Team doctors will be as important as the players in Tuesday's World Cup qualifiers in Asia, as squads deal not only with injuries but long-haul flights.
As well as injuries, suspensions and tactics, some mammoth journeys will be a major factor on matchday two of the third round of qualification for the 2014 World Cup. With all 20 nations playing one game at home and one away in the space of four days all over the giant continent, fatigue looms as a major issue.
Australia has the most arduous journey, flying 12,900 kilometers (8,000 miles) from Brisbane to Dammam in the east of Saudi Arabia for a clash of two teams expecting to progress from Group D.
A recurring theme of the ten games last Friday was how top-ranked teams struggled to defeat weaker nations as home. The Socceroos had to come from behind to beat Thailand 2-1 in Brisbane thanks to a late goal from Alex Brosque.
The match in Saudi Arabia will be much tougher and not just because of the travel. The host is now coached by Frank Rijkaard formerly boss of Barcelona and Netherlands.
The Dutchman led his team to a goalless draw in nearby Oman in the opening game.
Australia captain Lucas Neill played under Rijkaard at Galatasaray in Turkey and is expecting a tough test in the second match of Group D.
"He gets the players relaxed but also extremely confident in themselves, and he's shrewd," Neill said. "He knows how to play the game. He's played it at the top level; he's coached it at the top level. He would see that as a great challenge and a great opportunity to get one over on us."
After failing to qualify for the 2010 World Cup and exiting the 2011 Asian Cup in the first round, Saudi Arabia is desperate to qualify for the tournament in Brazil, but Rijkaard was quick to deflect pressure on to the visitors.
"Australia has the advantage at this stage in our group as they have defeated Thailand but the contest is still open for all the teams," said Rijkaard.
It is the first time for the two teams to meet since Australia joined the AFC in 2006.
The other match in Group C, Thailand will be aiming to build on its impressive though fruitless performance in Australia, and get a win at home against Oman. Like Australia, China also recovered from conceding an early goal to come back and defeat Singapore 2-1.
It was a result that did little to build hopes that China can overcome its long record of underachievement in World Cup qualifying, and already put pressure on new coach Jose Antonio Camacho. The former Spain boss takes the team to Amman to face Jordan, one of Asia's most improved teams.
Jordan picked up an impressive 2-0 win at the home of 2007 Asian Cup winners Iraq to ensure that Zico's first game in charge ended in defeat. The fact that Jordan is coached by Adnan Hamad, an Iraqi and former coach of the Iraq national team, added to the pain.
Zico, who is refusing to talk to the media, takes his team to Singapore for a clash in which the losing team will be in serious danger of dropping out of contention. Of the top-ranked teams, only South Korea was totally convincing, defeating Lebanon 6-0 in Goyang in Group B. All but one of the goals came from the nation's new English Premier League strikers. Park Chu-young celebrated signing for Arsenal with a hat-trick and Sunderland's Ji Dong-won grabbed two.
"We gave the players compliments after the Lebanon game but we need to forget that match, "said Korea coach Cho Kwang-rae who is now preparing for a game in Kuwait. "We got the start we wanted but it is only a good start if we can build on it. We will play at a fast tempo and if we can play the way we want to play, we can get a good result but first we have to adapt to the difference in climate and conditions after a long journey."
Lebanon hosts the United Arab Emirates in Beirut, where neither team can afford to lose.
Emirates coach Srecko Katanec is in danger of losing his job after a 3-2 home defeat against Kuwait, which followed a disappointing Asian Cup in January. Failure to take three points could end the Slovenian's reign.
In Group C, Japan squeezed past North Korea only because of a goal deep in stoppage time from Maya Yoshida. Next the Asian champion travels to Tashkent to take on Uzbekistan, who also won 1-0, in Tajikistan.
North Korea hosts Tajikistan in Pyongyang in a game that is already crucial, given both teams lost their opener.
"We understood that we didn't have many chances, but it's very disappointing that we didn't take home a point," North Korea striker Jong Tae Se said of the Japan game. "We have to make sure that we defeat Tajikistan."
Iran can seize control of Group E with a win in Qatar after defeating Indonesia 3-0 in Tehran. Qatar picked up a point with a goalless draw in Bahrain, and that could prove critical, as those teams are expected to fight it out for second place.
Bahrain's English coach Peter Taylor takes his team to Indonesia. A crowd of 80,000 is expected in Jakarta, where Indonesia defeated Bahrain in the 2007 Asian Cup, and the pressure is on the visitor who came close to qualifying for the 2006 and 2010 World Cups but is still seeking a first appearance.
The top two teams from each of the five groups of four progresses to the final round of qualifying.
Monday 5 September 2011
Iraq coach Zico unhappy over Singapore's synthetic pitch
Iraq’s new football coach Zico yesterday slammed the synthetic pitch at Singapore’s Jalan Besar Stadium, saying it was not worthy of a World Cup qualifying match.
The Brazilian legend is looking for a win today to kick-start his team’s qualifying campaign after they lost their first match.
But he said: “I don’t like the field, the grass, because the good game is in the natural grass.
“It’s not professional, these middle games, the qualifiers of the World Cup needs the natural grass.
“This is difficult for our team because the Iraq team have good technique, and now the field is not good for us, not good.”
Zico, who signed on as Iraq’s coach eight days ago, repeated his gripe numerous times during a press conference in the city-state.
The coach – nicknamed the White Pele due to his prolific finishing record as a player – also said his team were tired after a “long” flight immediately after their game against Jordan on Friday.
And he said he had not had enough time to speak with and train the Iraqi players after he joined the team last Sunday, stating that “a miracle is not possible in football”.
Iraq currently lie at the bottom of their group after losing 2-0 against Jordan in their opening World Cup third-round qualifying match. Singapore are also pointless. after slumping to a 1-2 defeat against China.
The Brazilian legend is looking for a win today to kick-start his team’s qualifying campaign after they lost their first match.
But he said: “I don’t like the field, the grass, because the good game is in the natural grass.
“It’s not professional, these middle games, the qualifiers of the World Cup needs the natural grass.
“This is difficult for our team because the Iraq team have good technique, and now the field is not good for us, not good.”
Zico, who signed on as Iraq’s coach eight days ago, repeated his gripe numerous times during a press conference in the city-state.
The coach – nicknamed the White Pele due to his prolific finishing record as a player – also said his team were tired after a “long” flight immediately after their game against Jordan on Friday.
And he said he had not had enough time to speak with and train the Iraqi players after he joined the team last Sunday, stating that “a miracle is not possible in football”.
Iraq currently lie at the bottom of their group after losing 2-0 against Jordan in their opening World Cup third-round qualifying match. Singapore are also pointless. after slumping to a 1-2 defeat against China.
Asian powers facing tricky matches in World Cup qualifiers
Big guns Japan and Australia face awkward away ties in the latest round of qualifying games for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil today.
Japan take on Asian Cup semi-finalists Uzbekistan in Tashkent, while the Socceroos face a long journey to play Saudi Arabia in the stifling heat of Dammam.
Both sides will be aiming to kick their campaigns into life after leaving it perilously late to snatch winners in the opening games of the third-round group stage on Friday.
The Blue Samurai squeaked past a dogged North Korean side thanks to a 94th-minute goal and Australia were just six minutes away from a humiliating draw at home to lowly Thailand when substitute Alex Brosque hit a winner to spare their blushes.
Japan reached the last 16 in last year’s World Cup in South Africa and won this year’s Asian Cup, but boss Alberto Zaccheroni has warned his side to expect a tough fight in every qualifier.
They will be without talismanic playmaker Keisuke Honda again today, after the CSKA Moscow midfielder underwent surgery on his knee last Thursday.
Australia’s coach Holger Osieck said his side nearly paid the price for poor execution against a Thai side 98 places below them in the FIFA rankings, and the German will expect a marked improvement against the Saudis.
South Korea go to Kuwait and will be happy to pick up where they left off on Friday, when a hat-trick from Arsenal new boy Park Chu-young took them to a thumping 6-0 win over Lebanon.
China will be hoping to continue their successful start under new coach Jose Antonio Camacho away to Jordan, after their 2-1 win over Singapore, while the North Koreans face Tajikistan in Pyongyang.
Singapore take on 2007 Asian champions Iraq at home and Thailand will look to pick themselves up after the late heartbreak in Brisbane as they face Oman in Bangkok.
Lebanon face the United Arab Emirates at home and in Group E, Indonesia host Bahrain and Qatar take on Iran in Doha.
Ten teams – winners and runners-up of the five third-round groups – will be drawn into two pools for the round-robin fourth stage, with the eventual top two in each section earning a ticket to Brazil.
The two third-placed teams will then face each other for the right to contest an intercontinental playoff.
Japan take on Asian Cup semi-finalists Uzbekistan in Tashkent, while the Socceroos face a long journey to play Saudi Arabia in the stifling heat of Dammam.
Both sides will be aiming to kick their campaigns into life after leaving it perilously late to snatch winners in the opening games of the third-round group stage on Friday.
The Blue Samurai squeaked past a dogged North Korean side thanks to a 94th-minute goal and Australia were just six minutes away from a humiliating draw at home to lowly Thailand when substitute Alex Brosque hit a winner to spare their blushes.
Japan reached the last 16 in last year’s World Cup in South Africa and won this year’s Asian Cup, but boss Alberto Zaccheroni has warned his side to expect a tough fight in every qualifier.
They will be without talismanic playmaker Keisuke Honda again today, after the CSKA Moscow midfielder underwent surgery on his knee last Thursday.
Australia’s coach Holger Osieck said his side nearly paid the price for poor execution against a Thai side 98 places below them in the FIFA rankings, and the German will expect a marked improvement against the Saudis.
South Korea go to Kuwait and will be happy to pick up where they left off on Friday, when a hat-trick from Arsenal new boy Park Chu-young took them to a thumping 6-0 win over Lebanon.
China will be hoping to continue their successful start under new coach Jose Antonio Camacho away to Jordan, after their 2-1 win over Singapore, while the North Koreans face Tajikistan in Pyongyang.
Singapore take on 2007 Asian champions Iraq at home and Thailand will look to pick themselves up after the late heartbreak in Brisbane as they face Oman in Bangkok.
Lebanon face the United Arab Emirates at home and in Group E, Indonesia host Bahrain and Qatar take on Iran in Doha.
Ten teams – winners and runners-up of the five third-round groups – will be drawn into two pools for the round-robin fourth stage, with the eventual top two in each section earning a ticket to Brazil.
The two third-placed teams will then face each other for the right to contest an intercontinental playoff.
Sunday 4 September 2011
Bangladesh fans angry ticket prices too high for friendly against Argentina
Football fans in Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest countries, have reacted in fury over ticket prices set at a minimum of $100 to see superstar Lionel Messi lead out Argentina in a friendly.
