Asian Football Thread

Oh, you know about Quang Hai too, that's great guy!
Yes, he is our brightest talent now and sooner or later he will go abroad. However, for the next ~1.5 years, things are quite complicated:
- He and Van Hau, despite in very young age, are important players for their current club (fc Hanoi), losing both in them in short period of time would be a huge blow for the club, although they are the most well organized on in Vietnam now.
- Our senior and u23 national team will have various important tournaments from now on till 2020 (Asia wc qualifiers, seagames - a region sport event which only feature u23 team, but for history reason Vietnamese fans take it really seriously, u23 Asian cup - a qualifier for Olympics 2020...). If these two most important players somehow get negative effects by not getting playing time in foreign clubs, it will be a huge waste.

Above all, imo Quang Hai is our best player in modern football history, and his manager, the federation and even the fans are cautious to choose a suitable team where he can actually play and step up his game to the next level. Our situation is not like Japan or Korea, we can not afford to let our generation talent rot in some random clubs just because they are from Europe or something.

One huge factor is Quang Hai's physical aspect. Van Hau has all the tool to have a chance to be a success in Europe (he is 1m85), Hai in other hand is way too small and would he manage to be up to all the physical challenge is a huge question (although I'm quite confident in his skills)

I think if a J League club is serious about Hai, playing in J League is still a huge step up for him and Vietnamese football. The problem is, would he play regularly, would other non football problem interfere too much in his transfer (football is huge in Vietnam and Japanese investors know that, no one can deny it); and for now when Van Hau is going to Europe, Hai's heart is heading this way too I'm afraid.

 

The players are all well known, but about this german agent, no one knows for sure

 

Iran lost 0-1 against Bahrain.

This is the first lose for Iran in a WCQs match since November 2012 (almost 7 years unbeaten run).

While South Korea drew with their Northern neighbours in Pyongyang.

This makes Japan, Australia, and Syria the only teams with 100% records in Asia’s 2022 WCQs.

 

Wilmots at his best.

Anyway, that's a disgrace how AFC played it cool with North Korea. Unbelievable.

 

Do you have no idea about what they did?

 

They didn't show the match against South Korea. Ludacris.

 

It wasn't just that, they didn't allow any South Korean journalists into the country and the KFA officials had to resort to sending (fax? telegram?) updates back home. Honestly that this somehow happened reflects badly on the AFC and potentially the soft left-of-center ROK government for putting up with this BS.

 

Iran just succumbed to their second consecutive defeat. They were defeated 1-2 away against Iraq.

This left them 4 points adrift from Iraq, who are top of the group, and 2 points adrift of Bahrain who are at second place.

Iraq will play Bahrain next at home, and if they win they will most likely finish top of the group regardless of the outcome of their second-leg match against Iran, and regardless of Iran’s remaining results, unless Iraq draw or lose in their away fixture against Hong Kong (or if they drop points in their home match against Cambodia).

If this happens it will make Iran in direct competition with Bahrain for the second place, and they need to win against Bahrain at Iran in June to avoid being knocked out from this qualifying round, as a draw against Bahrain might see Iran knocked out based on head-to-head confrontations.

This dilemma of situation makes me feel that Japan were lucky to got the easiest team from pot B (Kyrgyzstan) instead of getting the likes of Iraq, Syria, Uzbekistan, Jordan, or Vietnam.
Even Japan’s pot C opponents (Tajikistan) is much easier than Thailand, Bahrain, or North Korea.

 

Iraq's win today is like killing two birds with one stone and I presume our Iraqi fellows know what I am referring to

Korea's group is really tight any team other than Srilanka can win it. But I predict Koreans will prevail at the end.

 

A win with both sporting and political value.

 

Iran shouldn't have got Wilmots imo. I don't really rate him that highly.

 

It's incredible how the only national team with an absolute control of their group.. is Japan indeed. I expected Qatar to look better than this after the first part of 2019.

 

I think the fans underestimated the important of consistency and stable of the team in a long term tournament. If the manager listened to all the complains: we should use this player, that player; we should change formation to this, to that; no way the team could perform.

Also, I think the long term, league-like tournament like this wc qualification showcases the real strength of a team. Sometimes the success in a cup tournament is only a quick boost of form or luck.

 

It's a joke also for others. South Korea aren't in control, Iran are having a lot of troubles (although Iran's group is a slightly harder one).

 

Vietnam is top of UAE’s group, with Thailand also in the group.

Qatar is top of their group, with Oman second and might overcome them.

 

Australia and Syria have also a perfect 100% record too, with Australia winning their away games against both of their tougher opponents; Kuwait and Jordan.

Syria defeated China, causing Marcelo Lippi to resign. China already dropped points by drawing against Philippines, while Syria won their away game against Philippines, which gave them an edge over China, even if they lose their second-leg match in China.

 

Qatar were way too lucky in the Asian Cup, in most of their games they were inferior to their opponents in terms of created chances and possession. They were the inferior team against Saudi, Iraq, South Korea, and Japan (this are 4 out of their 7 AC games).

In the remaining 3 matches, they were the inferior team against Lebanon in the first-half, Lebanon were more threatening and dominating, and they even scored a goal which the referee dubiously disallowed. Then, Qatar suddenly woke up in the second-half and turned the tide of the game.

Against UAE, Qatar too had less chances and possession, they scored from 2 perfectly-played counter-attacks, the UAE players pushed forward to equalise in the second half and conceded two further goals.

The only game in the Asian Cup in which Qatar were clearly a superior team compared to their opponents was the one against North Korea.

Qatar’s triumph in the 2019 AC was another fluke, just like Greece in 2004 Euro, and no wonder they will not have much luck against the likes of Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq again.

 

Well said.