2017 AFC Cup

Discussion in 'AFC: Tournaments' started by jonny63, Dec 7, 2016.

  1. Fureeku

    Fureeku Member

    Feb 9, 2011
    Maldives
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Maldives
    Yeah, I really hope the egos making the decisions at AFC would find it in themselves to eat some humble pie and change the format again.

    There really is no need to play "Interzone Play-Offs" in the tournament proper as it really dilutes the whole point of the competition. Perhaps they can simply expand the qualification process with home-and-away ties like they have in the Europa League qualification rounds, and keep the AFC Cup as a 32-team competition.
     
    dinamo_zagreb repped this.
  2. gold4278

    gold4278 Member

    Feb 21, 2007
    Houston
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So, now that two Iraqi teams will play each other in next round, will they be able to play their games at home?
     
    (De La)Redstriker06 repped this.
  3. Suren01

    Suren01 Member+

    Apr 9, 2012
    Netherlands
    Nat'l Team:
    Iraq
    Hopefully. FIFA will decide whether they lift the ban on 11 May (and it seems that they will lift it partially for friendlies) so I have a feeling that the second leg will be moved to Iraq.
     
  4. dinamo_zagreb

    dinamo_zagreb Member+

    Jun 27, 2010
    San Jose, CA / Zagreb, Croatia
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Croatia
    ASEAN semifinals are set, Philippines are now powerhouse there.
    Global - Home United
    Johor Darul Takzim - Ceres

    Great match-ups. To be played 16/17 and 30/31 May.

    There's Iraqi duel in West.
    Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya - Al-Zawraa
    Al-Wahda (SYR) - Al-Wehdat (JOR)

    15/16 and 29/30 May.

    There are still two matchdays to be played in groups representing SAFF, CAFF, EAFF. Bengaluru suffered humiliating defeat in Bangladesh, but has it's destiny in it's own hands as they host Maziya on last day.
     
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  5. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    #105 Pelefan, May 3, 2017
    Last edited: May 3, 2017
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  6. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    Kuala Lumpur: Seven sides from the West and ASEAN Zones joined Singapore's Home United in the Zonal Semi-finals of the 2017 AFC Cup after another action-packed three days on the continent.

    Clubs from Iraq, Syria and Jordan progressed from Groups A to C in the West while the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore provided the ASEAN qualifiers from Groups F to H as the tables reached a thrilling climax.

    West Zone

    The four sides from Group C took centre stage on Monday with group leaders Al Muharraq of Bahrain travelling to second-placed Al Wehdat of Jordan needing just a point to top the standings.

    But unbeaten Al Wehdat have been in formidable form in front of their home fans and ran out 3-2 winners thanks to Baha Faisal’s decisive strike to advance as group winners and leave their opponents sweating on other results in their quest to progress as the best-placed runner-up in the West.

    Oman’s Saham Club, meanwhile, defeated Lebanon’s Nejmeh SC 3-1 to finish third in the standings after the battle of the two eliminated sides.

    A late Alaa Abdul Zahra penalty secured a 1-1 draw for Al Zawraa with already eliminated Al Ahli of Jordan a day later as the Iraqi side claimed the point they needed to wrap up top spot in Group A.

    A win for second-placed Al Jaish over bottom side Al Suwaiq of Oman would have guaranteed the Syrian team a place in the Zonal Semi-finals as either group winners or the highest-placed runner-up. A surprise 2-1 reversal, however, meant the early pacesetters in the group were ousted.

    Another Syrian side, Al Wahda, stormed to a 6-0 victory over bottom team Safa SC of Lebanon to temporarily move top of Group B, two points ahead of Bahrain’s Al Hidd and defending champions Air Force Club of Iraq, who would meet in Tuesday’s later game.

    And it was Amjed Radhi’s second-half header that secured top spot for the holders, while Al Wahda pipped both Al Muharraq and compatriots Al Jaish to claim the fourth and final berth in the Zonal Semi-finals.

    An all-Iraqi affair will take place between Air Force Club and Al Zawraa in the first-leg of the Zonal Semi-finals on May 15, leaving Al Wahda and Al Wehdat to square off in the second semi-final a day later. The return fixtures take place at the end of May.

    ASEAN Zone

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    The ASEAN Zone began proceedings on Tuesday with the three-team Group H, where Home United had already booked their place in the Zonal Semi-finals following a 4-1 win over Myanmar’s Yadanarbon two weeks ago.