The stylish South Americans, who have had a massive following in Bangladesh since the 1980s, will play in the capital Dhaka on Tuesday evening against Nigeria.
But only half of the tickets have so far been sold for the game -- the biggest football match in the country's history -- with many fans unable to afford the entry price.
Passion for the beautiful game runs deep in Bangladesh despite the national team's lowly ranking of 139 in the world and the long-standing dominance of cricket.
During the football World Cup last year, the country was covered in Argentinian and Brazilian flags as raucous fans adopted one or other side and supported them with ferocious loyalty.
Messi's scheduled arrival on Monday from India, where Argentina beat Venezuela in another friendly on Friday, is likely to trigger huge excitement in the nation of 150 million people.
But minimum ticket prices of 7,500 taka (100 dollars) and the expense of Eid celebrations last week marking the end of Ramadan could leave rows of empty seats at the 24,000-capacity Bangabandhu National Stadium.
"It's a ridiculous price. They don't want real soccer fans to watch Messi's match. I earn just 8,000 taka per month. How can I afford a ticket?" Rajib Ahmed, 25, a chemical tester at a private company, told AFP outside the ground.
"I saved some money and bought a ticket for Monday's practice session. It costs 1,000 taka, which is still too much. I just want to see Messi in action. He is the best player on earth."
Like many Bangladeshis, Rajib's love of Argentina is rooted in the team's glorious past.
"Our family has been supporting the side since the heyday of (Diego) Maradona," he said. "We would have bought tickets for the match had they lowered the price to perhaps 2,000 taka."
Ahead of 2014 World Cup qualifiers starting next month, Argentina -- under new coach Alejandro Sabella -- are on a two-match tour of India and Bangladesh to boost interest in the game in South Asia.
Their 1-0 win over Venezuela in Kolkata on Friday was played in front of nearly 80,000 cheering fans, with comprehensive coverage by Indian television stations and newspapers.
The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) says it has spent four million dollars bringing Wednesday's match to Dhaka in the hope it would raise the sport's profile and inspire young people.
"If you want to see Messi play, there is some cost," head of BFF's match organising committee Anwarul Haq Helal told AFP on Sunday. "We have sold only 50 percent of the tickets at the moment. We did not expect this.
"It's the biggest soccer match in Bangladesh's history. We are still hopeful all tickets will be sold just before the match. I am confident once Messi arrives here, things will change.
"After Eid celebrations is not a good time for people to be spending money, and many went back to their home villages for Eid and have not yet returned to Dhaka," he added.
Bangladesh was gripped by football fever during the 2010 World Cup -- though Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals.
When power cuts hit television coverage during several matches, fans were so angry that riots erupted, electricity stations were attacked, and the government ordered factories to stop work to avoid further blackouts.
Bangladeshi fans may even struggle to see Wednesday's game on television after broadcaster ESPN was reportedly unable to strike a deal with organisers.
The FIFA-sanctioned match will now be shown on a small satellite channel which many locals do not receive.
"I very much wanted to go to the match, but I had to give up hope," Daud Hossain, 55, told AFP.
"Instead I've just bought two tickets for the practice session for my son and niece. The organisers are just ripping money out of our pockets to fill up their coffers."
Domestic sides from England, Germany and elsewhere are increasingly keen to tap into their Asian support base, with the region's young population and growing economies seen as offering huge potential.
Bangladesh, where more than 30 percent of people live below the poverty line, has itself enjoyed recent economic growth but has been off the radar for overseas teams focused on wealthier nations such as Japan and China.
The stylish South Americans, who have had a massive following in Bangladesh since the 1980s, will play in the capital Dhaka on Tuesday evening against Nigeria.
But only half of the tickets have so far been sold for the game -- the biggest football match in the country's history -- with many fans unable to afford the entry price.
Passion for the beautiful game runs deep in Bangladesh despite the national team's lowly ranking of 139 in the world and the long-standing dominance of cricket.
During the football World Cup last year, the country was covered in Argentinian and Brazilian flags as raucous fans adopted one or other side and supported them with ferocious loyalty.
Messi's scheduled arrival on Monday from India, where Argentina beat Venezuela in another friendly on Friday, is likely to trigger huge excitement in the nation of 150 million people.
But minimum ticket prices of 7,500 taka (100 dollars) and the expense of Eid celebrations last week marking the end of Ramadan could leave rows of empty seats at the 24,000-capacity Bangabandhu National Stadium.
"It's a ridiculous price. They don't want real soccer fans to watch Messi's match. I earn just 8,000 taka per month. How can I afford a ticket?" Rajib Ahmed, 25, a chemical tester at a private company, told AFP outside the ground.
"I saved some money and bought a ticket for Monday's practice session. It costs 1,000 taka, which is still too much. I just want to see Messi in action. He is the best player on earth."
Like many Bangladeshis, Rajib's love of Argentina is rooted in the team's glorious past.
"Our family has been supporting the side since the heyday of (Diego) Maradona," he said. "We would have bought tickets for the match had they lowered the price to perhaps 2,000 taka."
Ahead of 2014 World Cup qualifiers starting next month, Argentina -- under new coach Alejandro Sabella -- are on a two-match tour of India and Bangladesh to boost interest in the game in South Asia.
Their 1-0 win over Venezuela in Kolkata on Friday was played in front of nearly 80,000 cheering fans, with comprehensive coverage by Indian television stations and newspapers.
The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) says it has spent four million dollars bringing Wednesday's match to Dhaka in the hope it would raise the sport's profile and inspire young people.
"If you want to see Messi play, there is some cost," head of BFF's match organising committee Anwarul Haq Helal told AFP on Sunday. "We have sold only 50 percent of the tickets at the moment. We did not expect this.
"It's the biggest soccer match in Bangladesh's history. We are still hopeful all tickets will be sold just before the match. I am confident once Messi arrives here, things will change.
"After Eid celebrations is not a good time for people to be spending money, and many went back to their home villages for Eid and have not yet returned to Dhaka," he added.
Bangladesh was gripped by football fever during the 2010 World Cup -- though Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals.
When power cuts hit television coverage during several matches, fans were so angry that riots erupted, electricity stations were attacked, and the government ordered factories to stop work to avoid further blackouts.
Bangladeshi fans may even struggle to see Wednesday's game on television after broadcaster ESPN was reportedly unable to strike a deal with organisers.
The FIFA-sanctioned match will now be shown on a small satellite channel which many locals do not receive.
"I very much wanted to go to the match, but I had to give up hope," Daud Hossain, 55, told AFP.
"Instead I've just bought two tickets for the practice session for my son and niece. The organisers are just ripping money out of our pockets to fill up their coffers."
Domestic sides from England, Germany and elsewhere are increasingly keen to tap into their Asian support base, with the region's young population and growing economies seen as offering huge potential.
Bangladesh, where more than 30 percent of people live below the poverty line, has itself enjoyed recent economic growth but has been off the radar for overseas teams focused on wealthier nations such as Japan and China.
Kuwait beats UAE 3-2 in nervy match
Yousef Naser scored a brace to lead Kuwait to a nervy but crucial 3-2 away win over Group B rivals United Arab Emirates Friday.
Naser opened the scoring in the seventh minute and Bader Al Mutawaa made it 2-0 in the 51st, before Naser made the most of a defensive blunder to put Kuwait in complete control in the 65th.
A goal in the 84th by Ismail Al Hammadi and another by Ahmad Khalil in the 89th made it a nervy finish for the visitors, who had been dominant for most of the match.
UAE's Slovenian coach Srecko Katanec was subjected to chants calling for his dismissal from the home crowd.
South Korea and Lebanon are the other two teams in Group B.
Naser opened the scoring in the seventh minute and Bader Al Mutawaa made it 2-0 in the 51st, before Naser made the most of a defensive blunder to put Kuwait in complete control in the 65th.
A goal in the 84th by Ismail Al Hammadi and another by Ahmad Khalil in the 89th made it a nervy finish for the visitors, who had been dominant for most of the match.
UAE's Slovenian coach Srecko Katanec was subjected to chants calling for his dismissal from the home crowd.
South Korea and Lebanon are the other two teams in Group B.
Saudi Arabia held to draw by Oman
Saudi Arabia were held to a 0-0 draw by Oman on Friday in Group D of Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
Playing in front of a packed home crowd at the Seeb Sports Stadium, Oman missed at least four scoring chances in the first half.
Oman striker Imaad al Hosni came close in just the second minute off a pass from midfielder Juma Darwish, but the shot flew over the bar. Al Hosni missed again six minutes later in front of the goal mouth.
Forward Taiseer al Jassim had Saudi Arabia’s first shot at goal in the 32nd minute, but managed only to hit the post.
Oman and Wigan goalkeeper Ali al Habsi was again tested by Saudi substitute Naif Hazazi in the 78th minute, but he managed to punch the ball away.
In Friday’s other Group D match, Australia rallied to beat Thailand 2-1.
“We knew it would be tough to beat Oman in Oman. So I am happy with the point we have gained from the match,” Saudi coach Frank Rijkaard said. “Of course Australia have the advantage at this stage in our group as they have defeated Thailand, but I think the contest is still open for all the teams.”
“We have to travel a long distance to Australia after today’s game and we need to adjust fast there before we play against them on Sept 6,” the former Barcelona and Holland coach said.
Oman coach Paul Le Guen said he was satisfied with his team’s performance, predicting Oman are capable of surprising everyone.
“We did miss few chances in the match, but I am happy we were able to execute our plans on the field,” the Frenchman said. “I know we are not favorites in this group, but we are capable of surprising big teams.
“I have a talented team and I do not think much about its weaknesses. Whatever we have to do, we have to do with this team.”
In Manama, Bahrain were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Qatar. Bahrain were clearly the more polished side in the Group E contest but failed to capitalise on a string of scoring chances.
In Group A, visitors Jordan spoiled former Brazilian playmaker Zico’s debut as Iraq coach, beating the 2007 Asian champions 2-0 through goals by Hasan Mahmoud and Abd Allah Deeb.
Javad Nekonam scored twice for Iran in a 3-0 win against Indonesia in Group E while Kuwait edged out the United Arab Emirates 3-2 in Group B.
Playing in front of a packed home crowd at the Seeb Sports Stadium, Oman missed at least four scoring chances in the first half.
Oman striker Imaad al Hosni came close in just the second minute off a pass from midfielder Juma Darwish, but the shot flew over the bar. Al Hosni missed again six minutes later in front of the goal mouth.
Forward Taiseer al Jassim had Saudi Arabia’s first shot at goal in the 32nd minute, but managed only to hit the post.
Oman and Wigan goalkeeper Ali al Habsi was again tested by Saudi substitute Naif Hazazi in the 78th minute, but he managed to punch the ball away.
