http://www.worldcupblog.org/asia/ World Cup South Africa 2010 en-us World Cup Blog http://japan.worldcupblog.org/group-f/asian-cup-round-up.html http://japan.worldcupblog.org/group-f/asian-cup-round-up.html Aidan Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:53:00 -0600 Asian Cup qualifying for Qatar 2011 is reaching the latter stages now, with the latest round of matches this week. For the uninitiated, the Asian Cup has 16 finalists coming from a variety of qualification routes – just to make things easy. http://japan.worldcupblog.org/group-f/blue-samurai-eventually-overcome-hong-kong.html http://japan.worldcupblog.org/group-f/blue-samurai-eventually-overcome-hong-kong.html Aidan Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:15:17 -0600 With vuvuzelas still ringing in their ears from their weekend jaunt to South Africa, Japan eased closer to Asian Cup qualification with a 4-0 win in Hong Kong on Wednesday. The result kept Japan on top of the Group A table ahead of Bahrain, although having played a game more. Bahrain bounced back from their heartbreaking encounter with New Zealand by hammering Yemen 4-0 at home in Manama. http://iran.worldcupblog.org/asian-cup-2011/group-e/jordan-1-0-iran.html http://iran.worldcupblog.org/asian-cup-2011/group-e/jordan-1-0-iran.html Afshin Afshar Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:00:50 -0600 Team Melli lost to Jordan 1-0 in Amman in their return leg of their Asian Cup Qualifier. They still lead the group with seven points, but things look bad real bad. I have been watching Team Melli for decades and this is the lowest I have ever seen them, and I am not only talking about the loss in this match, it is the direction to which Team Melli and Iranian football in general is heading. Folks, I have nothing to add tonight, maybe tomorrow the optimist in me will resurface, but tonight things look bad, really bad. http://iran.worldcupblog.org/asian-cup-2011/group-e/iran-v-jordan.html http://iran.worldcupblog.org/asian-cup-2011/group-e/iran-v-jordan.html Afshin Afshar Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:27:06 -0600 On Sunday Iran will face Jordan for the return leg of their Asian Cup qualifier in Amman. Iran won the first leg and is sitting pretty on top of the Qualifying Group E, while Jordan is on the opposite end, all the way at the bottom. But, do not let that fool you; Iran did not have a convincing victory over the Jordanians in Tehran. It took them 70 minutes to score the single winning goal. Playing in the Jordanian capital of Amman should not prove to be any easier. Iran has won two of its last three games and tied http://iran.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-blog/team-melli-world-cup-blog/iran-1-1fyr-macedonia.html http://iran.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-blog/team-melli-world-cup-blog/iran-1-1fyr-macedonia.html Afshin Afshar Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:10:24 -0600 Team Melli and FYR Macedonia played a 1-1 draw in Tehran on Wednesday. This was Iran’s last friendly before the crucial November 22 Asian Cup Qualifier with Jordan in Amman. What was a puzzle for me was the fact the Coach Afshin Ghotbi decided to play Javad Nekounam and Masoud Shojaei whose luxury of services he will not have available in Amman. This is because the Jordan match is scheduled in a non-FIFA day and their club, Osasuna, has decided not to release them for the match. I would have liked to see their replacements starting the match, but that was http://iran.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-blog/team-melli-world-cup-blog/1071.html http://iran.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-blog/team-melli-world-cup-blog/1071.html Afshin Afshar Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:01:35 -0600 Team Melli will not have the services of its players based abroad for its crucial Asian Cup qualifier against Jordan. This is due to AFC’s insistence to schedule matches on non-FIFA days, and the clubs’ refusal to release the players. This will hurt Iran more than Jordan because Jordan does not have a large contingency of players kicking their club football in other countries. I cannot be 100% certain on this, but they may even not have any players that play abroad. Click here to read more about this. http://iran.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-blog/team-melli-world-cup-blog/macedonian-army-arrives-in-iran.html http://iran.