The AFC Asian Cup heads to Australia for the first time on Friday next week with the scars of a woeful FIFA World Cup for the continent, and the recurring problems of match-fixing and swift sackings leaving the tournament wide open.
Holders Japan are favorites to win a record-extending fifth continental title, but dark clouds hang over their coach Javier Aguirre after he became embroiled in a Spanish match-fixing case dating back to his time as Real Zaragoza boss.
The Mexican has long denied any wrongdoing, but the negative attention has not helped confidence in Japan, where a mixed start and the exclusion of form players, like Gamba Osaka forward Takashi Usami, have raised questions about his suitability.
The pressure on Aguirre, though, is nothing like what Ange Postecoglou is under as the hosts welcome Asia’s biggest tournament for the first time since joining the confederation in 2006.
Australia, runners-up to Japan in 2011, won only one match last year, a friendly triumph over Saudi Arabia in September, with defensive lapses in the young side a glaring issue as the coach struggles to replace a golden generation which qualified for three consecutive World Cup finals.
“Things haven’t been going well prior to this tournament, we have to be brutally honest. We’ve probably gone a little bit backwards,” former Australia goalkeeper Mark Bosnich said.
Postecoglou was in charge for the predictable three World Cup defeats in Brazil, where the Socceroos, Japan, Iran and South Korea all finished bottom of their groups as Asia failed to earn a single victory for the first time since 1990.
Postecoglou kept his job with the Asian showpiece in mind, but a failure on home soil is sure to spell the end of his tenure.
His task is not helped by a tough Group A, including a showdown against South Korea, who are now under the guidance of German Uli Stielike, one of 11 coaches appointed by the 16 finalists last year as flagging teams eyed a fresh start.
Bahrain and Jordan have gone through a combined six managers since last year, while Saudi Arabia and Iraq have loaned coaches from club sides for the tournament that runs until Jan. 31 in a glaring example of the short-sightedness of the region’s administrations.
“The coach doesn’t have time to impose his style on the team and quite often he will have very little input into selecting the squad,” former Australia boss Pim Verbeek said of the constant chopping and changing.
Carlos Queiroz is the longest serving boss in the tournament, but a lack of adequate warm-up matches has left his defensive Iran side short of quality action as they seek an attacking dimension in order to lift a fourth Asian Cup.
While they look forward to a 13th Asian Cup, Palestine are taking part in their first after overcoming a raft of player access issues to qualify by winning the AFC Challenge Cup for emerging nations.
The West Asians will do well to get anything from two former winners Iraq and Japan in Group D, with Uzbekistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates more likely to be the tournament’s dark horses.
Yu Yao-hsing on Tuesday nabbed Taiwan’s only goal in the final round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, as they fell 3-1 to Sri Lanka at Taipei Municipal Stadium. Early goals from Sri Lanka in the first half left Taiwan struggling to get on the board, and Christopher Tiao’s own goal at 53 minutes sealed the team’s fate in the third round of qualifiers. While acknowledging that the defeat, Taiwan’s sixth in Group D, was disappointing, head coach Matt Ross said he saw reasons to stay positive about the team’s development. “There were lots of positive signs in terms of the
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli yesterday vowed to “keep raising the bar” after winning the Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead the championship standings. The 19-year-old Italian took advantage of a mid-race safety car to jump into the lead after a dreadful start from pole position, crossing the line ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Antonelli’s Suzuka victory came two weeks after the first grand prix win of his career in China, and sent him top of the championship standings after three races, nine points ahead of team-mate George Russell. Mercedes are struggling to
INDIGESTION: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time after a 4-1 defeat to Bosnia on penalties in a loss Gattuso said was ‘difficult to digest’ Coach Graham Arnold on Tuesday challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) also secured their places at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the Middle East, sealed their first appearance at the finals in 40 years and are to play in Group I against France, Senegal and Norway. Goals from Ali al-Hamadi
Teng Kai-wei, the only Taiwanese player on an opening-day roster in this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) season, took his first win of the year with the Houston Astros in his season debut. Teng entered in relief in the top of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, with the Astros trailing 5-0. He pitched 2-1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, as Houston scored 11 runs during his outing to snatch an 11-9 comeback victory. The win is the Astros’ first of the season and the third of Teng’s MLB career. “It’s my first time pitching for the Astros, so
RSS