In Friday’s other Group D match, Australia rallied to beat Thailand 2-1.
“We knew it would be tough to beat Oman in Oman. So I am happy with the point we have gained from the match,” Saudi coach Frank Rijkaard said. “Of course Australia have the advantage at this stage in our group as they have defeated Thailand, but I think the contest is still open for all the teams.”
“We have to travel a long distance to Australia after today’s game and we need to adjust fast there before we play against them on Sept 6,” the former Barcelona and Holland coach said.
Oman coach Paul Le Guen said he was satisfied with his team’s performance, predicting Oman are capable of surprising everyone.
“We did miss few chances in the match, but I am happy we were able to execute our plans on the field,” the Frenchman said. “I know we are not favorites in this group, but we are capable of surprising big teams.
“I have a talented team and I do not think much about its weaknesses. Whatever we have to do, we have to do with this team.”
In Manama, Bahrain were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Qatar. Bahrain were clearly the more polished side in the Group E contest but failed to capitalise on a string of scoring chances.
In Group A, visitors Jordan spoiled former Brazilian playmaker Zico’s debut as Iraq coach, beating the 2007 Asian champions 2-0 through goals by Hasan Mahmoud and Abd Allah Deeb.
Javad Nekonam scored twice for Iran in a 3-0 win against Indonesia in Group E while Kuwait edged out the United Arab Emirates 3-2 in Group B.
Saturday 3 September 2011
Bahrain and Qatar draw 0-0
Bahrain was held to a 0-0 draw at home by Qatar on Friday in their opening match of the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup.
Bahrain was clearly the more polished side in the Group E contest but failed to capitalize on a string of scoring chances.
Mahmood Abdulrahman and Ismaeel Abdullatif had Bahrain's best chances, while Sebastian Soria and Bilal Mohammed had opportunities for Qatar.
Bahrain's next qualifier is against Indonesia in Jakarta on Sept. 6, when Qatar is at home to group favorite Iran, which moved to the top of the table with a resounding 3-0 victory over Indonesia in Tehran earlier Friday.
Bahrain coach Peter Taylor, who was marking his first competitive game, was generally pleased with his side's performance.
"It was a very tight match," Taylor said. "We had better chances in both halves than Qatar, and with a little bit of luck, we could have scored a goal.
"In that respect, I am very pleased with the team's effort and performance."
Qatar's Brazilian tactician Sebastiao Lazaroni was also in charge for his first match.
"The Bahrain team started better than Qatar," he said. "They created some combinations, had some good long balls and played with some quality.
"But step by step, Qatar got stronger in the match, and in the second half I believe we had better opportunities than Bahrain. It was a difficult game."
___
Line-ups:
Bahrain: Sayed Mohammed Jaffar, Mohammed Hussain, Abdulla Al Marzooqi, Saleh Abdulhameed, Hamad Rakea, Ismaeel Abdullatif, Faouzi Aaish, Salman Isa, Abdulla Ismail Omar, Rashed Al Hooti, Hussain Baba.
Qatar: Qasem Burhan, Hamad Ismail, Mohammed Kasola, Lawrence, Mohammed Omar, Fabio Cesar, Ebrahim Majed, Marcone Amaral, Mohammed El Sayed, Bilal Mohammed, Sebastian Soria.
Bahrain was clearly the more polished side in the Group E contest but failed to capitalize on a string of scoring chances.
Mahmood Abdulrahman and Ismaeel Abdullatif had Bahrain's best chances, while Sebastian Soria and Bilal Mohammed had opportunities for Qatar.
Bahrain's next qualifier is against Indonesia in Jakarta on Sept. 6, when Qatar is at home to group favorite Iran, which moved to the top of the table with a resounding 3-0 victory over Indonesia in Tehran earlier Friday.
Bahrain coach Peter Taylor, who was marking his first competitive game, was generally pleased with his side's performance.
"It was a very tight match," Taylor said. "We had better chances in both halves than Qatar, and with a little bit of luck, we could have scored a goal.
"In that respect, I am very pleased with the team's effort and performance."
Qatar's Brazilian tactician Sebastiao Lazaroni was also in charge for his first match.
"The Bahrain team started better than Qatar," he said. "They created some combinations, had some good long balls and played with some quality.
"But step by step, Qatar got stronger in the match, and in the second half I believe we had better opportunities than Bahrain. It was a difficult game."
___
Line-ups:
Bahrain: Sayed Mohammed Jaffar, Mohammed Hussain, Abdulla Al Marzooqi, Saleh Abdulhameed, Hamad Rakea, Ismaeel Abdullatif, Faouzi Aaish, Salman Isa, Abdulla Ismail Omar, Rashed Al Hooti, Hussain Baba.
Qatar: Qasem Burhan, Hamad Ismail, Mohammed Kasola, Lawrence, Mohammed Omar, Fabio Cesar, Ebrahim Majed, Marcone Amaral, Mohammed El Sayed, Bilal Mohammed, Sebastian Soria.
Traditional powers get wins in contrasting styles
Australia and Japan left it late yesterday as they began their bid to reach the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with narrow home victories over lowly ranked opposition.
The pair, who both received a bye in the opening two rounds of Asian qualifying after reaching last year’s World Cup Finals, were both rusty in their first competitive match since contesting the Asian Cup final in January.
Japanese defender Maya Yoshida was the Asian champions’ match-winner as his 94th minute header broke the resilience of the defensive-minded North Koreans in the battle of the 2010 Finalists at the Saitama Stadium.
“The players battled until the end against a great wall North Korea put in front of us. They deserve credit for the way they kept hammering away. Our patience paid off,” Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni, who has yet to taste defeat in charge of the Blue Samurai, said after the 1-0 win.
Japan, without the creativity of injured attacking midfielder Keisuke Honda, were heading for a disappointing draw against the 114th FIFA ranked visitors, who had Pak Kwang-ryong sent off with seven minutes to go, before Yoshida converted Hiroshi Kiyotake’s cross.
In Brisbane, Australian striker Alex Brosque came off the bench to fire the winner in the 86th minute that sent the Socceroos to a 2-1 victory and deny Thailand an unlikely point.
“It feels like a loss, but the positive is we got the three points,” said Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. “There’s no excuses. We were all over the place and we didn’t have any real shape.”
The matches were two of 10 qualifiers taking place across five groups in the region yesterday as the 20 sides battle it out for the four guaranteed places in Brazil with a fifth possible via a playoff.
The group winners and runners-up from the third round will advance to the fourth round where the 10 teams will be split into two groups with the top two sides from each advancing to Brazil.
South Korea, also beginning their campaign at the third round stage, enjoyed an easy night at the Goyang Stadium as they thrashed lowly Lebanon 6-0.
New Arsenal striker and Korean captain Park Chu-young helped himself to a hat-trick against the lowest ranked Asian side remaining in the qualifiers, with Sunderland forward Ji Dong-won netting twice.
In Kunming, hosts China overcame a half-time deficit to beat Singapore 2-1 to give new coach Jose Antonio Camacho a win in his first competitive game in charge. Singapore took the lead in the 33rd minute through 41-year-old striker Aleksandar Duric and took that advantage to the break.
China had to wait until the 69th minute to equalise, when Zheng Zhi scored from the penalty spot, and winger Yu Hai scored what proved the winner in the 73rd minute.
The second-half comeback would have come as a relief for former Spain coach Camacho, who is tasked with rapidly improving China’s poor standing in the sport and to qualify for the Finals.
In another Group C match, veteran striker Maksim Shatskikh scored the sole goal as Uzbekistan won 1-0 at Tajikistan. The Arsenal Kiev striker netted in the 72nd minute to give the visitors a share of top spot in the group with Japan.
Despite the home defeat, the narrow margin was a creditable performance by the Tajiks, who only found themselves in the third round after Syria were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player in the previous round.
WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS RESULTS
ASIAN ZONE
GROUP A
IRAQ 0 JORDAN 2
CHINA 2 SINGAPORE 1
GROUP B
S. KOREA 6 LEBANON 0
GROUP C
JAPAN 1 N. KOREA 0
TAJIKISTAN 0 UZBEKISTAN 1
GROUP D
AUSTRALIA 2 THAILAND 1
GROUP E
IRAN 3 INDONESIA 0
The pair, who both received a bye in the opening two rounds of Asian qualifying after reaching last year’s World Cup Finals, were both rusty in their first competitive match since contesting the Asian Cup final in January.
Japanese defender Maya Yoshida was the Asian champions’ match-winner as his 94th minute header broke the resilience of the defensive-minded North Koreans in the battle of the 2010 Finalists at the Saitama Stadium.
“The players battled until the end against a great wall North Korea put in front of us. They deserve credit for the way they kept hammering away. Our patience paid off,” Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni, who has yet to taste defeat in charge of the Blue Samurai, said after the 1-0 win.
Japan, without the creativity of injured attacking midfielder Keisuke Honda, were heading for a disappointing draw against the 114th FIFA ranked visitors, who had Pak Kwang-ryong sent off with seven minutes to go, before Yoshida converted Hiroshi Kiyotake’s cross.
In Brisbane, Australian striker Alex Brosque came off the bench to fire the winner in the 86th minute that sent the Socceroos to a 2-1 victory and deny Thailand an unlikely point.
“It feels like a loss, but the positive is we got the three points,” said Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. “There’s no excuses. We were all over the place and we didn’t have any real shape.”
The matches were two of 10 qualifiers taking place across five groups in the region yesterday as the 20 sides battle it out for the four guaranteed places in Brazil with a fifth possible via a playoff.
The group winners and runners-up from the third round will advance to the fourth round where the 10 teams will be split into two groups with the top two sides from each advancing to Brazil.
South Korea, also beginning their campaign at the third round stage, enjoyed an easy night at the Goyang Stadium as they thrashed lowly Lebanon 6-0.
New Arsenal striker and Korean captain Park Chu-young helped himself to a hat-trick against the lowest ranked Asian side remaining in the qualifiers, with Sunderland forward Ji Dong-won netting twice.
In Kunming, hosts China overcame a half-time deficit to beat Singapore 2-1 to give new coach Jose Antonio Camacho a win in his first competitive game in charge. Singapore took the lead in the 33rd minute through 41-year-old striker Aleksandar Duric and took that advantage to the break.
China had to wait until the 69th minute to equalise, when Zheng Zhi scored from the penalty spot, and winger Yu Hai scored what proved the winner in the 73rd minute.
The second-half comeback would have come as a relief for former Spain coach Camacho, who is tasked with rapidly improving China’s poor standing in the sport and to qualify for the Finals.
In another Group C match, veteran striker Maksim Shatskikh scored the sole goal as Uzbekistan won 1-0 at Tajikistan. The Arsenal Kiev striker netted in the 72nd minute to give the visitors a share of top spot in the group with Japan.