    The Singaporean side sat out this week as Vietnam’s Than Quang Ninh claimed a 3-0 victory at Yadanarbon to finish second as both sides were eliminated.

    Group G kicked off first on Wednesday with all four teams in the hunt for a place in the next round. Bienvenido Maranon bagged an early brace as table-toppers Ceres Negros of the Philippines saw off Tampines Rovers 4-2 to advance as group winners and bring an end to the Singaporeans’ hopes.

    Second-placed Hanoi FC scored four second-half goals to sweep aside bottom team Felda United of Malaysia 4-1 and finish joint top of the standings but behind Ceres, by virtue of an inferior head-to-head record, as the Vietnamese team were left to wait to see whether they would advance as the best-placed runner-up.

    Another Philippines side, Global FC, went into their final Matchday on top of Group F and they made it five wins from six following a 3-1 victory over Cambodia's Beoungket Angkor to advance in pole position.

    That left 2015 AFC Cup winners Johor Darul Ta’zim needing a win to claim the fourth and final Zonal Semi-final spot and, after falling behind early on, Argentine striker Gabriel Guerra netted a hat-trick as the Malaysian team defeated Myanmar's Magwe FC 3-1 to progress and end Hanoi’s knockout phase dreams.

    Next up for Johor will be Ceres in the two-legged Zonal Semi-finals, while Global take on Home United. The first-leg of the ties are set to take place in mid-May with the return fixtures to be held at the end of the month.
     
  7. (De La)Redstriker06

    May 3, 2003
    Club:
    Montreal Impact
    Nat'l Team:
    Palestine
    You might as well just hand the trophy to the winner of the West Zone. Don't get why the AFC insists on splitting East v West in its competitions. It does nothing to aid development.
     
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  8. Fureeku

    Fureeku Member

    Feb 9, 2011
    Maldives
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Maldives
    I guess one of the main reasons is to cut down on travel costs. Some of the clubs, particularly those from the East don't even have their own websites, let alone electricity and running water. The sheer size of the continent is one of the greatest handicaps AFC have in comparison to other confederations.

    Still, I have to agree with your point. Teams should progress on merit rather than because of where they're based from. The tournament proper should contain 32 teams, 16 each from both zones, and teams from both sides should be drawn against each other in the round of 16.
     
  9. (De La)Redstriker06

    May 3, 2003
    Club:
    Montreal Impact
    Nat'l Team:
    Palestine
    Federations get money from the AFC and FIFA expressly to cover these costs. The costs of a website, electricity, and running water for a team facility for one year is a lot less than 3 round trip voyages in Asia for 25 people.

    As long as the format is the way it is- the power structure will remain the same. With all the quality outside the big four concentrated in West Asia.
     
  10. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    #110 Pelefan, May 12, 2017
    Last edited: May 12, 2017
    You mean it does nothing to aid the development of countries from West Asia. How do you expect football to gain traction from some of these countries in the East if they don't have more chances to participate in international competition. This is the reason competitions like the President's Cup and the AFC Cup where created which is to provide the lower tier countries more chances to experience international competition both at the international as well as at the club level.

    Besides as has been pointed out with the sheer size of the continent many of these clubs wouldn't even participate in this competition, as they could not afford the travel expenses especially with a home and away format. It is the AFC's responsibility to grow the sport of football not only in West Asia but throughout the entire continent, so this format makes sense in this regard.

    As for the funds provided by FIFA, a lot of it is being used to initiate grassroots initiatives for both men's and women's football as well as training facilities and expenses for the various national teams. The clubs are supposed to fend for themselves and not depend upon FIFA funds.
     
  11. (De La)Redstriker06

    May 3, 2003
    Club:
    Montreal Impact
    Nat'l Team:
    Palestine
    Palestine doing just fine competing against West Asian opponents. 10 years ago there was no consistent league play and the national team exited WCQ after losing 4-0 to Singapore and forfeiting the second match.
     
  12. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    #112 Pelefan, May 15, 2017
    Last edited: May 15, 2017
    I know Palestine is doing fine. Their constant exposure to good teams and clubs is helping them develop rapidly. But you have to give teams from the East who don't have that same exposure as much as experience as they can get. Many of their clubs(and I am not referring to those top clubs from the Philippines who actually have the means to travel anywhere in Asia to participate in competitions) will not participate in the AFC Cup qualifiers if the travel expenses become too prohibitive, or be too inconvenienced by the travel time(could reach 14 hours or more in each direction in some cases) needed to reach distant venues in Asia in the middle of their crowded league schedule.
     
