Asian Football Thread

[jakartacasual]

some footage from my trip to malang to see arema

http://jakartacasualtv.blogspot.com/

[bon-nirnam]

Iranians on the move...

[jakartacasual]

penalty or not?!

http://jakartacasual.blogspot.com/2010/04/persiks-dodgy-penalty.html

[bon-nirnam]

penalty or not?!

http://jakartacasual.blogspot.com/2010/04/persiks-dodgy-penalty.html

You're joking, right?


That was a brilliant play worthy of Oscar Award nomination. What's the name of this movie?

[jakartacasual]

the movie is called 'no way are we gonna be relegated'

their biggest signing mid season wasn t a player, it was a new manager

[charade_2010]

[wolfman]

For the last few months, I've been posting a rough translation of a weekly Asian football column on Yellow Fever, the Wellington Phoenix supporters' website. I've just discovered this thread, and as I'm enjoying the sound of one hand clapping, I thought I'd resurrect this thread and also post here. To kick things off, here is last week's column.

13-19 August
 
"Lee Xiaopeng has been named as the coach of the Chinese Women's team".
 
After dominating the international game in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Chinese have struggled in recent times, especially since the emergence of North Korea as a force in women's football. They reached their nadir in May this year, finishing 4th at the Asian Cup, and therefore failing to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1991. Former coach Zhang Rui Hua resigned after the tournament, and now former international midfielder Lee Xiaopeng has been charged with the task of resurrecting China's fortunes at the Asian Games in Gwangzhou, China this November. There's a quick overview of his playing achievements, but little on his coaching history, although he was coach of the China U-17 team before this appointment.
He played for Shandong from 1994-2005 and for the national team from 1992-2002, (39 matches & 3 goals), and was part of the 2002 World Cup squad. He was in the Chinese U-17 team that were Asian champions in 1992. He also won the Chinese League with Shandong in 1999 & 2004, and the Chinese FA Cup in 1999 and 2004.
 
A brief report on Iran 4 months out from the Asian Cup. Led by Afshin Ghotbi, the 3-time champions will be looking to end a 34 year drought in Qatar. Their 3rd Asian Cup was won back in 1976, when they defeated Kuwait 1-0. At the last Asian Cup in 2007, they made the quarter-finals, before losing a penalty shootout to South Korea. After also failing to qualify for this year's World Cup, Iranian fans are hoping for a better showing this January. It will be tough for the Iranians, as they have been drawn in a 1st round group with defending champions Iraq, North Korea (who finished ahead of Iran in WC qualifying), and UAE.
 
The South Korean U-20 team came 3rd in the U-20 Women's World Cup, held in Germany last month. This was the highest finish ever by any South Korean team at a FIFA tournament. Forward Ji Soo-yeon scored 8 goals, winning the Silver Shoe (2nd highest scorer). The team were invited to meet Korean President Lee Myeong-bak at Cheong Wa Dae on August 10.
 
Wolfgang Sidka has formally signed his contract as Head Coach of the Iraq national team. The 56 year old travelled to Arbil in the north of Iraq to sign on August 9th. He had to go to Arbil as it is in the safest area in the Kurdish area of Iraq. The Iraq FA have set up their current headquarters there. Iraq are still being watched by FIFA for signs of political interference. The former Werder Bremen coach is believed to be on a salary of 500,000 dollars per year. He will be the second German to lead Iraq after Bernd Stange.
 
The JFA still expect to name their new national team coach on August 15. The new man will then have to prepare a team for Japan's friendly with Paraguay on September 4.
 
The J-League has decided not to name an All-Star team this year, due to a lack of sponsorship for an All-Star match. This is the first time this has happened since the professional J-League began in 1993.

[druryfire]

Very surprised at the latest name to be linked with the Japanese role, Victor Fernandez. Ok, looks like JFA are trying to get away from having a Japanese coach, but why Fernandez? What experience does he have in Asian football and national level football? None.

[wolfman]

Very surprised at the latest name to be linked with the Japanese role, Victor Fernandez. Ok, looks like JFA are trying to get away from having a Japanese coach, but why Fernandez? What experience does he have in Asian football and national level football? None.

In the previous week's issue, the coaches linked to the job were Fernandez, Ernesto Valverde and Marco Van Basten, none of whom have Asian experience that I'm aware of.

You'd think after the World Cup success of Korea and Japan under home-grown coaches, plus Africa's failure under mostly foreign leadership, there might be more of a trend to look inwards now.

[wolfman]

Apparently they've made an offer to Fernandez, but are still waiting for his acceptance.

[wolfman]

A bit late this week, but here is Aug 20-26.
 
The main part of the article is about Ali Karimi's sacking by Steel Azin FC (Iran) for not fasting during Ramadan.
2004 Asian Footballer of the Year Karimi was released by the club, and the news was made official on the club's website on August 15. Karimi said he couldn't believe the decision. He cited fitness and health, including the need to maintain blood sugar and hydration levels in order to perform as a professional footballer, as the reasons why he wasn't fasting. He claimed it wasn't an issue of faith, and stated that he was still a Muslim, and strongly believed in the faith.
The rest of the article covers the 31-year old's career, and his history of problems with authorities. Karimi is the second most-capped player for Iran, behind Ali Daei, and played for Bayern Munich for 2 years between 2005 and 2007. This is the 3rd ban he has received from a club or national side in his career. In 2008, he was banned from the national side after criticising the Iranian FA. Iranian President Mahamood Ahmadinejad, and Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Ayotallah Ruhollah Khomeini, Head of the Iranian Islamic Council, intervened on Karimi's behalf. In October 2008, Karimi announced his retirement. However, in February 2009, Karimi said he was available for selection after Afshin Ghotbi replaced Ali Daei as head coach. He made his international return in June 2009, scoring in a 1-0 win over the UAE in World Cup qualifying.
His next brush with authority came just weeks later, after Iran's away draw with Sth Korea, which put Iran out of WC reckoning. Karimi and several other Iran players wore green wristbands in this match, which was seen as a show of support for Hossein Musavi, leader of Iran's opposition party, who was claiming that month's government elections were fixed. Depending on the source, Karimi and the other players concerned were  banned for life, or retired. However, Karimi again appeared for Iran against Thailand in an Asian Cup qualifier in January 2010.
 
Viktor Fernandez of Spain has been offered the position of Japan national team coach, replacing Takeshi Okada.
 
Lee Chun-Soo has begun his career at new club Omiya Ardiya in the J-League. Last week, he played in the 0-0 draw against Jubilo Iwata. The match was notable for the presence of new Korean coach Cho Kwang-Rae and his assistant Park Tae-Hwa in the stands. There were a number of Koreans featured in this match. Jubilo Iwata had midfielder/wingback Park Ju-Ho and defender Lee Kang-Jin in their side. Lee Chun-Soo, who played a major part in Korea's 2002 & 2006 World Cup campaigns, hasn't played much since having problems with his previous club, Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia. Aged only 29, he is aiming to get back into the national side with regular matchplay in Japan. He will soon be joined by compatriate Lee Ho, also a midfielder, who will be moving from Al Ain in the UAE.
 
