preview of the West Asian side of the draw starting with Group A; including Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia, Qatari champions Lekhwiya, Iranian big boys Pesepolis and Uzbek side Bunyodkor.

Team: Al-Nassr

Country: Saudi Arabia
Manager: Jorge da Silva (URU)
Key Man: Mohammad Al-Sahlawi (KSA)

Al-Nassr enter the AFC Champions League in impressive form after stretching their lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League to 8 points in the last week. It was questioned whether they could keep up their impressive form that led them to clinch the title last season, but the Yellow’s have gone from strength to strength this campaign, going into this season’s continental tournament as a real outsider for the silverware on offer. Their rise has been built on the back of Mohammad Al-Sahlawi’s goals, the striker has been in red hot form this season, which he carried over to the national team in last month’s Asian Cup. A resurrgance in form of centre back Omar Hawsawi and Polish international Adrian Mierzejewski gives Nassr a balanced look across the pitch.

Team: Lekhwiya
Country: Qatar
Manager: Michael Laudrup (DAN)
Key Man: Nam Tae-Hee (KOR)

Qatari football is turning into a predictable affair as the top two look destined to run away with it. The ACL now provides the likes of Lekhwiya a new challenge as they look to make a real fist of this year’s edition after a poor group stage exit last time around. The Doha based club managed by former Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup are an unpredictable beast with much of their attacking exploits depending on the goalscoring form of Sebastian Soria. In behind the talismanic striker, Nam Tae-Hee is hitting some of his best form, while they have adequate support from the flanks in the likes of former Manchester City winger Vladimir Weiss and Tunisian international Youssef Msakni.

Team: Persepolis
Country: Iran
Manager: Hamid Derakhshan (IRN)
Key Man: Mohammad Nouri (IRN)

The ACL will prove a welcome distraction for Iranian giants Persepolis after a miserable start to their Persian Gulf Pro League campaign. They’ve never really recovered from the financial crisis that hit the club last summer which saw key players; Pooladi, Hosseini and Khalatbari exit under a black cloud. What they’ve brought in to replenish the squad has yet to really pay dividends. While the acquisition of Costa Rican international Michael Umana has provided security in place of Hosseini, an early injury to hot shot striker Reza Noruzi has left Persepolis pretty blunt in attack. The pressure is quite considerably on for Hamid Derakhshan, who needs victories quickly if he’s going to keep his job for the rest of the season.

Team: Bunyodkor
Country: Uzbekistan
Manager: Sergey Lushan (RUS)
Key Man: Sardor Rashidov (UZB)

It has been a record breaking year for Uzbek football, after they clinched four places in the ACL group stage for the first time. Shining light Bunyodkor, who can be praised for progressing the Uzbek coefficient for years, made it four teams from four after they impressed through the playoffs against the much fancied Emirati club Al-Jazira. While their recent form domestically suggested they could possibly struggle, they overcame Mabkhout and co. in sensational fashion, Asian Cup starlet Sardor Rashidov transferring his international form into the club game. After a 4th placed finish last term, mainly due to the mid-season exit of now national coach Mirjalol Qosmiov, Bunyodkor will hope for better in 2015, maybe even a lengthy ACL run.

Season Preview (Iran 14/15)

League Name: Persian Gulf Pro League (PGPL)

Start Date: 31st July

Honours (13/14): Foolad (League champions), Tractor Sazi (Hazfi Cup winners)

Teams qualified for Asian football (ACL 2015): Foolad, Persepolis, Naft Tehran, Tractor Sazi

 

It's been a good summer for Iranian football. Excellent performances at the World Cup by the national team have raised expectations of the year ahead, not only with their potential success at the Asian Cup in January but also of their domestic season which kicks off later this week.

Similar to many of their West Asian rivals, the Iranian Persian Gulf Pro League (PGPL) has been the basis of the national side over the last few years. But while success on the international stage has put them ahead of the likes of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the comparative wealth of their rivals has seen the PGPL fall down the rankings after a couple of average seasons in the Asian Champions League (ACL).

In the last two editions, only one Iranian side on each occasion has made it out of the ACL group stage, this year saw domestic champions Foolad take it only one step further, going out on away goals in the Round of 16. While many suggest that Iran are punching above their weight against greater financial muscle, the success of the national team illustrates that they have a solid base to build upon.

Signs that this could change are on the horizon. For years, keeping their top quality national team players was a given, with the odd couple impressing enough to move to Europe. However, the comparatively low salaries of the PGPL are coming into play with Iranian players eyeing a way out to rival domestic leagues in West Asia. In the last month, World Cup centre back Jalal Hosseini has joined Al-Ahli in Qatar from domestic giants Persepolis due to contract disputes, with many others threatening to leave Iran's top clubs after not being paid.

