reza_magassi

JAPAN:

Osim demands total football from Japan
(AFP) Wednesday 27 June 2007

Japan coach Ivica Osim has demanded that his entire squad muck in and be flexible against Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam in their tough Group B at the AFC Asian Cup next month.

"Imagine everybody is defending and everybody is attacking," Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura told sports dailies, explaining what the seasoned Bosnian strategist has told the defending champions.

"Gone are the times when two of the midfielders were offensive and the two others were defensive."

Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker Hisato Sato added: "(Osim) particularly emphasised the importance of defence by forwards.

"Both Qatar and the UAE are tight when it comes to ball possession and fierce in pressing. We surely have to bear it in mind."

Osim has played videos of Qatar and the UAE in action in separate meetings with his forwards, midfielders and defenders at a training camp just outside Tokyo since Sunday.

He personally watched the two countries play at the Gulf Cup in January, won by the UAE under French coach Bruno Metsu.

The equally dangerous Qatar, who won the Asian Games title at home in December, are led by Dzemaludin Musovic, who was Osim's assistant when they piloted the former Yugoslavia to the 1990 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.

"We confirmed that their forwards have individual skills and often put themselves in nasty spots," said Sanfrecce Hiroshima defender Yuchi Komano.

"They come attacking by passing the ball. They have aggressive players on the frontline and we need to take care of them," added the gutsy 25-year-old, who made his World Cup debut at Germany last year.

Osim, 66, took over from Brazilian legend Zico as coach after Japan crashed out of the World Cup without winning.

Japan, bidding for a third straight Asian Cup, open their campaign against Qatar on 9 July in Hanoi.

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SAUDI ARABIA:

Saudis sweep aside Singapore in Asian Cup warm-up
(Reuters) Wednesday 27 June 2007

Saudi Arabia's preparations for next month's AFC Asian Cup continued smoothly on Wednesday when the three-times champions swept aside Singapore 2-1 in a warm-up friendly despite playing almost half the match with ten men.

The visitors took the lead at the National Stadium through Abdulrahman Al Qahtani in the 26th minute and doubled it eight minutes later through Taiseer Al Jassam.

Al Jassam received his marching orders five minutes into the second half for a second bookable offence but still the Saudis were too strong, holding firm until a face-saving goal from the hosts in the final minute of play.

"I'm happy with this victory," said the Saudis' Brazilian coach Helio Anjos. "We played with one man less in the second half and we were against a strong team that played quickly.

"Because we are preparing for the Asian Cup the result will give us more confidence in ourselves and in our play," he said.

Saudi Arabia beat United Arab Emirates 2-0 at the weekend also on Singapore.

They have been placed in Group D for the July's Asian Cup along with group hosts Indonesia, Bahrain and South Korea.

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KOREA REPUBLIC (South Korea):

Korea Republic rocked by fresh blow
(Reuters) Tuesday 19 June 2007

Korea Republic's AFC Asian Cup preparations suffered another blow on Tuesday when vastly experienced midfielder Kim Nam-il was ruled out with a groin injury.

Kim, who anchored the Koreans' midfield during the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups™, will require surgery to cure the problem - known as a sports hernia - said Lee Ho-seung, general manager at Kim's K-League side Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

Korea Republic have already lost their top three players through injury, and their main striker is also a serious doubt for the tournament, which will run from 7-29 July.

"It's going to be impossible for him to play (at the Asian Cup) because it will take him up to two months to recover," Lee told Reuters by telephone. "He himself has said the pain is hard to bear so he has to have surgery soon."

Korea Republic, who have been matched with Indonesia, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in Group D, will be without Park Ji-sung (Manchester United), Lee Young-pyo (Tottenham Hotspur) and Seol Ki-hyeon (Reading) as they recover from recent surgery.

Coach Pim Verbeek is also gambling with the fitness of striker Lee Dong-guk, who has failed to shake off a knee injury picked up on the last day of the season with Middlesbrough in England's Premiership.

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AUSTRALIA:

Arnold sets Aussies final target
(Reuters) Thursday 21 June 2007

Australia's first AFC Asian Cup campaign should be deemed a failure if the Socceroos do not at least reach the final, coach Graham Arnold said.

The Socceroos are favourites to win the continental championship next month at their first attempt even though they are ranked below Japan and Iran, two of their main rivals for the title.

The Australians look to have a relatively smooth path to the semi-finals but Arnold said he expected them to go one step further.