  13. (De La)Redstriker06

    May 3, 2003
    Club:
    Montreal Impact
    Nat'l Team:
    Palestine
    The AFC should expose these clubs to clubs in other parts of Asia and cover the costs. The format as it is now is just stunting development.
     
  14. Fureeku

    Fureeku Member

    Feb 9, 2011
    Maldives
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Maldives
    As expected, the match against Maziya and Abahani Limited saw the home fans get vastly outnumbered against the away fans. :ROFLMAO:

    We saw a repeat of the same scenario last year when both Maldives and Bangladesh played a friendly. Perhaps they should consider playing a few "home" friendlies in Maldives, the same way Brazil plays exhibition matches in Europe. Football appears to be the favoured sport among Bangladeshi expats, which is refreshing to see.
     
    gold4278 repped this.
  15. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    AFC Cup 2017 matchday 5

    Altyn Asyr 4–1 Alay Osh
    Dordoi 1–4 Istiklol
    Maziya 2–0 Dhaka Abahani
    Mohun Bagan 3–1 Bengaluru FC
    Erchim 0–5 April 25

    West Asia Zonal semi-finals

    Al-Wahda 4–1 Al-Wehdat

    ASEAN Zonal semi-finals first leg

    Global Cebu 2–2 Home United
    Johor Darul Ta'zim 3–2 Ceres–Negros
     
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  16. Kaptah

    Kaptah Member

    Oct 21, 2016
    Club:
    --other--
    AFC should look into Kyrgyzstani clubs Alay Osh and Dordoi "performances". Especially today, a big farce, both teams were involved in criminal stuff.

    It is sad because there is many Kyrgyzstan national team (who have improved in past few years) players involved and also Tajiki current starting goalkeeper Abduazizov Mahkamov.

    Still both teams should be given a life ban at least for club competitions, maybe Makhkamov and his defence line for national team also.
     
  17. dinamo_zagreb

    dinamo_zagreb Member+

    Jun 27, 2010
    San Jose, CA / Zagreb, Croatia
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Croatia
    Yes, this what they did today looks pretty interesting.
     
  18. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    FULL-TIME | Ceres-Negros FC are through to the #AFCCup2017 ASEAN Zone Final on the away goals rule after their tie against JOHOR Southern Tigers ends 4-4 on aggregate

    They will face Singapore's Home United in the ASEAN Zone finals.

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  19. gold4278

    gold4278 Member

    Feb 21, 2007
    Houston
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What happened in this game that was suspicious?
     
  20. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
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    Final Standings
     
  21. Kaptah

    Kaptah Member

    Oct 21, 2016
    Club:
    --other--
    It was 3rd time in a row this happened with Alay. They have bet against themselves to lose the first half in their last 3 AFC Cup matches. Today there was a twist: after first half it seemed it was Dordoi who bet against themselves on the second (the odds turned upside down prior to the muppets acting acordingly). At least Alay's innocence seems unlikely. I think the last goal was a coincidence, they were probably aiming for a 4-4.however 5-4 filled their requirements also.
     
  22. Fureeku

    Fureeku Member

    Feb 9, 2011
    Maldives
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Maldives
    Maziya players and coaching staff have admitted that they are finding it difficult to come to terms with their elimination from the group stage.

    Despite having the upper hand in both their games against Bengaluru FC, Maziya lost by the solitary goal, which came via freekicks on both occasions. In previous seasons their points tally would have seen them comfortably qualify for the knockouts. In the end though, the fact is that this is their fifth season in the AFC Cup and they have never progressed past the group stage.

    Group D also saw a similar scenario where Turkmen side Altyn Asyr got knocked out despite amassing 13 points.
     
  23. dinamo_zagreb

    dinamo_zagreb Member+

    Jun 27, 2010
    San Jose, CA / Zagreb, Croatia
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Croatia
    I really hope this what happened to those two will force funny organization to change their minds and revert to old format or start something new.
     
  24. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    ASEAN Zonal Finals Fixtures

    August 2 Home v Ceres
    August 9 Ceres v Home

    Winners will face Istiklol (TJK)
     
  25. Pelefan

    Pelefan Member+

    Mar 17, 1999
    Chicago
    FT: Home United Football Club 2 - 1 Ceres-Negros FC

    Home United win the first-leg of the 2017 AFC Cup ASEAN Zonal Final by a slim margin! Home United Football Club edge this 2-1 but Ceres-Negros FC have the away goal!
     

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