Despite the home defeat, the narrow margin was a creditable performance by the Tajiks, who only found themselves in the third round after Syria were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player in the previous round.
WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS RESULTS
ASIAN ZONE
GROUP A
IRAQ 0 JORDAN 2
CHINA 2 SINGAPORE 1
GROUP B
S. KOREA 6 LEBANON 0
GROUP C
JAPAN 1 N. KOREA 0
TAJIKISTAN 0 UZBEKISTAN 1
GROUP D
AUSTRALIA 2 THAILAND 1
GROUP E
IRAN 3 INDONESIA 0
China struggles to beat Singapore
China overcame a half-time deficit to beat Singapore 2-1 in their World Cup qualifier on Friday, giving new coach Jose Antonio Camacho a win in his first competitive game in charge.
Singapore took the lead in the 33rd minute through 41-year-old striker Aleksandar Duric and took that advantage to the break.
China had to wait until the 69th minute to equalise, when Zheng Zhi scored from the penalty spot, and winger Yu Hai scored what proved the winner in the 73rd minute.
The second-half comeback would have come as a relief for former Spain coach Camacho, who is tasked with rapidly improving China's poor standing in the sport and to qualify for Brazil in 2014.
China had to wait until the 69th minute to equalise, when Zheng Zhi scored from the penalty spot, and winger Yu Hai scored what proved the winner in the 73rd minute.
The second-half comeback would have come as a relief for former Spain coach Camacho, who is tasked with rapidly improving China's poor standing in the sport and to qualify for Brazil in 2014.
Australia, Japan and South Korea win their matches
Australia and Japan needed late winners at home on Friday's opening day of third-round World Cup qualifying in Asia, while Park Chu-young hit a hat-trick as South Korea won comfortably.
Australia fell behind to Thailand and required an 86th-minute goal by substitute Alex Brosque to give the Socceroos a 2-1 win.
Japan left it even later, with defender Maya Yoshida heading in the winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time to secure a 1-0 win over North Korea.
Park gave his new Arsenal club cause for optimism with his sparkling performance in South Korea's 6-0 hammering of Lebanon.
Striker Teerasil Dangda gave visiting Thailand a shock 1-0 lead in the 15th minute against Australia, neatly finishing a perfectly executed 70m counterattack.
Australia dominated possession and created a series of chances before Josh Kennedy finally equalised in the 58th.
Brosque, who was a late call-up to the squad to replace the injured Scott McDonald, proved to be a super-sub, tapping in the winner to the relief of coach Holger Osieck and the Brisbane crowd.
The Socceroos' manner of victory was made to look comfortable compared to that of Japan, which laboured in the absence of injured forward Keisuke Honda and looked like being held to a stalemate by the trademark resolute North Korea defence.
However, Yoshida headed home a cross just as the referee was preparing to blow the final whistle, and Japan was able to extend its unbeaten run under coach Alberto Zaccheroni to 15 games.
"The North Koreans gave everything they had and we were forced to play patiently," Zaccheroni said. "But at the end of the day, it was rewarding that we made it in the end."
South Korea had a relative stroll against Lebanon, winning 6-0 in an authoritative performance.
The three points were never in doubt after Park put the hosts ahead with a volley in the eighth minute.
Sunderland forward Ji Dong-won hit a post before the second goal came when Park headed in a Ki Sung-yeung corner seconds before halftime.
Lebanon rarely threatened and was reduced mainly to speculative attempts from long distance, but was hanging in there until Ji made it 3-0 in the 66th; heading a cross into Park's path, then shooting the rebound into an empty net after the keeper blocked the initial shot.
Seconds later, Park completed his hat trick with a low shot from the right side of the area. Kim Jung-woo got on the scoresheet in the 82nd and Ji made it half a dozen in the 85th.
Ten qualifiers were being played across Asia in the first match day of the penultimate group stage.
Japan left it even later, with defender Maya Yoshida heading in the winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time to secure a 1-0 win over North Korea.
Park gave his new Arsenal club cause for optimism with his sparkling performance in South Korea's 6-0 hammering of Lebanon.
Striker Teerasil Dangda gave visiting Thailand a shock 1-0 lead in the 15th minute against Australia, neatly finishing a perfectly executed 70m counterattack.
Australia dominated possession and created a series of chances before Josh Kennedy finally equalised in the 58th.
Brosque, who was a late call-up to the squad to replace the injured Scott McDonald, proved to be a super-sub, tapping in the winner to the relief of coach Holger Osieck and the Brisbane crowd.
The Socceroos' manner of victory was made to look comfortable compared to that of Japan, which laboured in the absence of injured forward Keisuke Honda and looked like being held to a stalemate by the trademark resolute North Korea defence.
However, Yoshida headed home a cross just as the referee was preparing to blow the final whistle, and Japan was able to extend its unbeaten run under coach Alberto Zaccheroni to 15 games.
"The North Koreans gave everything they had and we were forced to play patiently," Zaccheroni said. "But at the end of the day, it was rewarding that we made it in the end."
South Korea had a relative stroll against Lebanon, winning 6-0 in an authoritative performance.
The three points were never in doubt after Park put the hosts ahead with a volley in the eighth minute.
Sunderland forward Ji Dong-won hit a post before the second goal came when Park headed in a Ki Sung-yeung corner seconds before halftime.
Lebanon rarely threatened and was reduced mainly to speculative attempts from long distance, but was hanging in there until Ji made it 3-0 in the 66th; heading a cross into Park's path, then shooting the rebound into an empty net after the keeper blocked the initial shot.
Seconds later, Park completed his hat trick with a low shot from the right side of the area. Kim Jung-woo got on the scoresheet in the 82nd and Ji made it half a dozen in the 85th.
Ten qualifiers were being played across Asia in the first match day of the penultimate group stage.
South Korea thrashes Lebanon 6-0
A hat-trick by new Arsenal signing Park Chu-young lifted South Korea to a 6-0 win over Lebanon in their World Cup qualifier on Friday.
Ji Dong-won of Sunderland also scored twice as Korea outclassed the visitor from start to finish to take an early lead at the top of Group B in the third round of Asian qualifying.
South Korea is looking to qualify for an eighth successive World Cup and the three points were never in doubt after Park put the hosts ahead with a volley in the eighth minute.
Roared on by a capacity crowd, the Koreans continued to press and Ji hit a post before the second goal came when Park headed in a Ki Sung-yeung corner seconds before halftime.
Lebanon rarely threatened and was reduced mainly to speculative attempts from long-distance, but was hanging in there until Ji made it 3-0 in the 66th minute.
The Sunderland striker headed a cross into Park's path and though the ensuing shot was saved by the goalkeeper, Ji shot the rebound into an empty net.
Seconds later, Park completed his hat trick with a low shot from the right side of the area.
Kim Jung-woo got on the scoresheet in the 82nd minute and Ji made it half a dozen in the 85th.
The other fixture in Group B was to take place later Friday when United Arab Emirates hosted Kuwait.
Ji Dong-won of Sunderland also scored twice as Korea outclassed the visitor from start to finish to take an early lead at the top of Group B in the third round of Asian qualifying.
South Korea is looking to qualify for an eighth successive World Cup and the three points were never in doubt after Park put the hosts ahead with a volley in the eighth minute.
Roared on by a capacity crowd, the Koreans continued to press and Ji hit a post before the second goal came when Park headed in a Ki Sung-yeung corner seconds before halftime.
Lebanon rarely threatened and was reduced mainly to speculative attempts from long-distance, but was hanging in there until Ji made it 3-0 in the 66th minute.
The Sunderland striker headed a cross into Park's path and though the ensuing shot was saved by the goalkeeper, Ji shot the rebound into an empty net.
Seconds later, Park completed his hat trick with a low shot from the right side of the area.
Kim Jung-woo got on the scoresheet in the 82nd minute and Ji made it half a dozen in the 85th.
The other fixture in Group B was to take place later Friday when United Arab Emirates hosted Kuwait.
Uzbekistan gets narrow win over Tajikistan
Veteran striker Maksim Shatskikh scored the sole goal as Uzbekistan won 1-0 at Tajikistan on Friday in their opening match of third-round Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
The Arsenal Kyiv striker netted in the 72nd minute to give the visitors a share of top spot in Group C with Japan, which won 1-0 at home against North Korea.
Despite the home defeat, the narrow margin was a creditable performance by the Tajiks, who only found themselves in the third round after Syria was disqualified for fielding an ineligible player in the previous round.
The Arsenal Kyiv striker netted in the 72nd minute to give the visitors a share of top spot in Group C with Japan, which won 1-0 at home against North Korea.
Despite the home defeat, the narrow margin was a creditable performance by the Tajiks, who only found themselves in the third round after Syria was disqualified for fielding an ineligible player in the previous round.
Late goal gives Japan win over North Korea
Maya Yoshida scored late in stoppage time to give an undermanned Japan a dramatic 1-0 home win over North Korea in their World Cup qualifier Friday.
In a clash of two teams that both qualified for the previous World Cup, Japan could not crack the Koreans' trademark resolute defense until Yoshida headed in a cross in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Japan won despite being without injured trio Keisuke Honda, Kengo Nakamura and Yuto Nagatomo but Alberto Zaccheroni's side was still able to extend its unbeaten run under the Italian coach to 14 games.
"The North Koreans gave everything they had and we were forced to play patiently," Zaccheroni said. "But at the end of the day, it was rewarding that we made it in the end."
The Blue Samurai, which beat South Korea 3-0 in a friendly last month, struggled to rediscover that form Friday. Despite creating many chances, the reigning Asian champions were not able to convert any against until the dying moments.
North Korea played the last 10 minutes of regular time then stoppage time with ten men after substitute forward Park Kwang-Ryong was sent off for a clattering studs-up challenge.
Yosuke Kashiwagi helped produce Japan's best chance of the first half, sending a long ball in to a leaping Tadanari Lee, who headed the ball into the arms of North Korea goalkeeper Ri Myong-Guk in the 31st minute.
Just moments later, Japan's Shinji Kagawa had a good look from just outside the box, but fired wide right of the North Korea goal.
Ri was injured in the 35th minute in a goalmouth scramble, and had to have his right ankle taped up by the medical staff, but remained on the field and limped visibly the rest of the game.
North Korea went to the break with the game 0-0 despite not having had a single shot on goal. Shortly after play restarted, Japan captain Makoto Hasebe launched a laser strike that Ri gathered on his knees.
Hiroshi Kiyotake had a pair of decent chances for Japan within a minute in the second half. In the 63rd, he uncorked a strike that appeared headed for a goal but was deflected at the last second by a defender.
A few seconds later, he squandered another opportunity by firing over the bar.
Striker Mike Havenaar - of Dutch parents who emigrated to Japan - made his debut for the Blue Samurai in the 69th minute, and wasted little time in making an impact, rattling a cross off the bar from 10m out in the 74th.