Mauricio Molina demonstrated that he is ready for the resumption of Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma's AFC Champions' League in a couple of weeks The Colombian scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory over Incheon United in a recent K-League match. Seongnam take on Suwon in the quarterfinals on 15 and 22 September.
 
A 36-year old former Korean football international, identified only by his surname, Choi, was arrested in Seoul, in possesion of 10 grams (not enough 0s?? I'm not up on my drug dealing) of methamphetamines. It is believed he was returning from China with the drugs, valued at 2M won (US$1682). A quick check of recent Korean international players reveals that the  only Choi who would be 36 now appears to be Choi Yeong-Soo, a former striker, who is now assistant coach at FC Seoul.

[wolfman]

August 27 - Sept 2

Heo Jeong-Mu, who coached the Korean national team at the 2010 World Cup, has been unveiled as the new manager at Incheon United. The 55-year old's first match in charge will be against Busan I-Park on September 4th. Incheon will be Heo's 3rd K-League side, after stinits at Pohang Steelers (1993) and Chunnam Dragons (1995-98). Incheon currently lie 9th in the 15-team K-League, and Heo's first task will be to get them up to at least 6th, in order to contest the post-season playoffs. Incheon club owner and Mayor of Incheon, Song Yeong-Gil introduced Heo as manager and expressed pleasure at securing the services of such a capable and proven coach, a sentiment he believed would be echoed by Incheon fans.
Heo is one of the most successful coaches in Korea. He was coach of the Korean national side in 1994. In 2000, he coached the Olympic team, and led the senior side to 3rd in the Asian Cup. He was an assistant coach to Pim Verbeek in 2004.
Incheon's record so far this season is 6 wins, 1 draw and 9 losses. Heo replaces temporary manager Kim Bong-Gil, who took over the side in June after the departure of Serbian Iliya Petkovic. Kim will remain as Heo's assistant.

Lee Cheong-Yong played for Bolton in their 3-1 win over West Ham in the EPL. He played 81 minutes and provided the final pass for Johan Elmander to score Bolton's 2nd goal. This was his first assist of the season in his second start. Lee has a good record against West Ham, with 1 goal and 3 assists in 4 mtaches against the Hammers.

Park Ji-Sung started his first match of the season, playing 65 minutes for Manchester United (v Fulham?) before being replaced by Nani.

Ki Seong-Yong scored the final goal in Celtic's 4-0 win over St. Mirren, with a skilful half-volley. The other goals came from Joe Ledley, Sean Maloney, and James Forrest. Celtic's 2nd consecutive win keeps them level with Rangers in the SPL. Cha Du-Ri was however not used in either mtach

Jong Tae-Se scored 2 goals for Bochum in the 2. Bundesliga. Bochum defeated 1860 Munich 3-2. Bochum coach Friedhelm Fungkoel was cautious in his praise for the North Korean, saying that he is waiting for Jong to reach full fitness, as he is currently lasting about 65-70 minutes.
Japanese-born Jong is the first North Korean to play professionally in Germany. He became well-known around the world after his emotional reaction while during the national anthems before Nth Korea's match against Brazil at the World Cup.

News has emerged from South Korean and western media that the North Korean government has punished World Cup coach Kim Jeong-Hun by forcing him to do hard labour after leading the national side to 3 losses in South Africa. The North Koreans have denied this, and claimed the story was South Korean propoganda. It is difficult to know who is telling the truth here. However, we might have a better idea in a couple of weeks, when North Korea play India in a friend;y in Delhi on 14 September. Then there is the Asian Cup in January. It will be interesting to see whether Kim is still coach.

India, coached by Englishman Bob Houghton, are preparing for the Asian Cup as well. They play Thailand home and away on 4 & 9 September, North Korea in New Delhi on 14 Spetember, Namibia on 18 September, and have two matches against Turkmenistan on September 22nd & 25th. At present, the team is training in Portugal.

English Championship side Leicester City, recently bought by a group of Thai businessmen, have signed Japanese midfielder Yuki Abe from Urawa Red Diamonds. The Foxes signed the 28-year old after his impressive performances for Japan in the World Cup. Abe played half a game for the Reds on 21 August in Urawa's 4-1 victory over Chonan Belmare, before coach Folger Finke substituted him to protect him from injury. Abe began his professional career with Jef United Chiba, where he played for 7 seasons before moving to Urawa in 2007. With the Reds, he won the J-League and AFC Champions' League and played at the World Club Championships. Abe has been capped 49 times for Japan, scoring 3 goals. He is following in the footsteps of two other Japanese midfielders who have played in England. Hidetoshi Nakata played for Bolton, and Junichi Inamoto played for Arsenal, Fulham, Cardiff City, and West Bromwich Albion.

[wolfman]

Very surprised at the latest name to be linked with the Japanese role, Victor Fernandez. Ok, looks like JFA are trying to get away from having a Japanese coach, but why Fernandez? What experience does he have in Asian football and national level football? None.

And the winner is... Alberto Zaccheroni. According to the article in the Bangkok Post, Japanese media are welcoming his reputation for attacking football, but noting that he hasn't had any major success as a manager for the past decade or so, and are concerned whether he will be able to cope with the cultural and language barriers, having had no previous experience in Asia.

[charade_2010]

REPRIEVE FOR VAN QUYEN AS CALISTO NAMES SQUAD

HANOI (2 Sept 2010) – Suspended striker Pham Van Quyen has returned to the Vietnam national team following the official squad list announced by chief coach Henrique Calisto ahead of the Thang Long Football Cup later this month.

Van Quyen was given a four-year suspension by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) following the match-fixing scandal of the Vietnam national Under-23 team at the 25th Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines in 2005.

After serving the four-year term, Van Quyen joined Song Lam Nghe An club for the V-League 2009 and while he did not fare very well, still Calisto feels that he has shown enough since his comeback to warrant a place in the national squad.

“I thought that I would not have the chance to return to the national squad after the scandal in 2005. Being trusted by coach Calisto is the chance of my lifetime. I will try to play well to repay the trust of coach Calisto and the fans,” said a jubilant Van Quyen.

Other than Van Quyen, fullback Van Truong of Hoang Anh Gia Lai, who was also involved in the scandal in 2005, was also called up to the national squad.

In the meantime star striker Le Cong Vinh, who has just returned from Portugal after a ligament operation, will not attend the Thang Long Football Cup.

The Vietnam national squad will report for camp on 6 September in Hanoi to prepare for the Thang Long Football Cup, slated for 20-24 September where they will be up against the North Korean national squad, U23 Kuwait and U23 Australia.

ASEAN champions Vietnam are using the meet towards preparing for their title defence in the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 in December.

VIETNAM TRAINING SQUAD

GOALKEEPERS: Duong Hong Son (Hanoi T&T), Nguyen Manh Dung (Thanh Hoa)

DEFENDERS: Nguyen Minh Chau (Hai Phong), Tran Duy Quang (Hoang Anh Gia Lai), Nguyen Vu Phong (Binh Duong), Nguyen Trong Hoang (Song Lam Nghe An), Tran Duc Duong (Hai Phong), Le Tan Tai (Khanh Hoa), Nguyen Minh Phuong (Dong Tam Long An), Cao Sy Cuong (Hanoi T&T), Luong Van Duoc Em (Dong Thap), Pham Thanh Luong, Nguyen Xuan Thanh (Hanoi ACB).