"A pass is reaching the semi-finals, but I'll put pressure on myself by saying a failure is not making the final," Arnold told reporters at Sydney airport on Thursday before the squad flew out to Singapore for a training camp.

"In the big picture you have to get in the top four in Asia to get into the World Cup in 2010, so it's a good test for us.

"I walk past the trophy cabinet in Football Australia every day and it's empty, so it would be nice to put something in it."

Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said the players were also confident of doing well but knew it was going to be a tough tournament to win.

"There's a high expectation from everyone concerned, and rightly from ourselves as well," Schwarzer said.

"It's going to be a difficult competition and conditions are very harsh. But we've got enough quality to win the tournament."

The Asian Cup will be held in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam from 7-29 July. Australia are in the same pool as Thailand, Iraq and Oman.

princess_yassi

merC..inshallah ke hamashuno mibarim!
actually manzuram bood ke inshallah hamashuno sooorakh sooorakh mikonim!

reza_magassi

JAPAN

Japan suffer fresh injury blow

Japan's bid for a third straight Asian Cup has suffered a fresh injury
blow with international striker Ryuji Bando ruled out with a
hamstring problem.

Bando, 27, was replaced Wednesday by uncapped young utility
Masahiko Inoha just hours before the squad left for Hanoi, one of
the Cup's four host nations, the Japan Football Association said.
Gamba Osaka's Bando, who has scored two goals in three
international matches in the last 12 months, injured his right
hamstring during a training match with a university team on
Tuesday.

Inoha, a defensive midfielder with FC Tokyo, played as a centre
back for Japan's under-22 side during their Olympic qualifiers.
The 21-year-old is seen as capable of beefing up Japan's defence
after the withdrawal of injury-hit Brazilian-born centre back Marcus
Tulio Tanaka and another J-Leaguer Hiroki Mizumoto from coach
Ivica Osim's provisional 30-strong team.

The final 23-member squad for the July 7-29 Cup is led by Celtic
playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura, Frankfurt striker Naohiro Takahara
and J-League stars.

Japan will play Asian Games gold medallists Qatar next Monday
in Hanoi in their opener in Group B which also includes Gulf Cup
champions United Arab Emirates and hosts Vietnam.

Japan's Asian Cup squad (revised):
Goalkeepers: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata), Seigo Narazaki
(Nagoya Grampus Eight), Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale)
Defenders: Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama Marinos), Keisuke Tsuboi
(Urawa Red Diamonds), Akira Kaji (Gamba Osaka), Yuichi
Komano (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
Midfielders: Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic/SCO), Hideo Hashimoto
(Gamba Osaka), Naotake Hanyu (JEF United Chiba), Yasuhito
Endo (Gamba Osaka), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale),
Keita Suzuki (Urawa Reds), Yuki Abe (Urawa Reds), Yasuyuki
Konno (FC Tokyo), Satoru Yamagishi (JEF United Chiba), Yoshiaki
Ota (Jubilo Iwata), Koki Mizuno (JEF United Chiba), Masahiko
Inoha (FC Tokyo)
Forwards: Naohiro Takahara (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Seiichiro
Maki (JEF United Chiba), Hisato Sato (Sanfrecce Hiroshima),
Kisho Yano (Albirex Niigata)

TOKYO (AFP) © 2007 AFP

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'Hooped Ninja' Nakamura aims for Asian hat-trick

Celtic playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura is taking aim at a third
straight Asian Cup for Japan and himself with the dead-ball artistry
that has earned him respect in European football.

'The level of Asia is rising and Japan must get ahead of them,'
urged the most valuable player of the 2004 Asian Cup. 'As you
know, it will be a battle of pride.'

Japan coach Ivica Osim has called up Nakamura, who powered
Celtic to clinch their second straight Scottish Premier League title
coupled with the 2006-2007 Scottish Cup, only three times in his
last 10 internationals.

But the left-footed 29-year-old, along with Frankfurt striker Naohiro
Takahara, has managed to gell with a national team dominated
by J-League stars, and he is likely to be one of the players of the
tournament.

'I will run more next time and give what I have, boosting
coordination with the team,' Nakamura said after a scoreless draw
against Colombia in Japan's last Asian Cup warm-up match this
month.

Osim, the Bosnian who guided the former Yugoslavia to the 1990
World Cup quarter-finals, has demanded his players play flexible
roles since he took the helm after their early exit from Germany
2006, and that includes Nakamura.

