Group E - 2018 FIFA WCQ – AFC Second Round

Discussion in 'AFC: Tournaments' started by stimory, Jun 7, 2015.

  1. Yacine9

    Yacine9 Member

    Jun 23, 2014
    Algiers
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Algeria
    Works fine for me. Try switching the quality to another one? I'm watching on medium.
     
  2. PersianLegion

    PersianLegion Member

    Jan 26, 2015
    What is wrong with Afghanistan goal keeper? Is he injured or what? Afghanistan has good team, just keep your confidence and you can play good football. Syria is stronger but not very much. Afghanistan can lose with one goal difference if they play just like they did vs Laos. Don't lose hope and support your team all the time. This afghan team is young and need your support to become better. Syria is a good challenge for Afghanistan, since you are not playing against easy teams in South Asia anymore. It is the beginning of your team trying to be better. Do not criticize your team destructively just help them and give them the right advice.

    Afghanistan need to work on ball control and short passes in the middle, if you fix that problem you can play good.
     
    elyas and sshah repped this.
  3. sshah

    sshah Member

    Jun 11, 2014
    Canada
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    Our goalkeeper hasn't played a single competitive game all year as he was injured late last year. Of course the coach picks the player with more rust on him than a 20 year old car to play. Sadly we don't have better options in goal.
     
  4. Yacine9

    Yacine9 Member

    Jun 23, 2014
    Algiers
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Algeria
    Syria running the score: 5-0 right now and nearly added the 6th
     
  5. PersianLegion

    PersianLegion Member

    Jan 26, 2015
    Afghanistan number 7 is a good player.
     
  6. Yacine9

    Yacine9 Member

    Jun 23, 2014
    Algiers
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Algeria
    FT Afghanistan 0 - 6 Syria

    The Syrians added the 6th after a PK at the very last moments of stoppage time
     
  7. elyas

    elyas Member

    Jan 6, 2015
    Aahh man I am so dissapointed:(:unsure:
     
    MilanMadrid repped this.
  8. PersianLegion

    PersianLegion Member

    Jan 26, 2015
    Don't be dissappointed with one match. Shit happens all the time. You need to pick up your team, find the mistakes and work on fixing them. This is football and only one team can win but you can learn from the mistakes. In some point Iran was the punching bag of top tier teams in late 80s and early 90s but some how we got our act together and crushed Saudis 3-0 and S. Korea 6-2 in AC 96. We started to become better and better but we had or set backs as well. We ended up to qualify for WC 98 when our hope was very slim then again against AS Roma we were trashed 7-1 just before WC 98 matches and lost our coach, but our team came back and played decently against teams like Germany and Yugoslavia and even defeated USA. We have seen ups and down ever since, so we learned to deal with it. Believe me Afghanistan has a good future specially after you left South Asia and joined Central Asia. With a decent management you can improve very well. You guys have the raw talent but need proper management and investment. Hopefully if your country can use your mineral resources you can improve your economy and sports in coming years.
     
    MilanMadrid, elyas and Afghan-Juventus repped this.
  9. sshah

    sshah Member

    Jun 11, 2014
    Canada
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    We are going to beat Cambodia, hopefully by a big margin which will negate this loss.:)
     
  10. EvanJ

    EvanJ Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    Mar 30, 2004
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Japan 0:0 Singapore just ended. The Bet365 odds gave Japan a 92.3% chance at winning.
     
  11. edrees

    edrees Member

    Nov 28, 2005
    Japan 0-0 Singapore
    Cambodia 0-1 Afghanistan
     
  12. Angsa

    Angsa Member

    Aug 26, 2008
    Hong Kong
    Club:
    Everton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Unbelievable...

    [​IMG]

    Today Online

    Resolute Lions hold Japan to goalless draw

    SAITAMA — Singapore today (June 16) pulled off a surprise 0-0 draw with Asian giants Japan in a 2018 World Cup qualifier in Saitama.

    Despite Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic having included the likes of Borussia Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa, AC Milan’s Keisuke Honda and Eintracht Frankurt midfielder Makoto Hasebe in his line-up, the former Asian champions were unable to break down the resolute Lions, who spent much of the game in their own half.

    Much credit had to go to Singapore goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud, who produced some spectacular saves. One of Izwan’s best saves was when he swatted away Shinji Okazaki’s header just before it crossed the line, 10 minutes after halftime.

    Moments later, the Singaporean dived to his left to get a hand on a Honda header. Honda had another golden opportunity in the 72nd minute but his free kick from 25m hit the post.