Shinji Okazaki sent a header close in the 80th, only to see Ri dive to knock it away. The other teams in Group C, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were also playing Friday.
Japan won despite being without injured trio Keisuke Honda, Kengo Nakamura and Yuto Nagatomo but Alberto Zaccheroni's side was still able to extend its unbeaten run under the Italian coach to 14 games.
"The North Koreans gave everything they had and we were forced to play patiently," Zaccheroni said. "But at the end of the day, it was rewarding that we made it in the end."
The Blue Samurai, which beat South Korea 3-0 in a friendly last month, struggled to rediscover that form Friday. Despite creating many chances, the reigning Asian champions were not able to convert any against until the dying moments.
North Korea played the last 10 minutes of regular time then stoppage time with ten men after substitute forward Park Kwang-Ryong was sent off for a clattering studs-up challenge.
Yosuke Kashiwagi helped produce Japan's best chance of the first half, sending a long ball in to a leaping Tadanari Lee, who headed the ball into the arms of North Korea goalkeeper Ri Myong-Guk in the 31st minute.
Just moments later, Japan's Shinji Kagawa had a good look from just outside the box, but fired wide right of the North Korea goal.
Ri was injured in the 35th minute in a goalmouth scramble, and had to have his right ankle taped up by the medical staff, but remained on the field and limped visibly the rest of the game.
North Korea went to the break with the game 0-0 despite not having had a single shot on goal. Shortly after play restarted, Japan captain Makoto Hasebe launched a laser strike that Ri gathered on his knees.
Hiroshi Kiyotake had a pair of decent chances for Japan within a minute in the second half. In the 63rd, he uncorked a strike that appeared headed for a goal but was deflected at the last second by a defender.
A few seconds later, he squandered another opportunity by firing over the bar.
Striker Mike Havenaar - of Dutch parents who emigrated to Japan - made his debut for the Blue Samurai in the 69th minute, and wasted little time in making an impact, rattling a cross off the bar from 10m out in the 74th.
Shinji Okazaki sent a header close in the 80th, only to see Ri dive to knock it away. The other teams in Group C, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were also playing Friday.
Australia come from behind to beat Thailand
Striker Alex Brosque scored in the 86th minute to give Australia a 2-1 win over Thailand and help avoid an embarrassing start for the Socceroos in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
Brosque scored the winner with a left-footed tap-in, completing the hosts' comeback from a first-half devicit.
Striker Teerasil Dangda had given Thailand a shock 1-0 lead in the 15th minute on a perfectly executed 70-meter counter-attack despite Australia dominating possession. Josh Kennedy equalised for Australia in the 58th.
The other teams in Group D, Oman and Saudi Arabia, play later Friday.
Brosque scored the winner with a left-footed tap-in, completing the hosts' comeback from a first-half devicit.
Striker Teerasil Dangda had given Thailand a shock 1-0 lead in the 15th minute on a perfectly executed 70-meter counter-attack despite Australia dominating possession. Josh Kennedy equalised for Australia in the 58th.
The other teams in Group D, Oman and Saudi Arabia, play later Friday.
Friday 2 September 2011
Japan and North Korea ready for battle
Japan Coach Alberto Zaccheroni has called for total control when Japan kicks off its 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign against North Korea, and says he is confident that monsoon-like conditions forecast for Friday's match will not affect the Asian champions' performance in Saitama.
"We have got to show what we are made of and not just be good for 10 minutes here or 20 minutes there. We have to control for the whole 90 minutes," Zaccheroni told a news conference on the eve of the match.
"This is where the pressure really starts. The players all know how important this match is and they have done very well in training, are motivated and I have complete trust in them. Over the last year the players have been fantastic both on and off the pitch."
"North Korea played at the (2010) World Cup and (this year's) Asian Cup and are a team that are strong as a unit. But if we play like we have been playing I am confident that we will win," he said.
The Japan Football Association said earlier Thursday that the North Korea match would go ahead as scheduled after fears a powerful typhoon might force the game to be pushed back to Saturday.
"We have got to show what we are made of and not just be good for 10 minutes here or 20 minutes there. We have to control for the whole 90 minutes," Zaccheroni told a news conference on the eve of the match.
"This is where the pressure really starts. The players all know how important this match is and they have done very well in training, are motivated and I have complete trust in them. Over the last year the players have been fantastic both on and off the pitch."
"North Korea played at the (2010) World Cup and (this year's) Asian Cup and are a team that are strong as a unit. But if we play like we have been playing I am confident that we will win," he said.
The Japan Football Association said earlier Thursday that the North Korea match would go ahead as scheduled after fears a powerful typhoon might force the game to be pushed back to Saturday.
Heavy rain brought on by Typhoon Talas, the year's 12th, is expected Friday, potentially making it difficult for Japan to play its slick passing game. But Zaccheroni insisted the state of the pitch would not be an issue.
"We have got various ways of playing and obviously it would be better for us if we were playing on pitch that is in good condition but we have got the ability to adapt."
Zaccheroni earlier in the day called up Ventforet Kofu striker Mike Havenaar, currently joint-second top goalscorer in the J. League, to replace injured CSKA Moscow star Keisuke Honda, and said the lanky 24-year-old would give him an extra dimension up front.
"Havenaar is in good form in the league and he brings something different to what the strikers already here have. Hopefully we can bring out his qualities in the games that we have from now."
North Korea coach Yun Jong Su, whose squad included Japan-based Ryang Yong Gi, An Yong Hak and former Kawasaki Frontale striker Chong Tese, admitted his players will have their work cut out but said they would give as good as they get.
"Tomorrow's match will be extremely difficult. Japan are very strong opponents but we will try and beat them with more heart and fight," said Yun.
Thursday 1 September 2011
New China coach hopes to steer them to World Cup 2014
China's new coach Jose Antonio Camacho takes charge of his first competitive game on Friday, becoming the latest in a long line of coaches trying to rouse Asian football's sleeping giant.
China hosts Singapore in Kunming in the opening fixture of Group A in the third round of Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
The former Spain coach is tasked with rapidly improving China's poor standing in the world's most popular sport. China has only qualified for the World Cup once, in 2002, and is currently ranked 69th in the world.
The 56-year-old former Real Madrid defender said qualifying for 2014 "won't be an easy task, but my team and I are working towards this goal."
China has won seven of the previous nine meetings between the countries. The other two teams in Group A are Iraq and Jordan, with the top two teams advancing to the next round.
Camacho, who has had the national team in training in Kunming for the last week, was quoted in Chinese media as saying he expected to win his first game in charge but that Singapore was "an opponent that should not be overlooked."
He is expected to stick with veterans such as defender Li Weifeng, and Zheng Zhi and Du Wei, both who played for Celtic in Scotland.
Camacho played more than 80 times for Spain, including in two World Cups. He also managed Spain's national team for four years, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup.
Iraq also go into the home game with Jordan with a new coach, Brazilian great Zico who is hoping to revive the team after a disappointing run.
Iraq won the Asian Cup in 2007, but its trophy defense ended in the quarterfinals in January, and the team was surprisingly knocked out of the Gulf Cup by Kuwait last November.
Zico played in three World Cups for Brazil - 1978, 1982 and 1986. He has coached Japan and several club teams, most recently Olympiakos of Greece.
The Iraqi team plays in Irbil, in Kurdish controlled northern territory, more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Baghdad. The region is considered safer than the rest of Iraq, where visiting teams have raised concerns about playing.
China hosts Singapore in Kunming in the opening fixture of Group A in the third round of Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
The former Spain coach is tasked with rapidly improving China's poor standing in the world's most popular sport. China has only qualified for the World Cup once, in 2002, and is currently ranked 69th in the world.
The 56-year-old former Real Madrid defender said qualifying for 2014 "won't be an easy task, but my team and I are working towards this goal."
China has won seven of the previous nine meetings between the countries. The other two teams in Group A are Iraq and Jordan, with the top two teams advancing to the next round.
Camacho, who has had the national team in training in Kunming for the last week, was quoted in Chinese media as saying he expected to win his first game in charge but that Singapore was "an opponent that should not be overlooked."
He is expected to stick with veterans such as defender Li Weifeng, and Zheng Zhi and Du Wei, both who played for Celtic in Scotland.
Camacho played more than 80 times for Spain, including in two World Cups. He also managed Spain's national team for four years, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup.
Iraq also go into the home game with Jordan with a new coach, Brazilian great Zico who is hoping to revive the team after a disappointing run.
Iraq won the Asian Cup in 2007, but its trophy defense ended in the quarterfinals in January, and the team was surprisingly knocked out of the Gulf Cup by Kuwait last November.
Zico played in three World Cups for Brazil - 1978, 1982 and 1986. He has coached Japan and several club teams, most recently Olympiakos of Greece.
The Iraqi team plays in Irbil, in Kurdish controlled northern territory, more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of Baghdad. The region is considered safer than the rest of Iraq, where visiting teams have raised concerns about playing.
New coaches battle in Bahrain-Qatar match
Former England under-21 manager Peter Taylor will be aiming for a winning start as the new coach of Bahrain when it hosts Gulf neighbour Qatar on Friday in Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
Qatar, which will host the 2022 World Cup, will also have a new coach in Brazilian Sebastiao Lazaroni.
Bahrain is one of five nations that received byes through to the third round and will be playing against the backdrop of political unrest in the island nation.
Lazaroni takes over from former Ghana World Cup coach Milovan Rajevac who was surprisingly fired despite the team beating Vietnam in the second round.
Friday's game may be the group opener but it looms as a potentially vital one.
The other teams in Group E, Iran and Indonesia, are expected to finish top and bottom of the group respectively, leaving Bahrain and Qatar to fight out the second spot which yields a place in the fourth round.
Taylor, best remembered for guiding modest Leicester City temporarily to the top of the Premier League, will be missing a handful of key players for the clash, including influential skipper Mohammed Salmeen and Nigerian-born duo Jaycee John Okwunwanne and Abdulla Fatai.
Salmeen is currently nursing an injury and is expected to be back in time for when Bahrain travel to Tehran for their third qualifying match on October 11.
Okwunwanne and Fatai have been left off of Taylor's 24-man squad for the match, along with a few others.
The hosts will thus be spearheaded by the likes of international regulars Salman Isa, Mahmood Abdulrahman, Faouzi Aaish and Abdulla Ismail Omar and Ismaeel Abdullatif.
Heading into Friday's game, the Bahrainis are coming off a 1-0 victory over Sudan in a friendly played at home last week.
They had also recently beaten United Arab Emirates club side Bani Yas 3-0 after drawing 1-1 with Oman in an abandoned friendly during their July training camp in Dubai.