The World Cup experience could eventually prove more harm than use, as national team stars garner further focus in the media and return with higher wage demands. Keeping these players in-house is something the Iranian Football Federation (IFF) needs to focus on, but given the farcical dealings with the national team's preparation for the World Cup and subsequent contract negotiations with the returning Carlos Queiroz, you'd worry for the state of the league unless the clubs take the lead.

The need for constant improvement aside, the Iranian league is far from predictable, with no one team finishing in the top three in both of the last two seasons and three different title winners in three seasons making this one of the most intriguing leagues to watch as a neutral in this part of the world. Last season's title race went down to the wire, with only four points separating the top five and wholesale changes in the ACL spots on the final day.

Looking at this season's campaign, champions Foolad have proved over the last year to be Iran's best chance of success at home and abroad. However, success for a smaller club comes at a price with a couple of their notable stars moving on to the bigger clubs of Iran. Promising attacking midfielder and club captain Bakhtiar Rahmani, who broke into the national team ahead of the World Cup, remains for now, while the additions of former Cameroonian international Mathias Chago and Honduran Brayan Beckeles will hopefully give them enough to threaten once again.

Likely charges could come from those who finished outside of the ACL this term in the form of Tehran giants Esteghlal and 3 time champions at the start of the decade Sepahan. Both have spent wisely in the close season and could be the ones to beat this year. Esteghlal have brought in three new overseas players; Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael, Armenian Hrayr Mkoyan and Iraqi Karrar Jassim but their real success could eventually be attributed to a strong Iranian defensive unit, with three of the back four present in Brazil and Andranik Teymourian dictating play from in front of them. Young centre midfielder Osmar Ebrahimi, a close season signing from Sepahan could prove a sensational buy come May.

Sepahan themselves are well represented in the national team also; Queiroz's reserve keeper Rahman Ahmati and the impressive left sided player Ehsan Hajsafi will play a key role this term, while the acquisitions of veteran Reza Khalatabari from Persepolis and the free scoring Brazilian Luciano Chimba from Foolad will give the Yellows some extra instinctive finishing to turn their high amount of draws into wins, which was a common trend come the end of last season.

Elsewhere, looking at those who have made it through to the ACL, Persepolis will hope to fly the Iranian flag internationally but have struggled financially and could end up losing further players as the season starts. Left back Mehrdad Pooladi was highly impressive at the World Cup and could move to Europe, while Brazilian goalkeeper Nilson could be turfed off the wage bill since the arrival of Sosha Makani. The side instead will build around the talents of youngsters Reza Haghighi and Mohammadreza Khanzadeh who will be eyeing a squad place at the Asian Cup with Iran, while goalscoring duties will fall to Reza Norouzi, who scored 11 goals for Naft last season.

Cup champions Tractor Sazi, who have regularly qualified for the ACL over the last few seasons have been hampered after losing international striker and golden boot winner Karim Ansarifard back to Persepolis after his loan period expired. The 24 year old is an immense talent at this level but has yet to prove himself for a big club despite heading the goalscoring charts twice in the last three seasons, his final destination is yet to be decided. Naft Tehran, who themselves will be without their top scorer from last term will also be fighting as an underdog against the more established Tehran clubs. The signings of Iranian international Gholamreza Rezai and Brazilian centre back Leandro Padvoni will bolster their squad.

With confirmation that the ACL will continue with their West/East separation for the foreseeable future, Iranian clubs now know their competitors on the international stage in the coming years. Erratic league finishes seeing the more dominant and richer sides falling out of the ACL may prove an exciting watch for neutrals but further progression internationally could well be hampered. Looking at the pre-season transfer market, expect more of the same in the 2015 ACL edition for Iran.

Ones to Watch:

Bakhtiar Rahmani (Foolad) - An impressive talent who can play along the line behind the centre forward. Was a crucial cog in Foolad's successful ACL and league campaigns last season but will have more emphasis placed on him this year after considerable losses in the transfer market.

Luciano Chimba (Sepahan) - A striker with a less than spectacular strike-rate up until he joined Foolad two seasons back. After impressive figures in the ACL, he has brought in to spearhead Sepahan's attack, to ensure at least international football in 2016 for the Isfahan based club. 

Karim Ansarifard (Persepolis) - Highly prized domestically who may eventually move abroad to further his career. Plenty of goals for Tractor and Saipa in previous seasons, he may finally be given the go ahead this term with Persepolis. If not, he'll be on plenty ACL candidates wish lists.