MIDFIELDERS: Huynh Quang Thanh (Binh Duong), Dao Van Phong (Khanh Hoa), Vu Nhu Thanh (Ninh Binh), Nguyen Huy Hoang (Song Lam Nghe An), Truong Dinh Luat (Navibank Saigon), Tran Chi Cong (Binh Duong), Doan Viet Cuong, Le Van Truong (Hoang Anh Gia Lai), Le Phuoc Tu (Thanh Hoa).


STRIKERS: Nguyen Quang Hai (Khanh Hoa), Le Sy Manh (Quang Nam), Pham Van Quyen (Song Lam Nghe An), Nguyen Viet Thang (Ninh Binh).

[wolfman]

3-9 September
FC Seoul - Korean League Cup Champions
 
FC Seoul's long wait for silverware has ended, with a 3-0 victory over Jeonbuk Motors in Korea's League Cup Final. This was the first success for Seoul since 2006. Seoul, led by coaches Nelo Vincada of Portugal, and Choi Kang-Hee, were without Choi Hyo-Jin and Kim Han-Yeon (both suspended), but had former national team striker Choi Tae-Ook, who transferred from Jeonbuk during the mid-season/World Cup break. The match, which was played at Jeonbuk's home in Jeonju, was scoreless at halftime. In the 47th minute, Uzbek international Server Dyeparov provided a cross which Montenegran striker Dejan Demyanovic put away to give Seoul the lead. 8 minutes later, Dyeparov was involved again, as his pass was diverted by Jeonbuk defender Shim Oo-Weon into his own net. The 3rd goal came near the end of the game from Lee Seung-Ryeol. The victory means Seoul pick up the first trophy of the season, and give them their second-ever League Cup. Seoul also won the League Cup in 2006, when they defeated Suwon in the final. Seoul now turn their attention to the K-League, where they are currently in 2nd place, while Jeonbuk will focus on their AFC quarterfinal matches later this month.
 
Alberto Zaccheroni has been named as Head Coach of Japan's national team. The Italian, who led AC Milan to the Serie A title in 1999, signed a 2 year contract on 31 August. Reaction has been positive in Japan, as Zaccheroni's teams have a reputation for playing attacking, attractive football. However, this is tempered by him having only a little experience at international level, and almost no knowledge of Asian football. His initial priorities will be leading Japan at the Asian Cup in Qatar this January, and guiding Japan through World Cup qualifying for Brazil 2014. His first game in charge will be a home friendly against Argentina in October.
 
Yuki Abe flew to England for his medical with new club Leicester City. He then returned to Japan while he waits for for his work permit. He will return to Leicester after the current FIFA international window.
 
Daisuke Matsui, also of Japan, is transferring from Grenoble in Ligue 2 (France) to Tom Tomsk in Russia. The 29 year old midfielder flew to Russia last week for a medical with the Siberian club. He then flew on to Japan where he will feature in Japan's friendlies with Paraguay and Guatemala this week. Matsui, who played a major role in Japan's successful World Cup campaign, is a very experienced player in Europe. He moved from Kyoto Purple Sanga to Le Mans (Ligue 1, France) in 2004, and played there for 4 seasons. He moved to St. Etienne in 2008, before playing for Grenoble last season. He will be the second Asian at Tom Tomsk, who also have Korean midfielder Kim Nam-Il on their books.
 
Budyonkor, one of Uzbekistan's leading clubs, is going through something of a crisis at the moment, with many of their star players leaving. Macedonian striker Stevica Ristic (Stevo) has moved to Amkar Perm  in Russia. In addition, the club's Brazilian contingent has left. Rivaldo has gone to Brazilian club Mogi Mirim, Victor and Edson Ramos have joined Majorca in Spain, while Denilson has yet to find another club.
 
Iran will play friendlies against China on 3 September in Zhengzhou and South Korea in Seoul on 7 September. Iranian coach Afshin Ghotbi has ties with Korea, after spells as an assistant to Guus Hiddink, Dick Advocaat and Pim Verbeek during their tenures as Head Coach of the national side.
 
EDIT: Results from the friendlies mentioned above:
Japan 0-0 Paraguay
Japan 2-1 Guatemala
China 0-2 Iran
Sth Korea 0-1 Iran

[druryfire]

Bahrain recently played host to Togo, winning 3 nil. Days later they found out the players weren't even from Togo!!

Another farce of an African team hitting the Asian shores.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/89/africa/2010/09/10/2112525/mysterious-togolese-national-team-play-friendly-against

[charade_2010]

Bahrain recently played host to Togo, winning 3 nil. Days later they found out the players weren't even from Togo!!

Another farce of an African team hitting the Asian shores.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/89/africa/2010/09/10/2112525/mysterious-togolese-national-team-play-friendly-against

Hehe ... What an interesting and strange news ! But the report on Goal.com still didn't clarify this issue .

[druryfire]

You know much about the Thang Long-Hanoi Football Cup happening in Vietnam soon?

[wolfman]

You know much about the Thang Long-Hanoi Football Cup happening in Vietnam soon?

It's a 4 team tournament for featuring U-23 squads from North Korea, Kuwait and Australia as well as the senior Vietnam side. Here is the Australian 'Olyroos' squad, to be coached by Australian assistant coach Aurelio Vidmar.

Qantas Olyroos Squad
4 Nations Tournament – Vietnam
20-24 September 2010
 
Player  -  Club
 
Luke BRATTAN          Brisbane Roar
Oliver BOZANIC        Central Coast Mariners
James BROWN         Gold Coast United
Isaka CERNAK          North Queensland Fury
Luke DeVERE           Brisbane Roar
Mate DUGANDZIC    Melbourne Victory
Diogo FERRIERA      Melbourne Victory
Antony GOLEC         Sydney FC
Marko JESIC            Newcastle Jets
Jason HOFFMAN      Melbourne Heart
Matthew JURMAN    Sydney FC
Tahj MINNIECON     Gold Coast United
Daniel MULLEN        Adelaide United
Mitch NICHOLS        Brisbane Roar
Scott NEVILLE         Perth Glory
Chris PAYNE            North Queensland Fury
Mirjan PAVLOVIC     Wellington Phoenix
Andrew REDMAYNE (gk) Brisbane Roar
Sebastian RYALL     Sydney FC
Jerrad TYSON (gk)   Gold Coast United

[wolfman]

Sept 10-16
 
"Ivanovic - China will be a big team in Asia"
 