Qatar, who arrived in Bahrain on Wednesday (August 31, 2011), are reeling from back-to-back losses in friendly games the past fortnight. They had previously bowed to Iraq 1-0 at home before falling to the Emiratis 3-1 in Al Ain.
Bahrain will be hoping to claim a much-needed victory as the tiny kingdom struggles to create some good news on the sporting front.
Due to the anti-government protests that took place earlier this year, the 2011 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix needed to be called off, and, most recently, it was announced that Bahrain's Volvo Golf Champions tournament is being taken off 2012 European Tour calendar.
World Cup qualification would be a dream not only for Bahrain, but for Taylor as well. "It's a target, definitely," 58-year-old Taylor said upon signing with Bahrain.
"I would love to be the first manager to get Bahrain to the World Cup. That would be something that would make me very proud, and I'm sure all of Bahrain as well."
Bahrain was beaten by New Zealand in an intercontinental playoff for a place in the 2010 World Cup.
Lazaroni brings vast international experience to the Qatar job. He was coach of his native Brazil in the successful 1989 Copa America campaign and 1990 World Cup, and had also managed the Jamaica national team.
The 61-year-old had coached several of the big club in Brazil, including Flamengo, Vasco de Gama, Gremio and Botafogo, plus several club sides around the world including Fiorentina and Fenerbahce.
Qatar, which will host the 2022 World Cup, will also have a new coach in Brazilian Sebastiao Lazaroni.
Bahrain is one of five nations that received byes through to the third round and will be playing against the backdrop of political unrest in the island nation.
Lazaroni takes over from former Ghana World Cup coach Milovan Rajevac who was surprisingly fired despite the team beating Vietnam in the second round.
Friday's game may be the group opener but it looms as a potentially vital one.
The other teams in Group E, Iran and Indonesia, are expected to finish top and bottom of the group respectively, leaving Bahrain and Qatar to fight out the second spot which yields a place in the fourth round.
Taylor, best remembered for guiding modest Leicester City temporarily to the top of the Premier League, will be missing a handful of key players for the clash, including influential skipper Mohammed Salmeen and Nigerian-born duo Jaycee John Okwunwanne and Abdulla Fatai.
Salmeen is currently nursing an injury and is expected to be back in time for when Bahrain travel to Tehran for their third qualifying match on October 11.
Okwunwanne and Fatai have been left off of Taylor's 24-man squad for the match, along with a few others.
The hosts will thus be spearheaded by the likes of international regulars Salman Isa, Mahmood Abdulrahman, Faouzi Aaish and Abdulla Ismail Omar and Ismaeel Abdullatif.
Heading into Friday's game, the Bahrainis are coming off a 1-0 victory over Sudan in a friendly played at home last week.
They had also recently beaten United Arab Emirates club side Bani Yas 3-0 after drawing 1-1 with Oman in an abandoned friendly during their July training camp in Dubai.
Qatar, who arrived in Bahrain on Wednesday (August 31, 2011), are reeling from back-to-back losses in friendly games the past fortnight. They had previously bowed to Iraq 1-0 at home before falling to the Emiratis 3-1 in Al Ain.
Bahrain will be hoping to claim a much-needed victory as the tiny kingdom struggles to create some good news on the sporting front.
Due to the anti-government protests that took place earlier this year, the 2011 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix needed to be called off, and, most recently, it was announced that Bahrain's Volvo Golf Champions tournament is being taken off 2012 European Tour calendar.
World Cup qualification would be a dream not only for Bahrain, but for Taylor as well. "It's a target, definitely," 58-year-old Taylor said upon signing with Bahrain.
"I would love to be the first manager to get Bahrain to the World Cup. That would be something that would make me very proud, and I'm sure all of Bahrain as well."
Bahrain was beaten by New Zealand in an intercontinental playoff for a place in the 2010 World Cup.
Lazaroni brings vast international experience to the Qatar job. He was coach of his native Brazil in the successful 1989 Copa America campaign and 1990 World Cup, and had also managed the Jamaica national team.
The 61-year-old had coached several of the big club in Brazil, including Flamengo, Vasco de Gama, Gremio and Botafogo, plus several club sides around the world including Fiorentina and Fenerbahce.
Japan-North Korea match to go ahead despite typhoon thread
Japan's opening World Cup qualifier against North Korea will go ahead as planned on Friday after initial fears it would need to be put back a day due to an approaching typhoon.
The Japan Football Association said Thursday the game will proceed despite Typhoon Talus being forecast to come close to Japanese coastal areas on Friday night.
Both Japan and North Korea qualified for the 2010 World Cup and will be favorites to progress from Group C, which also includes Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Japan, the reigning Asian champion, is unbeaten since Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni took over a year ago.
However, North Korea could provide a sterner test in Saitama, and Japan had called in all of its big-name European stars such as Shinji Kagawa of Borussia Dortmund and CSKA Moscow's Keisuke Honda.
However Honda was ruled out with a knee injury, while Kengo Nakamura will be missing due to a broken toe and Inter Milan defender Yuto Nagatomo is absent while recovering from a dislocated shoulder.
"Japan did very well at the (2010) World Cup and we won the Asian Cup so teams are very motivated when they play us," said Zaccheroni. "There are a lot of expectations of us but we have to show character, good balance and show no fear ... We must prepare well and turn pressure into power."
In the other Group C game, Uzbekistan will make the relatively short journey to Tajikistan.
The host is fortunate to be playing at all and only made it after Syria was disqualified after fielding an ineligible player in the earlier qualification rounds.
Both Japan and North Korea qualified for the 2010 World Cup and will be favorites to progress from Group C, which also includes Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Japan, the reigning Asian champion, is unbeaten since Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni took over a year ago.
However, North Korea could provide a sterner test in Saitama, and Japan had called in all of its big-name European stars such as Shinji Kagawa of Borussia Dortmund and CSKA Moscow's Keisuke Honda.
However Honda was ruled out with a knee injury, while Kengo Nakamura will be missing due to a broken toe and Inter Milan defender Yuto Nagatomo is absent while recovering from a dislocated shoulder.
"Japan did very well at the (2010) World Cup and we won the Asian Cup so teams are very motivated when they play us," said Zaccheroni. "There are a lot of expectations of us but we have to show character, good balance and show no fear ... We must prepare well and turn pressure into power."
In the other Group C game, Uzbekistan will make the relatively short journey to Tajikistan.
The host is fortunate to be playing at all and only made it after Syria was disqualified after fielding an ineligible player in the earlier qualification rounds.
Asian nations start quest for 2014 World Cup
Injury-hit Japan face an immediate test of their World Cup credentials against North Korea today as Asia’s top teams join the long road to the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
Australia host Thailand and South Korea are home to Lebanon as the region’s highest-ranked sides enter the qualifying at the third round, with the process due to wrap up next year.
Iraq, the 2007 Asian Cup winners, play Jordan and China welcome Singapore as the group stage gets under way featuring five pools of four teams.
Asian champions Japan have been troubled by injuries to influential playmaker Keisuke Honda and recalled midfielder Kengo Nakamura as they prepare to face North Korea in Saitama.
Coach Alberto Zaccheroni described the losses as a “huge blow” but he had high hopes for 20-year-old Urawa Red Diamonds striker Genki Haraguchi, who looks set to make his full international debut.
“Haraguchi is good at both defence and offence, especially good at attacking from the left side to the centre. He has speed with skills. I think he is ready to play for the top national team,” Zaccheroni said.
Japan, Asia’s top-ranked team at 15, will face a North Korea side who have already voiced anger at their lowly FIFA placing of just 115, which has pitched them into a tough Group C also including Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Striker Jong Tae-se, known as the People’s Rooney, said the rankings disadvantaged the isolated communist state, which proved its quality by reaching last year’s World Cup Finals in South Africa.
North Korea also had a cruel draw at the Asian Cup in January, when they bowed out at the group stage after being pitted against title-holders Iraq, three-time champions Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
“Isn’t it strange that we always end up 100% in a group of death in any (major) tournament?” Tae-se wrote on his blog.
“I personally believe on my own that the biggest reason (for the low ranking) is that we as a socialist country cannot pay money to organise warm-up matches on international ‘A’ match days.”
New-look Australia hope to start with a bang against Thailand as coach Holger Osieck looks to build on a successful year of just one defeat in 11, including wins against Germany and Wales.
The Socceroos, featuring a number of younger players alongside stalwarts such as Brett Emerton and Mark Schwarzer, will expect to shrug off the loss of injured attacker Harry Kewell when they face Thailand in Brisbane.
“I think our depth is fantastic after seeing players like (Michael) Zullo, James Troisi or (Adam) Sarota come through,” Everton midfielder Tim Cahill said.
“It’s fantastic to be a part of the last era and move forward to this era with these players. The transition is perfect.”
South Korea will have pencilled in three points at home to Lebanon, while China will be hoping to impress their new boss, ex-Spain and Real Madrid boss Jose Antonio Camacho, against Singapore.
Ten teams – winners and runners-up of the five groups – will be drawn into two pools for the round-robin fourth stage, with the eventual top two in each section earning a ticket to Brazil.
The two third-placed teams will then face each other for the right to contest an intercontinental play-off.
Tajikistan were promoted to Group C after FIFA disqualified Syria for fielding an ineligible player in George Mourad, a midfielder who once represented Sweden.
Australia host Thailand and South Korea are home to Lebanon as the region’s highest-ranked sides enter the qualifying at the third round, with the process due to wrap up next year.
Iraq, the 2007 Asian Cup winners, play Jordan and China welcome Singapore as the group stage gets under way featuring five pools of four teams.
Asian champions Japan have been troubled by injuries to influential playmaker Keisuke Honda and recalled midfielder Kengo Nakamura as they prepare to face North Korea in Saitama.
Coach Alberto Zaccheroni described the losses as a “huge blow” but he had high hopes for 20-year-old Urawa Red Diamonds striker Genki Haraguchi, who looks set to make his full international debut.
“Haraguchi is good at both defence and offence, especially good at attacking from the left side to the centre. He has speed with skills. I think he is ready to play for the top national team,” Zaccheroni said.
Japan, Asia’s top-ranked team at 15, will face a North Korea side who have already voiced anger at their lowly FIFA placing of just 115, which has pitched them into a tough Group C also including Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Striker Jong Tae-se, known as the People’s Rooney, said the rankings disadvantaged the isolated communist state, which proved its quality by reaching last year’s World Cup Finals in South Africa.
North Korea also had a cruel draw at the Asian Cup in January, when they bowed out at the group stage after being pitted against title-holders Iraq, three-time champions Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
“Isn’t it strange that we always end up 100% in a group of death in any (major) tournament?” Tae-se wrote on his blog.
“I personally believe on my own that the biggest reason (for the low ranking) is that we as a socialist country cannot pay money to organise warm-up matches on international ‘A’ match days.”