    The result means Singapore, who are 154th in the world rankings, top Group E of the second round of the 2018 World Cup Asian Zone qualifying competition after two matches, having beaten Cambodia 4-0 in Phnom Penh last week.

    Singapore lead with four points, ahead of Syria (3), Japan (1), Cambodia and Afghanistan. The Republic’s next World Cup qualifier is against Syria on Sept 3, possibly to be held in Oman, while Japan host Cambodia on the same date.

    Today, Guam also pulled off only their second qualifying win when they beat India 2-1 in Group D. Guam’s first successful qualifier was last week, 1-0 against Turkmenistan.

    Brandon McDonald put hosts Guam ahead in the 38th minute in Tamuning, and Travis Nicklaw doubled the advantage in the 62nd. Sunil Chhetri pulled one back for the visitors in stoppage time but India were handed their second defeat.

    North Korea scored four first-half goals en route to a 4-2 win over Uzbekistan to top Group H with their second win. Uzbekistan got late goals from Igor Sergeev and Sardor Rashidov but remained winless.

    Omar Abdulrahman scored with 10 minutes to go for United Arab Emirates to beat East Timor 1-0, and lead Group A. AGENCIES
     
  13. edrees

    edrees Member

    Nov 28, 2005
    Poor performance by Japan, held by Singapore
     
  14. stimory

    stimory Member

    May 13, 2008
    [QUOTE="Nice to see Southeast Asian teams doing well so far.[/QUOTE]
    Including Malaysia or without?
     
  15. edrees

    edrees Member

    Nov 28, 2005
    Yes I did watch the game, and yes agree that parking the bus is effective 1 in 10 matches, but at the end of the day, japan should easily beat Singapore and they didn't. Simple
     
    MilanMadrid and Afghan-Juventus repped this.
  16. Angsa

    Angsa Member

    Aug 26, 2008
    Hong Kong
    Club:
    Everton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Today Online

    Japan draw ‘nothing to get too excited about’

    [​IMG]

    Singapore goalkeeper Izwan (in green) played a key role in keeping the Japanese at bay on Tuesday. Photo: Getty Images

    Result a huge boost for S’pore football, but former players say issues remain

    BY NOAH TAN

    SINGAPORE — Holding Asian giants Japan to a shock goalless draw may have been a huge result for Singapore football, but former national players TODAY spoke to warned against reading too much into it.

    On Tuesday, Singapore held the four-time Asian champions to a 0-0 draw in Saitama in their second Group E match in the second round of the 2018 World Cup Asian Zone qualifiers.

    The result, which sees Singapore top the group with four points after two matches — the Lions beat Cambodia 4-0 in their opening match in Phnom Penh last week — is a timely boost to the flagging fortunes of Singapore football, particularly after the national under-23 side’s recent early exit from the 28th SEA Games.

    But former national players TODAY spoke to felt the result should be put into perspective.

    “Nobody gave Singapore a chance against Japan, so what the team pulled off was amazing,” said Sasikumar. “It’s a huge boost for us because we’re top of the table and this result should give us the momentum to move forward.

    “But it’s still nothing to get too excited about. We need a reality check on putting too much expectations on the team based on this result because it was after all a one-sided game. Japan played much better and we would have lost by a huge margin if not for (goalkeeper) Izwan (Mahbud).”

    Ex-Singapore goalkeeper Lionel Lewis, who kept goal in the Lions’ 1-0 loss to Japan in Saitama in a World Cup qualifier in 2004, added: “It’s a fantastic result for Singapore and they’ve had a really positive start in the qualifiers so far,” he said.

    “But there are a lot of things that need to be sorted out from the ground up. We need the fans back supporting not only our national team but also our domestic league, which has to be properly run.

    “In particular, improvements our youth development systems must be made and perhaps every S-League club should have a Centre of Excellence again.”

    Nonetheless, they acknowledged that holding Japan, who are 52nd in FIFA’s world rankings and have reached the last five World Cups, is a huge achievement for 154th-ranked Singapore.

    Possibly the last time Singapore pulled off a similar result against a top Asian side was their 2-0 win over eventual champions Iraq in a 2007 Asian Cup qualifier.

    Despite fielding the likes of AC Milan’s Keisuke Honda, Borussia Dortmund’s Shinji Kagawa and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Makoto Hasebe, Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic’s side failed to break down a resolute Singapore, where Izwan pulled off 18 saves against a side regarded as Asia’s best.

