Asia’s top teams get their final push toward the World Cup finals in South Africa under way today with Japan facing a tricky encounter in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia battling Iran.
Of the 46 Asian Football Confederation nations who dreamed of making the finals in 2010, just 10 remain in the hunt — Australia, Bahrain, Japan, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the two Koreas, UAE and Uzbekistan.
Four will qualify automatically, with the third-placed teams in the two groups of five playing off for the right to meet the Oceania representative, likely New Zealand, for a spot at the global showpiece.
Japan go into their clash against Bahrain in Manama desperate to take all three points.
“As I have always said, this match will be the most important for us,” coach Takeshi Okada said. “I think it will be a tough match. But if we overcome this, our team can step up further. So we want to take the first match no matter what.”
With Australia playing a friendly against the Netherlands today, the other Group A match sees Qatar take on Uzbekistan in Doha.
In Group B, plenty is at stake in Riyadh for heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Iran.
With South Korea, Asia’s most successful team on the world stage having qualified for the past six World Cups, also in the group but not playing today, dropping points could prove costly.
Iranian coach Ali Daei said he had a decent squad capable of going all the way.
“The current group of players are the best in Iranian soccer, they are highly motivated, ambitious and their only aim is the success of the national team,” he told reporters.
“Saudi Arabia is our traditional opponent with good players and team composition, but we have prepared ourselves with tactical trainings for this encounter,” he said.
In the other Group B game, the United Arab Emirates play North Korea in Abu Dhabi.
The final phase of Asian qualifying features 10 rounds of matches, culminating in June next year.
Tainan TSG Hawks slugger Steven Moya, who is leading the CPBL in home runs, has withdrawn from this weekend’s All-Star Game after the unexpected death of his wife. Moya’s wife began feeling severely unwell aboard a plane that landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday evening. She was rushed to a hospital, but passed away, the Hawks said in a statement yesterday. The franchise is assisting Moya with funeral arrangements and hopes fans who were looking forward to seeing him at the All-Star Game can understand his decision to withdraw. According to Landseed Medical Clinic, whose staff attempted to save Moya’s wife,
Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday homered for the fifth consecutive game, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record. Yankees star Aaron Judge was the last player to homer in five consecutive games, accomplishing that feat last year. Ohtani, who leads the National League with 37 home runs, homered in the first inning off Minnesota Twins starter Chris Paddack. He hit a slow curveball 134m to center. He carried the bat midway down the first-base line and then did a bat flip. He did not hit a home run later in the game with the Dodgers trailing, but his presence was felt. With two outs
Taiwan’s world No. 6 shuttler Chou Tien-chen yesterday defeated India’s H.S. Prannoy to advance to the quarter-finals of the China Open in Changzhou. It was former world No. 2 Chou’s eighth win in 14 matches against Prannoy, who had earlier this week lamented the age divide between him and up-and-comers, although he is only two years younger than 35-year-old Chou. The Taiwanese, who is seeded sixth at the tournament, rebounded from a close 21-18 loss in game 1 on Court 2 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium. He bounced back to take the next games 21-15, 21-8 and set up a tough quarter-final
The Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday acquired Taiwanese-American outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations to fill the roster after All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe was placed back on the injured list. Fairchild was designated for assignment by the Braves on Monday after hitting .216/.273/.333 in 28 games for Atlanta, with most of his work coming as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. He joins Tampa Bay as a versatile fourth outfielder option. To make room for Fairchild on the 40-man roster, the Rays transferred relief pitcher Manuel Rodriguez (forearm strain) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day
RSS