New-look Australia hope to start with a bang against Thailand as coach Holger Osieck looks to build on a successful year of just one defeat in 11, including wins against Germany and Wales.
The Socceroos, featuring a number of younger players alongside stalwarts such as Brett Emerton and Mark Schwarzer, will expect to shrug off the loss of injured attacker Harry Kewell when they face Thailand in Brisbane.
“I think our depth is fantastic after seeing players like (Michael) Zullo, James Troisi or (Adam) Sarota come through,” Everton midfielder Tim Cahill said.
“It’s fantastic to be a part of the last era and move forward to this era with these players. The transition is perfect.”
South Korea will have pencilled in three points at home to Lebanon, while China will be hoping to impress their new boss, ex-Spain and Real Madrid boss Jose Antonio Camacho, against Singapore.
Ten teams – winners and runners-up of the five groups – will be drawn into two pools for the round-robin fourth stage, with the eventual top two in each section earning a ticket to Brazil.
The two third-placed teams will then face each other for the right to contest an intercontinental play-off.
Tajikistan were promoted to Group C after FIFA disqualified Syria for fielding an ineligible player in George Mourad, a midfielder who once represented Sweden.
Wednesday 31 August 2011
English county Derbyshire to host India-Pakistan friendly
The English county of Derbyshire is to host the first football match between India and Pakistan in Britain.
The two nations will face each other in a friendly at Pride Park stadium later this year, the BBC reports.
Match organisers said the idea of the game was to promote peace between the countries and raise the profile of Asian football.
The match was originally due to take place on 3 September but has been postponed so organisers can pay tribute to three men killed in Birmingham during the recent riots.
Organisers TouchSky Sports decided to delay the game after speaking to the families of Haroon Jahan, 21, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, aged 31.
The game is now being re-arranged for a date after the traditional Islamic mourning period
The two nations will face each other in a friendly at Pride Park stadium later this year, the BBC reports.
Match organisers said the idea of the game was to promote peace between the countries and raise the profile of Asian football.
The match was originally due to take place on 3 September but has been postponed so organisers can pay tribute to three men killed in Birmingham during the recent riots.
Organisers TouchSky Sports decided to delay the game after speaking to the families of Haroon Jahan, 21, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, aged 31.
The game is now being re-arranged for a date after the traditional Islamic mourning period
India to seek technical assistance from Argentina
All India Football Federation (AIFF) will be meeting Argentine Football Association (AFA) officials to seek technical assistance on the sidelines of an international friendly between Argentina and Venezuela in Kolkata.
Celebrity Management Group (CMG), which is organising the match, said the AFA has shown interest in AIFF's request for a proposed meeting on the sidelines of the September 2 match, which will be the first non-India friendly to be held in the country.
'AIFF had requested us to organise a meeting with AFA. The AFA was more than interested in meeting the AIFF and discuss the possibility of a development project,' Dharamdutt Pandey, chief executive of CMG, said here Thursday.
The Argentina-Venezuela match, featuring stars like Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Javier Masceranho and Angel Di Maria, will be held at a whopping cost of Rs.220 million. The match will also be the first international assignment of newly appointed Argentine manager Alejandro Sabella. Assistant coach Julien Camino, who played for East Bengal in 1988, will also be travelling with the team.
Defending the extravagant cost of hosting the one-off international, AIFF vice-president Subrata Dutta said the match would help the federation attract more sponsors.
'Some say such friendlies will do no good to India, it is a waste of time and money. But these matches will help to create the buzz around the Indian football and attract sponsors. This match will do a world of good to Indian football,' said Dutta.
'The match has attracted the attention of the state government, which has spent Rs.60 million to renovate the Salt Lake Stadium, which will meet FIFA requirements to host the international matches,' he said.
Pandey said the renovation work at the 120,000-seater stadium would be ready three days before the match.
'The dressing rooms are being completely renovated while the VIP boxes are getting a facelift. The tunnel is also being refurbished,' he said.
Pandey denied media reports that CMG was forced to reduce ticket prices after the intervention of West Bengal sports minister Madan Mitra.
'There was no pressure on us. Mr Mitra requested us to reduce the ticket prices so that it becomes affordable for school students. We told him that it is a high profile match and it is not possible for us to sell tickets at nominal rates. But since he requested, we reduced the minimum price from Rs.1000 to Rs.700 while the maximum price is Rs.5120. The corporate boxes have been tagged for Rs.7.5 lakhs each,' said Pandey.
Celebrity Management Group (CMG), which is organising the match, said the AFA has shown interest in AIFF's request for a proposed meeting on the sidelines of the September 2 match, which will be the first non-India friendly to be held in the country.
'AIFF had requested us to organise a meeting with AFA. The AFA was more than interested in meeting the AIFF and discuss the possibility of a development project,' Dharamdutt Pandey, chief executive of CMG, said here Thursday.
The Argentina-Venezuela match, featuring stars like Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Javier Masceranho and Angel Di Maria, will be held at a whopping cost of Rs.220 million. The match will also be the first international assignment of newly appointed Argentine manager Alejandro Sabella. Assistant coach Julien Camino, who played for East Bengal in 1988, will also be travelling with the team.
Defending the extravagant cost of hosting the one-off international, AIFF vice-president Subrata Dutta said the match would help the federation attract more sponsors.
'Some say such friendlies will do no good to India, it is a waste of time and money. But these matches will help to create the buzz around the Indian football and attract sponsors. This match will do a world of good to Indian football,' said Dutta.
'The match has attracted the attention of the state government, which has spent Rs.60 million to renovate the Salt Lake Stadium, which will meet FIFA requirements to host the international matches,' he said.
Pandey said the renovation work at the 120,000-seater stadium would be ready three days before the match.
'The dressing rooms are being completely renovated while the VIP boxes are getting a facelift. The tunnel is also being refurbished,' he said.
Pandey denied media reports that CMG was forced to reduce ticket prices after the intervention of West Bengal sports minister Madan Mitra.
'There was no pressure on us. Mr Mitra requested us to reduce the ticket prices so that it becomes affordable for school students. We told him that it is a high profile match and it is not possible for us to sell tickets at nominal rates. But since he requested, we reduced the minimum price from Rs.1000 to Rs.700 while the maximum price is Rs.5120. The corporate boxes have been tagged for Rs.7.5 lakhs each,' said Pandey.
India go down to Guyana in friendly
Guyana defeated India 2-1 in an international football friendly at the National Stadium at Providence as part of the +ONE India Caribbean Tour.
According to information received here, Guyana took the lead through Vurlon Mills, while Steven Dias equalised for India before the break. Guyana scored the winner after the breather through Walter Moore.
The hard fought match Wednesday which experienced heavy rains during the first half did not stop the two teams from displaying quality contest which delighted the fans in the stadium.
Guyana took the lead in the 19th minute through Mills who headed it in after the Indian defence was caught napping.
India pushed hard and equalised when Dias curled in a free-kick in the 36th minute to leave both the teams tied 1-1 at the interval.
Changing over, Guyana combined well and the flurry of attacks kept the Indian defence busy. Their efforts eventually bore fruit in the 63rd minute when left-back Moore chipped it over Subrata Paul to make it 2-1.
India's best chance came when Guyana were reduced to 10-men after Travis Henry was given marching orders for a rough tackle on Clifford Miranda. But India could not benefit from the numerical advantage as Guyana managed to hold on to the lead.
According to information received here, Guyana took the lead through Vurlon Mills, while Steven Dias equalised for India before the break. Guyana scored the winner after the breather through Walter Moore.
The hard fought match Wednesday which experienced heavy rains during the first half did not stop the two teams from displaying quality contest which delighted the fans in the stadium.
Guyana took the lead in the 19th minute through Mills who headed it in after the Indian defence was caught napping.
India pushed hard and equalised when Dias curled in a free-kick in the 36th minute to leave both the teams tied 1-1 at the interval.
Changing over, Guyana combined well and the flurry of attacks kept the Indian defence busy. Their efforts eventually bore fruit in the 63rd minute when left-back Moore chipped it over Subrata Paul to make it 2-1.
India's best chance came when Guyana were reduced to 10-men after Travis Henry was given marching orders for a rough tackle on Clifford Miranda. But India could not benefit from the numerical advantage as Guyana managed to hold on to the lead.
Indian football legend Bhutia retires from football
Indian striker Bhaichung Bhutia announced his retirement from international football on Wednesday, ending a 16-year career with the national team for which he played a record 109 games.
The highest profile player in India, Bhutia scored 43 goals for India and was part of teams that won the Asian Fooball Confederation Challenge Cup, Nehru Cup, LG Cup and the South Asian Football Federation Championship.
“I had a fantastic 16 years of international football,” the 34-year-old Bhutia said. “I enjoyed every moment to have represented the country, to have contributed to the game.
“Winning the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008 and qualifying for the Asian Cup were the best moments of my career and I thought of retiring after playing in that tournament.”
He became the first Indian to play professional football in Europe when he signed a three-year contract with Bury FC in 1999. He also had a short stint with Malaysian football club Perak FA.
The former India captain has been struggling with a calf injury in the past year. He played only a limited role at this year’s Asian Cup and was forced to pull out of an upcoming tour of England.
Bhutia owns the club team he plays for, United Sikkim. He has also played for East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and JCT Mills.
The highest profile player in India, Bhutia scored 43 goals for India and was part of teams that won the Asian Fooball Confederation Challenge Cup, Nehru Cup, LG Cup and the South Asian Football Federation Championship.
“I had a fantastic 16 years of international football,” the 34-year-old Bhutia said. “I enjoyed every moment to have represented the country, to have contributed to the game.
“Winning the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008 and qualifying for the Asian Cup were the best moments of my career and I thought of retiring after playing in that tournament.”
He became the first Indian to play professional football in Europe when he signed a three-year contract with Bury FC in 1999. He also had a short stint with Malaysian football club Perak FA.
The former India captain has been struggling with a calf injury in the past year. He played only a limited role at this year’s Asian Cup and was forced to pull out of an upcoming tour of England.
Bhutia owns the club team he plays for, United Sikkim. He has also played for East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and JCT Mills.
Tuesday 30 August 2011
Iraq appoints Zico as coach
Brazilian legend Zico has signed a one-year contract to become the new coach of 2007 Asian Cup winners Iraq.
Zico, 58, coached current Asian Cup champions Japan from 2002 to 2006 and will take charge of Iraq's 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The Iraq Football Association claimed Zico will start work immediately with the team who are due to face Jordan in their opening qualifier on Friday.
Zico replaces German boss Wolfgang Sidka, who had guided the side to the quarter-finals of the recent Asian Cup, before they lost to Australia in extra-time.
The former Olympiakos, CSKA Moscow and Fenerbahce boss will lead a side grouped with China, Jordan and Singapore in the third round of qualifying through the Asian Football Confederation and has been set the task of taking Iraq to the World Cup for only the second time, having qualified in 1986.