    Singapore’s next 2018 World Cup qualifier in Group E is an away fixture against Syria on Sept 3 — the venue has yet to be decided — and another win would put Bernd Stange’s side in a realistic position to reach the next round of the qualifiers.

    Former Singapore forward Aleksandar Duric believes the performance against Japan will give the team the confidence to get through the remaining fixtures.

    “We are currently top of the table and we have to believe that we can do it,” said Duric, 44. “The crucial game will be against Syria. Even if we don’t finish as group winners, we should be aiming for second place.

    “This generation of players are very good and are mature enough to cope with any team. Their performance against Japan proves that.”
     
  17. happy

    happy Member

    Nov 23, 2004
  18. MVP#3

    MVP#3 Member

    Mar 1, 2012
    Dubai, UAE
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United Arab Emirates
    Japan 1-0 Cambodia
    Honda [​IMG]
     
  19. jonny63

    jonny63 Member+

    Feb 17, 2005
    Norway
    Japan 3-0 Cambodia FT
     
  20. Angsa

    Angsa Member

    Aug 26, 2008
    Hong Kong
    Club:
    Everton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Today Online

    Lions beaten 1-0 by Syria in FIFA World Cup qualifiers


    [​IMG]
    The Lions' at half-time during the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers match against Syria early this morning (Sept 4).

    Photo: Football Association of Singapore/Facebook

    BY ADELENE WONG

    While both teams started the match cautiously, it was world No 157 Singapore who settled in quicker and looked the more dangerous team in the first half with a number of shots on goal.

    Lions striker Khairul Amri was left to rue a couple of missed chances in the first half, particularly in the 21st minute, as the 30-year-old’s shot from 5m out beat Syrian goalkeeper Ibrahim Almeh, only to hit the side netting.

    Another chance came just seven minutes later for Khairul Amri as he found himself in a one-on-one situation with Ibrahim, but the forward was left frustrated yet again after failing to convert the opportunity.

    Syria put the ball at the back of the net via Mahmoud Al Mawas at the stroke of half-time, but the referee disallowed it as the ball was already ruled out of play before it reached Al Mawas.

    Despite a spirited display from the Lions in the second half, it was down to an unmarked Ouday Abduljaffal to break the deadlock in the 59th minute. Latching onto a pass from teammate Sanharib Malki, the midfielder promptly headed the ball past Lions custodian Izwan Mahbud to put the Syrians 1-0 in the lead.

    Syria’s star striker Raja Rafee – who has scored 32 goals in 67 appearances for his country - continued to threaten the Singapore defence, sending the Republic’s defenders scrambling to clear the ball each time.

    With the pressure mounting, Khairul Amri missed yet another opportunity to level matters for the Lions in the 61st minute as his shot came off the goal post. Khairul’s final attempt in the 84th minute was foiled by Syrian goalie Ibrahim, as the Syrians held on to win the match, 1-0.

    The Lions, who had beaten Cambodia and held Japan to a draw in earlier group matches to top Group E are now joint-second with Japan - who beat Cambodia 3-0 this morning - on four points, with Syria leapfrogging the two countries to claim top spot with six points. Singapore will meet Afghanistan next on Oct 8 at the National Stadium. The winners of each of the eight groups from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, along with the four best second-placed teams, will progress to the third round and the 2019 Asian Cup.
     
  21. Zandi360

    Zandi360 Member+

    Dec 10, 2013
    Club:
    Sepahan
    Nat'l Team:
    Iran
    Japanese team training in Dastgerdi stadium in Iran
    [​IMG]
     
  22. Kurdii110

    Kurdii110 Member

    Jul 13, 2015
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Iraq
    Good luck to Afghanistan! Go and show the world what you are made of!
     
  23. edrees

    edrees Member

    Nov 28, 2005
    upload_2015-9-16_17-2-10.png

    To decide who will finish the group on top the Syria v Japan came will decide that.

    The group is pretty much set and the ladder will most probably look like this come end of round 2. Singapore were unlucky to lose to Syria and did draw with Japan, so if they can continue this form, they might be able to get some points of the top team.

    Afghanistan and Cambodia can use this as experience for the Asian Cup qualification (if they can win the play off)
     
  24. AKITOD

    AKITOD Member+

    Apr 5, 2007
    Hobart, Aust
    Club:
    JEF United Ichihara
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Syrians, get your team to stop grass rolling from as early as minute 26 please....it looks ridiculous.
     
  25. jonny63

    jonny63 Member+

    Feb 17, 2005
    Norway
    Singapore 1-0 Afghanistan
     

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