Amid all the stories of coruption, arrests of players, etc coming out of Chinese football, there are some good things as well in the Chinese game, according to Dr. Branko Ivanovic, the Croation coach of Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneung. He believes that China will be amongst the top 5 Asian sides in the not-too-distant future. While some might question his comments, Ivanovic believes that the league is getting better and stronger, and this will have a flow-on effect for the national side. Ivanovic, who led Iran to a gold medal at the Asian Games in 2002, and was assistant coach with the Croatian team that came 3rd at the 1998 World Cup, thinks that the current group of players in the Chinese team have been together for a while, and this is leading to better performances.
The Chinese played a friendly on 3 September against Iran, losing 0-2, but bounced back to draw 1-1  with Paraguay on the 7th. This illustrates the team's spirit and teamwork, especially given the number of young players in the side. Coach Gao Hong Bo has been building this side since their win in the East Asian Championships earlier this year. Ivanovic is sure that China's loss to Iran will benefit them as they prepare for the Asian Cup 2011. He feels that their progress cannot be measured at present in terms of wins and losses, and those who are writing off the Chinese at the Asian Cup will be surprised, He thinks that China will be in the top 5 teams in Asia, and at the Asian Cup will be amongst the best teams, along with Japan, South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia. It will be interesting to see if his predictions for the future of Chinese football come true, as at present China does not have systems in place of the quality of Japan and South Korea.
 
Japan, watched by new coach Alberto Zaccheroni, played 2 friendlies last week, beating Paraguay 1-0 and Guatemala 2-1. A number of new faces took the opportunity to try and impress the new coach, including Catania striker Takayuki Morimoto, who scored both goals against Guatemala. Zaccheroni will now take the reigns and faces more friendlies against Argentina and South Korea in October. He has stated that he is aiming for a top 4 finish at the Asian Cup, before setting his sights on World Cup qualification.
 
Iran also had a successful week. after beating China 2-0, they handed South Korea their first home loss in over 2 years. In addition, it was Iran's first victory on Korean soil since 1971.  Massoud Shojaei of Osasuna scored the only goal in a 1-0 win. Iran's Asian Games (U-23) squad also enjoyed a victory, defeating Poland U-23 2-0 on the 4th, and were due to play a return match in Tehran on the 9th.
 
Despite the loss to Iran, new South Korean boss Cho Kwang-Rae was not embarrassed, as he used the match to try out new tactics, to encourage the Koreans to be more attacking and play total football. He also had some players lining up alongside experienced campaigners like Park Ji-Sung and Lee Young-Pyo.
 
Al Arabi have won the Sheikh Jassim Cup in Qatar after defeating Lekwiya 1-0 in the final in Doha.
 
The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has announced that Indonesia will play friendlies against Ivory Coast and Uruguay in October, as part of their preparation for the Asean Championships (AIFF Suzuki Cup), which Indonesia will co-host with Vietnam in December. Indonesia, coached by Austrian Albert Riedl, will also face 5 times World Champions Brazil in Jakarta this November. They will be busy in November, with friendlies with China and Timor L'Este also scheduled. It is hoped that this build-up programme will help Indonesia become ASEAN Champions for the first time. Riedl has previous coached Laos and Vietnam in the region. In 2009, he coached Laos U-23 to the semi-finals of the Southeast Asia Games (SEA games) in Vientiane. In 2007, he made history by leading Vietnam to the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup for the first time.

[druryfire]

You know much about the Thang Long-Hanoi Football Cup happening in Vietnam soon?

It's a 4 team tournament for featuring U-23 squads from North Korea, Kuwait and Australia as well as the senior Vietnam side. Here is the Australian 'Olyroos' squad, to be coached by Australian assistant coach Aurelio Vidmar.

Qantas Olyroos Squad
4 Nations Tournament – Vietnam
20-24 September 2010
 
Player  -  Club
 
Luke BRATTAN          Brisbane Roar
Oliver BOZANIC        Central Coast Mariners
James BROWN         Gold Coast United
Isaka CERNAK          North Queensland Fury
Luke DeVERE           Brisbane Roar
Mate DUGANDZIC    Melbourne Victory
Diogo FERRIERA      Melbourne Victory
Antony GOLEC         Sydney FC
Marko JESIC            Newcastle Jets
Jason HOFFMAN      Melbourne Heart
Matthew JURMAN    Sydney FC
Tahj MINNIECON     Gold Coast United
Daniel MULLEN        Adelaide United
Mitch NICHOLS        Brisbane Roar
Scott NEVILLE         Perth Glory
Chris PAYNE            North Queensland Fury
Mirjan PAVLOVIC     Wellington Phoenix
Andrew REDMAYNE (gk) Brisbane Roar
Sebastian RYALL     Sydney FC
Jerrad TYSON (gk)   Gold Coast United

14 players in the Korean squad were at the world cup according to aseanfootball.org website.

Should be a good test for all the teams.

Next week also see's the start of the AFF U-16 championship. Thailand will not play this year after failing to qualify for the AFC U-16 Championship. Teams playing are Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and invitees China.

[wolfman]

Results from the Thang Long Hanoi Cup

Monday 20/09/10
Vietnam 3-0 Kuwait U-23
Nth Korea 1-0 Australia U-23

Weds 22/09/10
Vietnam 0-2 Australia U-23
Nth Korea 1-0 Kuwait U-23

Friday 24/09/10
Vietnam 0-0 North Korea
Australia U-23 0-0 Kuwait U-23

Winners(US$20,000): North Korea 7 points
Runners-up (US$10,000): Vietnam 4 points (GD +1, GF3)
3rd Place (US$5,000): Australia U-23 4 points (GD +1, GF2)
4th place: Kuwait U-23 1 point

[druryfire]

Yadnarbon today became the first team from Myanmer to win an Asian competition, the AFC Presidents Cup, they broke the Central Asian hold on the tournament. Well done.

[wolfman]

Sept 17-23
'China choose the French path'
 
Following China's problems in recent years with corruption and matcuiing-fixing and bribery scandals, the Chinese government and and Chinese FA have taken steps to restore Chinese football to its place as an Asian power.
The CFA have decided to implement a programme with the French Football Federation, in which young Chinese players train in France. The first stage of this has taken place at 2nd division club FC Metz since last year. Youth players from Chengdu Blades in the CSL spent time training with the team at Metz, to get an idea of how French teams train.
19-year old midfielder Ee Tieng was the first player from this project to benefit, spend part of last season with the French club, spending some time in the reserve team last season, before moving into the first team for 2010-2011, playing games in defence and midfield. He is following in the footsteps of Lee Jin-Ee, who was the first Chinese player to play professionally in France. The striker played for Nancy during 1998-99 season. One of the new generation of Chinese footballers, Ee Tieng has signed a 1 year contract with Metz.It is not surpirising that Metz have signed him , as they have had a partnership with the CFA since 2004.
The CFA has plans to form similar partnerships with German club Bayer Leverkusen and Barcelona in Spain, but they will first wait and watch the progress of the French project before deciding whether to pursue these or not.
 
South Korean striker Ji Cho-Yeon is in the process of negotiating a move to Boston Breakers in the US Women's League.It is believed she has been offered a 4-year deal to be the first South Korean woman to play abroad professionally The 19-year old starred in August's U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany, helping Sth Korea to 3rd place, the best finish for any Korean side at a FIFA tournament. Her 8 goals at the World Cup also earned her the Silver Shoe, as the tournament's 2nd highest scorer behind Germany's Alexandra Popp. She is also likely to feature at this year's Asian Games in Gwangzhou, China.
 