Wolfsburg striker Ashkan Dejagah wants to play for Iran
VFL Wolfsburg striker Ashkan Dejagah has revealed his interest in playing for Iran football team.
“I’d love to play for Iran. Carlos Queiroz has said I could join Iran football team but has not invited me to the team yet. I really love Iran,” Ashkan Dejagah said.
“My parents supported me to play for Iran and I am so happy for that. I am ready to do anything to join the team,” the 25-year striker added.
Ashkan Dejagah has played for German U-21 football team. He refused to play against Israel in October 2007 for personal reasons.
Bahrain coach plays down World Cup chances
Bahrain’s English coach Peter John Taylor has tamped down media suggestions that the West Asians are favourites to advance out of their group into the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers final round.
"It's a tough group, each of our opponents are good teams," Taylor told the local media.
"I don't know how anybody can classify us amongst the favourites. Right now, the FIFA World Rankings have Iran and Qatar ahead of us, and I've also been given mixed feedback from different people around the team; some say it's an easy group, while others say it's going to be very difficult, so not even they can decide on what to expect.
"The main thing for us right now is that we focus on being the best prepared we can be. We must respect all our opposition, and hopefully we can go out and do well and try our best to qualify for the next phase."
The Englishman added: “Training been very good so far. We've had at least 10 sessions here with our players and the fitness level is now much better than when we started.”
Bahrain captain Mohamed Salmeen said the pool was very tough.
“I think our group is very hard and it will be very difficult to qualify from this group. But we are used to playing difficult matches in difficult groups and we have qualified twice for the play-offs,” said Salmeen, referring to his side’s close brush with the World Cup Finals in 2006 and 2010 when they lost in the confederation-level play-offs.
“We want to do again what we did before, and this time we want to reach the World Cup.
“Iran is one of the big teams in Asia, while Bahrain and Qatar are advancing and producing very good performance lately, while everyone should respect Indonesia who will be strong competitors,” added Salmeen.
Iran coach calls for fan support
Iran football coach Carlos Queiroz has called the fans to support the national team during the upcoming match against Indonesia for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
Iran is scheduled to play Indonesia in the third round of the competitions in Tehran’s Azadi Stadium on September 2.
“More than 80,000 Indonesian fans will come to the stadium (in Jakarta) to support their team against Iran, that’s for sure. We want 100,000 Iranian fans to come to stadium in match against Indonesia to create a positive atmosphere,” Carlos Queiroz said during the news conference.
“Match against Indonesia is our most important game since it’s our first match. At the moment, I am just concentrating on this match. Our main objective is to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. Brazil is our destination,” the Portuguese said.
Iran has been drawn in Group E of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers along with Indonesia, Qatar and Bahrain.
Australia preparing for World Cup qualifier against Thailand
Australia coach Holger Osieck senses a height advantage could be crucial in next week's opening World Cup qualifier against Thailand and he could be right - the Changsuek have been rocked by a defensive injury crisis that former staff coach Steve Darby admits is ripe for the Socceroos to exploit.
Osieck yesterday named a virtually full-strength squad for the match in Brisbane on September 2, but his Thai counterpart, Winfried Schaefer, has been left scratching for alternatives after losing three key defenders - Nattaporn Phanrit (retirement), Panupong Wongsa (knee) and Natthaphong Samana (nose) - while first-choice goalkeeper, Kawin Thamsatchanan (elbow), is also in doubt.
The biggest blow for Schaefer was the shock retirement from international duty of popular skipper Phanrit, who appeared in the recent play-offs against Palestine. Phanrit, capped 67 times, has been troubled by a series of head injuries and has decided to focus on his club career with Muangthong United.
The likely reshuffle will leave the visitors with just one defender, Suttinun Phukhom, over 183 centimetres tall - handing a powerful incentive to two of the Socceroos most powerful headers of the ball, Josh Kennedy and Sasa Ognenovski.
English-born Darby, a former Australian national technical director who quit as Thailand's assistant coach two months ago, can see the Socceroos making the most of it.
''If Thailand had their first-choice back line available, it would have been a different story, but with the players that are missing, there's a real opportunity there,'' he said. ''If the Socceroos have got decent set-pieces they'll score goals. The Thai boys will give everything, but I'd be amazed if they got a result now.''
Osieck, meantime, gave an inkling on his likely strategy when asked whether he was plotting an aerial bombardment. ''That is definitely a thought that struck my mind,'' he said. Osieck will be in Bangkok tonight to watch Thailand's warm-up match against Singapore.
Osieck yesterday named a largely predictable 23-man squad for both the match against the Thais at Suncorp Stadium, and the subsequent qualifier against Saudi Arabia in Dammam four days later. There is only one uncapped player (Luke DeVere) on the list, which includes all 18 players involved in the recent friendly match against Wales.
Melbourne Victory's new signing Harry Kewell has again been omitted due to fitness concerns, with his Socceroos recall pencilled in for the World Cup qualifier against Oman in Sydney in October.
Asked whether Kewell's fitness was improving, Osieck said: ''Harry is definitely healthy, that is what I know, [but] to be physically healthy and to be match fit is always a gap.''
Kewell's international career is not under a cloud, with Osieck adding: ''We don't have to discuss Harry because whenever he played, as far as I am concerned, he performed. He played a good tournament [the Asian Cup] in Qatar, he had an excellent game against Germany and, when he's ready, he's definitely first choice for the team.''
Meanwhile, skipper Lucas Neill's decision to join United Arab Emirates champions Al Jazira has not fazed Osieck, despite his doubts about the standard of club football in the area.
'''When I said I don't rate the Middle East high, it was my personal opinion,'' Osieck said. ''I never wanted to be there, to work there as a coach, that was my point. [But] for players, it's a personal decision.''
In transfer news, veteran defender Simon Storey, who has been without a club since North Queensland Fury folded at the end of last season, has joined Indian giants Mohun Bagan on a one-year contract.
Osieck yesterday named a virtually full-strength squad for the match in Brisbane on September 2, but his Thai counterpart, Winfried Schaefer, has been left scratching for alternatives after losing three key defenders - Nattaporn Phanrit (retirement), Panupong Wongsa (knee) and Natthaphong Samana (nose) - while first-choice goalkeeper, Kawin Thamsatchanan (elbow), is also in doubt.
The biggest blow for Schaefer was the shock retirement from international duty of popular skipper Phanrit, who appeared in the recent play-offs against Palestine. Phanrit, capped 67 times, has been troubled by a series of head injuries and has decided to focus on his club career with Muangthong United.
The likely reshuffle will leave the visitors with just one defender, Suttinun Phukhom, over 183 centimetres tall - handing a powerful incentive to two of the Socceroos most powerful headers of the ball, Josh Kennedy and Sasa Ognenovski.
English-born Darby, a former Australian national technical director who quit as Thailand's assistant coach two months ago, can see the Socceroos making the most of it.
''If Thailand had their first-choice back line available, it would have been a different story, but with the players that are missing, there's a real opportunity there,'' he said. ''If the Socceroos have got decent set-pieces they'll score goals. The Thai boys will give everything, but I'd be amazed if they got a result now.''
Osieck, meantime, gave an inkling on his likely strategy when asked whether he was plotting an aerial bombardment. ''That is definitely a thought that struck my mind,'' he said. Osieck will be in Bangkok tonight to watch Thailand's warm-up match against Singapore.
Osieck yesterday named a largely predictable 23-man squad for both the match against the Thais at Suncorp Stadium, and the subsequent qualifier against Saudi Arabia in Dammam four days later. There is only one uncapped player (Luke DeVere) on the list, which includes all 18 players involved in the recent friendly match against Wales.
Melbourne Victory's new signing Harry Kewell has again been omitted due to fitness concerns, with his Socceroos recall pencilled in for the World Cup qualifier against Oman in Sydney in October.
Asked whether Kewell's fitness was improving, Osieck said: ''Harry is definitely healthy, that is what I know, [but] to be physically healthy and to be match fit is always a gap.''
Kewell's international career is not under a cloud, with Osieck adding: ''We don't have to discuss Harry because whenever he played, as far as I am concerned, he performed. He played a good tournament [the Asian Cup] in Qatar, he had an excellent game against Germany and, when he's ready, he's definitely first choice for the team.''
Meanwhile, skipper Lucas Neill's decision to join United Arab Emirates champions Al Jazira has not fazed Osieck, despite his doubts about the standard of club football in the area.
'''When I said I don't rate the Middle East high, it was my personal opinion,'' Osieck said. ''I never wanted to be there, to work there as a coach, that was my point. [But] for players, it's a personal decision.''
In transfer news, veteran defender Simon Storey, who has been without a club since North Queensland Fury folded at the end of last season, has joined Indian giants Mohun Bagan on a one-year contract.
Diego Maradona gets winning start Al Wasl coach
Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona had a winning start as Al Wasl coach on Sunday, seeing his team score two late goals for a 3-1 win over 10-man Ittihad Kalba in a pre-season friendly.
Maradona’s new team looked set to settle for a draw after Yaser Salem’s own goal in the 28th minute had cancelled out Manuel Olivera’s 21st-minute header.
But Mohammed Jamal and Hassan Yousef scored in the last five minutes to give the former Argentina great a win on his debut.
Al Wasl had been on the attack for most of the second half after Ittihad Kalba’s Sultan Seif was sent off before the break for a clumsy challenge on Edson Puch.
Puch went close with two free- kicks either side of the interval before Tariq Hassan inadvertently rattled the woodwork with a speculative cross.
But Mohammed Jamal and Hassan Yousef scored in the last five minutes to give the former Argentina great a win on his debut.
Al Wasl had been on the attack for most of the second half after Ittihad Kalba’s Sultan Seif was sent off before the break for a clumsy challenge on Edson Puch.
Puch went close with two free- kicks either side of the interval before Tariq Hassan inadvertently rattled the woodwork with a speculative cross.
Qatar appoints Paulo Autuori as new coach
Qatar have named Brazilian Paulo Autuori as the new coach of the Gulf nation’s Olympic football team.
The statement yesterday by the Qatar Football Association is the latest bid by Qatar to boost their world football credentials after winning the rights to host the 2022 World Cup. Qatar also plans to bid for the 2020 Olympics.
The first test for the 55-year-old Autuori will be next month in Asian qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympics. Qatar’s group includes Asian giants South Korea and regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Autuori has led Qatar’s Al Rayyan club since 2009.
The first test for the 55-year-old Autuori will be next month in Asian qualifiers for the 2012 London Olympics. Qatar’s group includes Asian giants South Korea and regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Autuori has led Qatar’s Al Rayyan club since 2009.
Sunday 14 August 2011
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