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-blog/team-melli-world-cup-blog/macedonian-army-arrives-in-iran.html Afshin Afshar Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:39:59 -0600 The Macedonians are in the Iranian capital. No, this is not Alexander the Great and his Macedonian army we are talking about; these guys are not even related to those Macedonians, well not if you listen to the Greeks, but we won't go into that! We are talking about the FYR Macedonian soccer team. Iran and FYR Macedonia are scheduled to play a friendly on Wednesday, November 18 in Tehran. The Macedonians arrived in Tehran on Monday morning. Reportedly Macedonia will have available the services of thirteen of their foreign based players. The last time these two teams met in http://australia.worldcupblog.org/socceroos/schwarz-to-the-rescue-as-a-ten-man-socceroos-side-defeat-oman.html http://australia.worldcupblog.org/socceroos/schwarz-to-the-rescue-as-a-ten-man-socceroos-side-defeat-oman.html Kieran Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:04:20 -0600 Dominant performances from Mark Schwarzer and Luke Wilkshire made a late winner from Brett Emerton enough for a depleted Socceroos side to battle back and beat Oman. An Oman goal in the 17th minute was not enough to hold off the Socceroos, with both Luke Wilkshire and Brett Emerton finding the net for the Aussies. The game started badly for the Socceroos, as young Middlesbrough defender Rhys Williams saw straight red for a clumsy challenge on Oman striker Emad Al Hosni after just 15 minutes. Not content with having the Socceroos a man down, Oman promptly converted the penalty that had ensued from Williams reckless challenge. It wasn’t all bad news for Australia, as Mark Schwarzer saved the penalty with the first of many heroics saves of the night, but Khalifa Ayil netted from the rebound. But brilliance from Mark Bresciano in the 42nd minute saw a cross sail over Luke Wilkshire, who promptly levelled the game. Schwarzer's heroics then saw Australia stay in the game, with the Fulham number one twice made close range saves. Then, in the 81st minute the Socceroos broke down the left, with Wilkshire setting David Carney free down the wing, before Carney crossed to Emerton, who promptly thumped it home. http://iran.worldcupblog.org/asian-cup-2011/group-e/iran-and-jordan-coaches-post-match-thoughts.html http://iran.worldcupblog.org/asian-cup-2011/group-e/iran-and-jordan-coaches-post-match-thoughts.html Afshin Afshar Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:46:02 -0600 Coach Afshin Ghotbi and Jordan Coach Adnan Hamad spoke to reporters after the match and shared their thoughts. I copied and pasted the post match report on the AFC website in the comments section of this post on my blog. Coach Ghotbi was not very happy with the first half performance of his team, but he saw some positive signs in the second. As always, he is very optimistic about the team’s potential and ability to improve on this performance. I think he is being very pragmatic when he says: "We have to accept that the time when we beat http://iran.worldcupblog.org/asian-cup-2011/group-e/iran-defeat-jordan-in-asian-cup-qualifier.html http://iran.worldcupblog.org/asian-cup-2011/group-e/iran-defeat-jordan-in-asian-cup-qualifier.html Afshin Afshar Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:59:02 -0600 Iran defeated Jordan in their third Group E match of the Asian Cup qualifiers. The match’s only goal was scored in 72nd minute by none other than Captain and midfielder Javad Nekounm who plays his club football in Spanish La Liga for Osasuna. Click here to read the match report and watch the goal, and go here for some of my thoughts on the match and the players. Iran now has 7 points in three matches and leads the group. http://australia.worldcupblog.org/socceroos/another-fifa-conspiracy-oman-v-socceroos-preview.html http://australia.worldcupblog.org/socceroos/another-fifa-conspiracy-oman-v-socceroos-preview.html Kieran Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:28:31 -0600 You really have to feel sorry for Oman. Due to the set-up of the Asian Cup qualifiers, Australia's full strength team only plays in two of the six qualifiers (because these are the only two FIFA sanctioned dates for the qualifiers), and poor old Oman has to play our A team twice. Poor bunch. Anyway, disregarding the possibility of a FIFA conspiracy, Australia lie at the top of the group, despite our previous game being a 'do or die' clash. The group currently sees Australia and Oman sitting in equal first on four points, with the Socceroos ahead on goal di...well, because we're better (all four teams have a massive goal difference of 0), while Kuwait and Indonesia sit behind on three and two points respectively. While a loss wouldn't put Australia completely out of the running, it would add difficulty for the A League Socceroos in the next two rounds, so a win is still vital. The game kicks off on Saturday at 6pm local, which according to the FFA is : 1am AEDT, 12:30 ACDT, 12:00 AEST, 10pm AWST. The squad appears thus: Mark Bresciano, Alex Brosque, Tim Cahill, David Carney, Scott Chipperfield, Jason Culina, Bruce Djite, Brett Emerton, Adam Federici, Brett Holman, Mile Jedinak, Brad Jones, Harry Kewell, Patrick Kisnorbo, Shane Lowry, Mark Milligan, Craig Moore, Lucas Neill, Mark Schwarzer, Mile Sterjovski, Carl Valeri, Dario Vidosic, Luke Wilkshire, Rhys Williams The call up of Alex Brosque adds insult to injury for Scott McDonald, who will feel hard done by that his weekend brace hasn't seen him recalled. Aston Villa defender Shane Lowry, who is currently on loan at Plymouth Argyle, has also been added to the squad. Hopefully Verbeek will cap Lowry so he will be tied down to Australia.