56-year old Serbian Milovan Rajewac has left his post as coach of Ghana's national team, after failing to reach an agreement with the Ghanain FA over a new contract. Instead, he has taking the reigns of Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli. His initial term is for 18 months. According to a statement from the Ghanain FA, Rajewac was released to seek new challenges last month after negotiations failed to reach a conclusion.They wish him every success in the future, and thanked him for his efforts with Ghana over the last 2 years, which included taking the Black Stars to the World Cup quarterfinals in South Africa, before being eliminated on penalties by Uruguay.
 
27-year old Brazilian Mattheus Alonso Onorio has transferred to Iranian side Steel Azin, on a 2-year contract. Either the transfer fee or the contract is worth US$200 000. The midfielder was previously at Turkish club Ankaragucu and Nassaji Mazandaran in Iran. It is expected that he will replace Ali Karimi in the line-up, after the Iranian international was sacked last month for not fasting during Ramadan.
 
Japanese defender Yuko Nagatomo is doing well at Italian club Cessena, flying the flag for Asian footballers during his team's shock 2-0 win over AC Milan in Serie A.
 
Dr. Branko Ivanovic has hit back at complaints in the media that his Shandong Luneung side are defensive. He pointed out that the CSL leaders have scored 41 goals in 21 matches this season. The Croatian coach also reviewed his coaching history to prove his point, saying that while he was in charge of Iran, the team won 84% percent of their matches, and they played attractive football at the same time. Shandong currently lead the CSL with 44 points, 6 points clear of 2nd placed Shanghai Shenhua, and have scored 10 more goals than their rivals.
Ivanovic boasts a proud record as a coach.
Iran: Gold Medal, 2002 Asian Games; 3rd place, 2004 Asian Cup; Qualified for 2006 World Cup.
Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia): League and Cup double 2007, including an unbeaten run of 28 matches;
He took over from Lubiza Dumbagovic at Shandong, at the beginning of their ACL campaign, which ended in the group stages. Domestically, he has led them into a strong position, and barring disaster between now and the end of the season, should be in charge in next year's ACL.

[charade_2010]

Khon Kaen ready to implement SDP

Artit Chutchaipolrut during the Vision Asia assessment visit in May 2010

Khon Kaen: The Khon Kaen FA has pledged to take all steps to implement the Strategic Development Plan (SDP) under the AFC Vision Asia programme.

Its General Secretary Artit Chutchaipolrut said: “As we are a newly born football association, every step in the SDP happens to be a new thing for us, but we will take very possible action according to your advice.”

Artit said this after the AFC Vision Asia team handed over the SDP to the Khon Kaen FA. The plan is to develop football in the second largest of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand.

The SDP includes a Vision Asia Planning Workshop in late October for Khon Kaen FA, which is registered with the local government.

The FA also has agreed to AFC’s suggestions regarding its statutes and will amend them accordingly, and is looking for experts to join its standing committees.

On clubs, Khon Kaen FA is keen to develop elite amateur clubs across the province as potential participants of the soon-to-be-formed Khon Kaen Province Elite League.  

An assessment visit was conducted by a Vision Asia team in May 2010 to Khon Kaen, which is one of the three projects in Vision Thailand – the Thai chapter of Vision Asia. The other two are Chonburi and Phuket.

[wolfman]

24-30 September

'Muang Thong United Making AFC Cup History'
Basically this week is a review of the quarterfinal performances in the AFC Cup last week by Thai clubs Muang Thong United and Thai Port.

On Tuesday 21 September, Muangthong, the defending Thai Premier League champions, beat Al Karamah, of Syria,  in the 2nd leg of their AFC Cup quarterfinal, played at Yamaha Stadium (aka the Thunderdome) in Bangkok. This victory, in front of 20,000 fans, saw them overturn a 0-1 deficit from the 1st leg, and win 2-1 on aggregate to enter the semi-finals.
 
MTU have made history, becoming the first Thai club to make the semi-finals of the AFC Cup.Thailand's previous best performance in this competition was Chonburi FC's quarterfinal appearance last year. They are also just the second Thai club to make the semis of any AFC competition, following BEC Tero Sasana, losing Champions' League finalists in 2002-03 (That is, since the current ACL format was introduced in 2002-03, and the AFC Cup in 2004; Thai Farmers Bank won the old Asian Club Championship in 1993-94 & 1994-95).

Since the AFC Cup was introduced in 2004, it has been dominated by West Asia teams, with all 6 champions (in fact, all 12 finalists) have come from the Middle East. However, this year, 3 of the quarterfinalists were from ASEAN (South Asian) nations - MTU and Thai Port, plus SHB Da Nang of Vietnam. MTU are now seeking to become the first finalists (and possibly winners) from East Asia(Teams from Singapore, Vietnam, and Hong Kong has made the semis in the past).

However, Thai FA Cup holders Thai Port FC failed to join MTU in the next round, as they lost 0-3 to Al Qadsia in Kuwait City. As the first leg in Bangkok had been a scoreless draw, Al Qadsia triumphed 3-0 on aggregate. The middle-eastern side's experience at this level was to much for Port, who hopefully will have learned from this campaign, and be better for it in the future.

In the 3rd quarterfinal, Vietnamese league and cup holders SHB Da Nang lost 3-5 at home to Al Riffa of Bahrain. Al Riffa won the tie 8-3 on aggregate. Al Riffa will meet Al Qadsia in the semifinals.

Muang Thong United will meet Al Ittihad in the semifinals, after the Syrian side defeated Kazma 1-0 in Kuwait, for a 4-2 aggregate win.

The first legs will be on 5 October, and the return fixtures on 19 October

[lokomotive]

Dusit Chalermsan appointed as new head coach of HAGL. Zico most likely to return for TPL. Shall we start to guess which club he will coach next season in TPL?

[druryfire]

Dusit Chalermsan appointed as new head coach of HAGL. Zico most likely to return for TPL. Shall we start to guess which club he will coach next season in TPL?

Police? Maybe home town club KhonKaen. Back to Chonburi/Chula perhaps?

Maybe even my favorites Thai Farmers Bank!!

Do you think he will come back? Why not try his hand in Singapore? I'm sure some clubs will want him, but will he want them?

[charade_2010]

As all what I know , he will return to Bangkok and work as the manager of Hoàng Anh Gia Lai brand in Thailand .

[lokomotive]

As all what I know , he will return to Bangkok and work as the manager of Hoàng Anh Gia Lai brand in Thailand .

That would be shocking and waste of resources. I thought his dream was to become the Thai manager ones.

[druryfire]

So generally he is now just a scout assigned to Thailand.

[charade_2010]

PHNOM PENH TO GO THE EVERTON WAY

PHNOM PENH (28 Sept 2010) – Newly crowned Cambodian champions Phnom Penh Crown FC have vowed that they will be following the Everton way in developing players alongside unveiling the country's first fully-fledged football academy - the PPCFC Elite Football Academy.

The academy aims to give the opportunity for 22 selected boys aged under 13-year-old to hone their skills without compromising their academic pursuits.

“We are following the internationally acclaimed ‘Everton Way’ training programme that has produced players of such calibre as Wayne Rooney, David Unsworth, Francis Jeffers and Richard Dunne,” said Phnom Phen Crown owner Rithy Samnang.

"The search for Cambodia’s Wayne Rooney begins.”
Towards realising that ambition, the PPCFC has appointed the New Zealand based Asia Pacific Football Academy, which works in unison with Barclays Premier League side Everton.

A nationwide search led by APFA coaches next month will be used to recruit the academy’s first batch of students.

“The players will have the opportunity of training six days per week, 45 weeks per year, with no disruption to their academic schedules,” said Bouy Dary, who will be overseeing the coaching elements at the academy.
“There will be times during the year when the players and their families can exchange brief visits.”

Rithy Samnang revealed that the USD120,000 annual running costs would be defrayed by the club and all their current sponsors and co-sponsors.

The academy will be housed at Crown’s current training facility in Toul Kork.
“It is a step in the right direction and the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) wholeheartedly support this scademy,” said FFC General Secretary Ouk Sethycheat.

Construction work on Phnom Penh Crown’s facility is well underway and, when complete, will boast a dormitory, recreation room, training pitch, study room, dining hall and changing rooms.

[lokomotive]

Maybe home town club KhonKaen.

hm....let's see....maybe you are closer than you had in mind...

[charade_2010]

INDONESIA PREPARE AT HOME FOR AFF SUZUKI CUP 2010

JAKARTA (1 Oct 2010) – Indonesia will not go abroad to prepare for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 where their concentration will only be in training and playing matches at home.

Indonesia and Vietnam are the two hosts for the group matches of the AFF Suzuki Cup this year.

As such, the team under newly-appointed chief coach Alfred Riedl will be playing at least four matches – against Uruguay and then Maldives on 8 October and 12 October respectively.

In November, the Indonesian national side have planned games against China (21 Nov) and Timor Leste (24 Nov).

“The national team management committee has drawn up all the matches to be played at home and as such, we had to turn down requests for matches by Kuwait, Vietnam and India which would have required the team to travel,” said Nugraha Besoes, the general secretary of the FA of Indonesia (PSSI).

The head of the Indonesia National team Management Iman Arif, said that the first friendly game against Uruguay is important as a positive performance would give the players confidence for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010.

INDONESIA TRAINING SQUAD

GOALKEEPERS: Markus Harison, Ferry Rotinsulu, Kurnia Meiga

DEFENDERS: Slamet Riyadi, Ricardo Salampessy, Irfan Raditya, Nova Arianto, Maman Abdurrahman, M Nasuha, Zulkifly, Benny Wahyudi

MIDFIELDERS:: Tony Sucipto, Ahmad Bustomi, Eka Ramdani, Firman Utina, Atep, Arif Suyono, M Ridwan, Oktavianus Maniani

STRIKERS: Bambang Pamungkas, Boaz Solossa, Jaya Teguh Angga, Yongki Aribowo, Budi Sudarsono.

[wolfman]

So the Brazil game is off?

Also, no Sergio van Dijk? I guess the matches aren't in a FIFA window.

[BangkokGlassBunny]

And we thought Buriram fans were choreographed....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jgkm2pdWgY

But you'd have to have a heart of stone not to find this impressive.

[wolfman]

And we thought Buriram fans were choreographed....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jgkm2pdWgY

But you'd have to have a heart of stone not to find this impressive.

Yeah, I like that video. I like the girl about 1:40 in, saying she's not watching the sport, but watching the cheer squads.

[wolfman]

October 1-7
 
'Formidable Korean Women'
 
South Korea won the Women's U-17 World Cup last week in Trinidad & Tobago, beating Japan in the final on 25 September. Bringing down the curtain on an exciting tournament, the match finished 3-3 after extra-time, before Sth Korea won 5-4 on penalties. South Korea are 2nd team to win this tournament, after North Korea won the first edition, held in New Zealand in 2008. The tournament further demonstrated the strength of Asian teams in the global women's game, with 3 of the 4 semi-finalists coming from the continent. In addition to South Korea and Japan, North Korea also made the semi-finals, with Spain being the only non-Asian side to get that far.
In the semi-finals, current Asian champions Japan defeated defending World Cup champions North Korea, while South Korea beat Spain. Spain went on to claim 3rd place with a 1-0 victory over North Korea.
The South Koreans made history by becoming the first team from their country, men or women, to win a FIFA tournament. The result caps a fine year for South Korean women's football, after their U-20 side came 3rd at the U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany in August.
The 3 Asian sides also saw their players pick up most of the individual awards too. South Korean forward Yo Min-Jee won the Golden Shoe for top-scorer, with 8 goals in the tournament. She also won the Golden Ball as Player of the Tournament. Kumi Yokoyama, (Japan, forward) won the Bronze Shoe with 6 goals, and also won the Silver Ball. Finally, Kim Keum-Jong (North Korea) picked up the Bronze Ball.
 
On the men's side, coach Hong Myeong-Bo has selected World Cup players, Park Chu-Yeong (AS Monaco), Gi Seong-Yong (Glasgow Celtic), and Kim Jeong-Oo (Gwangju Sangmu), as part of South Korea's U-23 squad for the Asian Games in Gwangzhou, China. Park and Kim will fill 2 overage spots in the squad, as the Koreans bid to win their first Asian Games gold medal in 24 years. Hong has picked a very young squad, with almost all of the players aged 21 or younger, as he builds towards the 2012 Olympics.
The group draw will be made on 7 October.
South Korea have triumphed in this competition 3 times (1970, 1978, 1986), been runners-up 3 times (1954, 1958, 1962) and captured the bronze medal twice (1990 and 2002 [U-23]).
The squad is:
Goalkeepers: Kim Seung-Gyoo (Ulsan), Lee Beom-Yeong (Busan)
Defenders: Yoon Seok-Yeong (Cheonnam), Hong Jeong-Ho (Jeju), Kim Yeong-Gweon (FC Tokyo, Japan), Kim Joo-Yeong (Gyeongnam), Jang Sok-Weon (Seongnam), Chin Kwang-Hoon (Pohang), O Jae-Sok (Suwon)
Midfielders: Koo Ja-Seol (Jeju), Gi Seong-Yong (Celtic, Scotland), Kim Jeong-Oo (Gwangju), Kim Min-Oo (Sagan Tosu, Japan), So Jeong-Jin (Jeonbuk), Kim Po-Kyeong (Oita Trinita, Japan)
Forwards: Park Chu-Yeong (AS Monaco, France), Cho Yeong-Cheol (Niigata Albirex, Japan), Park Hee-Seong (Yon-se University), Ji Tong-Weon (Cheonnam)
 
Brazil's national team will play a friendly in October against Iran in Abu Dhabi (UAE)

[charade_2010]

Uruguay thrash Indonesia 7-1

World Cup semi-finalists Uruguay cruised to a 7-1 victory against Indonesia in a friendly match Friday at Jakarta's national stadium.

Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono witnessed the match in which Indonesia held up well until near the end of the first half, when many players seemed to tire.

Indonesia, ranked a lowly 131 in the FIFA world rankings, took a shock lead in the 16th minute with a shot from striker Boaz Solossa after a pass from captain Bambang Pamungkas.

But Uruguay levelled the score in the 34th minute when Edinson Cavani headed in from a pass.

Star striker Luis Suarez put the South Americans ahead nine minutes later, firing in a hard shot after overcoming two Indonesian defenders near the centre of the penalty box.

Suarez scored another goal in the 54th minute in a one-on-one situation with Indonesia goalkeeper Markus Horison.

Sebastian Eguren scored Uruguay's fourth in the 56th minute after taking a pass from Suarez on the right field.

Suarez slotted in from the penalty spot in the 68th minute to complete his hat-trick after a foul by goalkeeper Horison, and Cavani added another two goals in the 80th and 83th minutes for a hat-trick of his own.

After the match Suarez said: "Indonesia played swiftly and good. But unfortunately, they could not maintain their game because they could not concentrate well."

His captain Diego Lugano added: "Indonesia was able to make us lose our concentration in the early minutes. So it was not surprising that Indonesia could score a beautiful goal."

Uruguay's star striker Diego Forlan, who was voted 2010 World Cup's best player, did not make it to Indonesia for the match.

[wolfman]

Other friendlies:

Japan beat Argentina 1-0 to become the Unofficial World Cup Champions.
Australia 1-0 Paraguay
Brazil beat Iran (3-0 I think)
Thailand 0-2 Leicester City

[druryfire]

Japan beat Argentina 1-0 to become the Unofficial World Cup Champions.

Next up, Korea Republic.


Strangly enough, i did the same thing for the Thai league a few years ago, but it was lopsided in favour of BEC and looked rather odd!!

[charade_2010]

'Zac magic' delights Japan

Tokyo: Japan's new coach Alberto Zaccheroni has urged his team to believe in themselves after the Samurai Blue shocked South American powerhouses Argentina 1-0 in his first match in charge.

"Zac's magic; What a change! What a surprise!" read a banner headline in red ink on the front page of the popular daily Sports Nippon Saturday, the morning after Japan's first ever win over the two-times world champions.

"Many of our players have quality but they are not aware of it," the former AC Milan boss said. "I hope this victory will lead our players to believe more in their own potential."

"Our aim is not just to outdo Argentina," he added. "There is a lot of room for our players and the team to grow with the 2014 World Cup as a new goal."

The 57-year-old Italian, who has managed a string of Serie A sides but never taken charge of a national team, joined Japan after they reached the last 16 in South Africa for their best ever World Cup on foreign soil.

In Friday's friendly in Saitama, Japan kept Argentina's attack, led by Barcelona's Lionel Messi, at bay, managing 15 shots on goal to the Argentinians' 13.

Shimizu S-Pulse striker Shinji Okazaki scored the winner in the 19th minute, volleying in a rebound off Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero after a 30-metre shot by Japan captain and Wolfsburg midfielder Makoto Hasebe.

Zaccheroni said: "I watched to see how the team would express on the pitch what I have told them during the training camp."

"I feel particularly satisfied in this aspect," he added.

The daily Sankei Shimbun called the victory "Zac magic out of nowhere."

The daily said Zaccheroni's no-nonsense approach had given hope that Japan would steadily improve.

Japan play traditional rivals Korea Republic away in another friendly on Tuesday -- their last match before they travel to Qatar for the AFC Asian Cup in January, when they aim to regain the title they lost in 2007.

Japan lost to Korea 2-0 at home in May in the run-up to South Africa.

"In some sense, it may be tougher to fight South Korea than play Argentina," Zaccheroni said, without elaborating.

Renowned football writer Sergio Echigo told the Nikkan Sports: "Japan may be pardoned for playing too defensively against higher-ranking Argentina" but not against South Korea.

Argentina are fifth in the FIFA rankings, 25 places above Japan. South Korea are 44th.

[wolfman]

Just in time before the ACL final this weekend, BUT written before last week's AFC Cup decider.
Oct 29 - Nov 4 Seongnam... protecting East Asia's honour.
 
As the AFC's club competitions move in to their final stages, the 4 remaining teams are made up of 3 clubs from West Asia, with only Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma of Korea representing the East.
At the quarterfinal stage, it looked as though this would be South Korea's year, as all 4 Korean clubs qualified, making AFC history, while sides from Japan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, and Uzbekistan fell by the wayside. However, in the semifinals, only Seongnam remained of the Korean contingent. They had to face Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia. In the first leg, the Saudis triumphed 4-3 at home, but Seongnam's 3 away goals proved vital, with a 1-0 victory in the 2nd leg, which sending them through into the final. Cho Tong-Geon was the goal-scoring hero for Seongnam, as they hope for their first Asian trophy since winning the 1996 Asian Club Championship (the pre-cursor to the ACL).
 
Seongnam are hoping to continue East Asia's dominance in this competition. Korean and Japanese sides have won every final since 2006, when Jeonbuk Motors triumphed. They were followed by Urawa Red Diamonds (2007) and Gamba Osaka (2008), both of Japan, while fellow Koreans Pohang Steelers won last year. If Seongnam are victorious, it will be the 9th occasion on which a Korean side has lifted Asian club football's most important trophy. Seongnam won the Asian Club Championship in 1995-96, beating Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia in the final. They also played in and lost the 1996-97 (ACC) and 2004 (ACL) finals, blowing a 3-1 lead from the 1st away leg on the latter occasion.
 
Next, they meet surprise finalists, Zobahan of Iran. Zobahan overcame Al Hilal 2-0 on aggregate in the semifinal. Zobahan are unusual in that they have never won the Iranian league title, although they have been runners-up 3 times in 2004-05, 2008-09, and 2009-10.
 
Seongnam will have to win the final without Montenegran striker Dzenan Radoncic and Cheon Kwang-Jin, who are both suspended after picking up 2 yellow cards in the quarters and semis against Suwon and Al Shabab. Coach Shin Tae-Yong, who played in the 2004 final alongside Cheon, will need to devise new tactics to overcome these absences.
  
The AFC Champions' League winner will receive 1.5 million dollars (46.5M baht) in prize money, and the runner-up will pocket $750,000(23.25 M bt). Both teams also receive $60,000(1.86M bt) for travel expenses as well. The winner will go on to represent Asia at the World Club Championships held in the UAE this December.
 
The match officials will all be from Japan: Yuiji Nichimura (Referee), Tochiyuki Nagi & Toru Takayama (Assistant Referees), and Hiroyochi (4th Official).
 
In the AFC Cup, once again there will not be an East Asian representative in the final, after Thailand's Muang Thong United were beaten 0-2 (1-2 aggregate) by Al Ittihad of Syria in their semifinal 2nd leg. In the other semifinal, Kuwaiti side Al Qadsia overturned a 0-2 deficit against Bahrain's Al Riffa with a 4-1 victory, for a 4-3 aggregate win. Al Qadsia will host the final at their Mohammed Al Hamad Stadium. Since this competition began in 2004, every final has been contested between West Asian clubs.
 
Muang Thong United are assured of another tilt at AFC glory next season, having wrapped up their 2nd consecutive Thai Premier League title. They are still in the running for a domestic treble, as they arcurrently in the semifinals of the FA Cup, and the last 16 of the League Cup.
 
In other AFC news, Lee Young-Pyo of Al Hilal will be suspended for the early part of next season's AFC competitions, after picking up a red card in his sides 2nd leg semifinal loss to Zobahan.
 
Korean U-19 strkier, Lee Yong-Jae has scored his first goal at FC Nantes in the French Ligue 2. His second half strike gave Nantes the lead against Chateauroux, before Kevin Dupuis equalised for the opposition. There are hopes he will emulate the success of another French-based Korean striker, Monaco's Park Chu-Yeong.
 
Australia and Fulham goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer has been voted Australia's Player of the Year, with Tim Cahill of Everton in second place. Former Melbourne Victory goalkeeper, Mitch Langerak, now at Borussia Dortmund, won the Young Player of the Year Award.

[wolfman]

Nov 5-11 AFC Footballer of the Year Awards  
This week looks at the nominees for the Asian Men's Footballer of the Year award.
They are (clubs are from their home country unless noted):
 
Bater Al Mutawi (Kuwait & Al Qadsia - 2010 AFC Cup runners-up)
Fabio Cesar (Qatar & Al Rayyan)
Fahat Majidi (Iran & Esteghlal  - Iranian Champions)
Fashid Dalebi (Iran & Zobahan - 2010 ACL finalists)
Hassan Abdel Fattah (Jordan & Al Karamah, Syria)
Hussein Salman (Bahrain & Al Riffa; AFC Cup Player of the Tournament)
Keisuke Honda (Japan & CSKA Moscow, Russia)
Kim Hyeon-Gil (South Korea & Pohang Steelers)
Lee Dong-Guk (South Korea & Jeonbuk Motors)
Lee Hwei-Feng (China & Suwon Bluewings, Sth Korea)
Mohsen Bencar (Iran & Zobahan - 2010 ACL finalists)
Osama Haosawi (Saudi Arabia & Al Hilal)
Park Ji-Seong (South Korea & Manchester Utd, England)
Sasa Ognenovski (Australia & Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (Captain), South Korea - 2010 ACL finalists)
Tim Cahill (Australia & Everton, England)
 
Park & Cahill are unlikely to win, due to the AFC's rule that the recipient must attend the Awards Dinner (24 November). Both will probably be on club duty, although the 3rd European-based nominee, Honda, might attend as the Russia League may be on its winter break.
Malaysian President Datoseri Najib Dun Razak will receive a Diamond Asia award for services to Asian Football.
Other awards on the night will be:
Asian Footballer of the Year (Women)
FA of the Year
Fair Play Award (League)
Club of the Year
Futsal Club of the Year
International Team of the Year (Men's/Women's)
Referee of the Year (Men's/Women's)
Assistant Referee of the Year (Men's/Women's)
Coach of the Year (Men's/Women's)
Futsal Player of the Year
 
And finally, the usual Iran update: Iran, who lost to Brazil 0-3 in Abu Dhabi last month, will play a friendly vs Nigeria on 17 November.
 
Edit - Keisuke Honda has also announced that he is likely to miss the awards dinner, as CSKA Moscow have fixtures scheduled on November 20th and 28th.

[Tobi]

Who is interested, here a interview with Mitch Langerak:

Part 1: http://www.schwatzgelb.de/2010_10_13-interviews_mitch_langerak_interview_part_i.html

Part 2: http://www.schwatzgelb.de/2010_10_14-interviews_mitch_langerak_part_ii.html

[wolfman]

Completely forgot it was on, but Seongnam won the AFC Champions' League Final last night, defeating Zobahan 3-1 in Tokyo.

[charade_2010]

AFC Annual Awards - Kuala Lumpur 2010

[wolfman]

The teams for next year's AFC Champions' League and AFC Cup have been announced.

http://www.the-afc.com/en/tournaments/clubs/afc-champions-league/31593-acl-afcc-2010-teams

ACL:
JAPAN (4 teams): NAGOYA GRAMPUS; 2nd in league; 3rd in league; Winner of knockout competition
KOREA REP (4 teams): FC SEOUL; SUWON SAMSUNG BLUEWINGS; JEJU UNITED; 3rd in league
CHINA (4 teams): SHANDONG LUNENG; TIANJIN TEDA; SHANGHAI SHENHUA; HANGZHOU GREENTOWN
I.R. IRAN (4 teams): FOOLAD MOBARAKEH SEPAHAN; PIROOZI (Persepolis); ZOBAHAN ESFAHAN; ESTEGHLAL
SAUDI ARABIA (4 teams): AL HILAL; AL ITTIHAD; AL NASSR; AL SHABAB
UAE (3 teams): AL WAHDA; EMIRATES; AL JAZIRA
AUSTRALIA (2 teams): SYDNEY FC; MELBOURNE VICTORY
UZBEKISTAN (2 teams): BUNYODKOR; PAKHTAKOR
INDONESIA (1 team): AREMA INDONESIA
QATAR (2 teams): AL GHARAFA; AL RAYYAN

This is 30 teams. The other 2 places will go to playoff winners from: Dempo SC (india), Al Sadd (Qatar), Al Ittihad (Syria), Al Ain (UAE), Sriwijaya (Indonesia), and Muang Thong Utd.

AFC Cup:
West
BAHRAIN: AL AHLI
IRAQ: DUHOK;  AL TALABA; ARBIL
JORDAN: AL FAISALY; AL WEHDAT
KUWAIT: AL QADSIA; KUWAIT SC; AL NASR
LEBANON: AL AHED; AL ANSAR
OMAN: AL SUWAIQ; FNJAA OR ALORUBA
SYRIA: AL JAISH; AL KARAMAH
UZBEKISTAN: NASAF QARSHI
YEMEN: AL SAQR; AL TILAL

East
HONG KONG: SOUTH CHINA; TSW PEGASUS
INDIA: KINGFISHER EAST BENGAL
INDONESIA: PERSIPURA JAYAPURA
MALDIVES: V.B.; VICTORY
SINGAPORE: TAMPINES ROVERS
THAILAND: TBC
VIETNAM: HANOI T&T; SONG LAM NGHE AN

=28 teams, +4 unsuccessful playoff teams.

[wolfman]

Of note is that this was posted on the AFC website on Monday, but Thailand's 2nd spot is still TBC, and Korea's 3rd place league spot has not been confirmed either.

In Korea, Seoul and Jeju will finish 1st and 2nd in the league, and Suwon won the FA Cup.
Jeonbuk finished 3rd in the playoffs, but I think ACL Champions automatically get a spot, in which case 4th placed Seongnam might bump Jeonbuk to get that final Korean spot.

[charade_2010]

Who is TBC