'What he needs to improve is the speed of his play,' the
demanding Osim said when Nakamura set up two goals in a
recent 2-0 friendly win over Peru.

Modestly built at 178cm (5ft10ins), the former Yokohama Marino
player has been criticised for his physical weakness, one of the
reasons that kept him out of the 2002 World Cup finals on home
turf.

But he toughened himself up with three years at Serie-A club
Reggina before moving to Glasgow in mid-2005 for a reported
four million dollars.

Last September, the 'Hooped Ninja', as he is known, scored a
22-metre free kick in a 3-2 defeat of Manchester United at Old
Trafford to become the first Japanese to score in the European
Champions League.

Back in Scotland in November, he curled in a 30-metre effort to
lift Celtic into the last 16 knockout phase of the competition for the
first time.

And on April 22, Nakamura's injury-time free kick led to a 2-1 win
over Kilmarnock at home, sealing Celtic's 41st league
championship and earning him a place in Celtic folklore.
Nakamura, who is keen in Spain before retirement, was duly voted
both the Scottish Player of the Year and Scottish Football Writers'
Player of the Year.

The prowess saw his manager Gordon Strachan call him a 'genius
at work.'

'Watching a beautiful footballer like him is something that keeps
me happy,' said the Celtic boss.

HANOI (AFP) © 2007 AFP

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AUSTRALIA

Cahill eager to make an impact

Tim Cahill holds a treasured place in Australian football after
becoming the first player to score in the World Cup and he is set to
play a big part in the Socceroos' assault on the Asian Cup.

The 27-year-old Everton midfielder is the archetype 'box-to-box'
midfielder and gives the Australian engine-room extraordinary
energy and vibrance to be a vital member of the team.

Cahill became a national hero when he scored two of Australia's
three goals in the final eight minutes to topple Japan 3-1 at last
year's World Cup.

It made him the first Australian goalscorer at a World Cup after the
country failed to find the net in the 1974 tournament in the former
West Germany.

'To get the goal is the icing on the cake but we live for moments
like these. We dreamed of this when we were kids. I'm just really
happy to be a part of it,' official man-of-the-match Cahill said at
the time.

Cahill has become one of manager David Moyes' indispensable
players at Everton.

He has scored 22 goals in 82 league appearances for the Toffees
since signing from Millwall in 2004.

Diminutive Cahill has earned a reputation as one of the most
dangerous players in the air in England and well as being in the
right goalscoring place at the right time.

He has had a huge battle just to make the Asian Cup, winning his
recovery from a broken metatarsal suffered playing for Everton last
March and is expected to be ready for their opener against Oman
in Bangkok on July 8.

'I've always been fresh and positive mentally, and now I'm just
looking forward to the Asian Cup,' he said.

'This is one of the biggest tournaments outside the World Cup,
and we've got a massive chance of some silverware.

'I love playing for Australia. It speaks for itself. The Asian Cup is
something where realistically we've got a chance of winning.'
Cahill is looking to the tournament to prime himself for the next
English Premier League season.

'I need to make sure I stay right because I've got to go into the
Premier League season straight after the Asian Cup,' he said.
'Obviously, the last 12 months haven't gone completely to plan,
but I still played 16-18 games for Everton, scored seven goals.
'I played in the World Cup and finished in the top 50 of the Ballon
d'Or (European footballer of the year award). That's my season, so
things aren't so bad after all.'

Cahill has had a galvanising effect on the Australian team since
his debut against South Africa in London in March 2004.
Since then he has played in 23 internationals for 11 goals.

BANGKOK (AFP) © 2007 AFP

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CHINA

China win game of three halves

China completed their Asian Cup warm-up with an uninspiring 1-0
win over Australian champions Melbourne Victory in bizarre
conditions on Wednesday.

Despite objections from Victory, the match was played in three
periods of 30 minutes with free entrance for fans, although only a
few hundred turned up.

'The rules change every five minutes. They want to make sure it's
an exhibition match,' said Victory chairman Geoff Lord before the
game.

'It's changed four times since we've been here.'
After a tepid start substitute Wang Dong opened the scoring in the
second period, heading in a corner from the highly rated Zheng
Zhi.

The former Charlton Athletic man was China's most dangerous
player, registering the first shot on target -- a free-kick from
distance after 24 minutes -- and tormenting the Victory defence
with a run and shot.

Victory goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos was also tested by a Zheng
shot on 46 minutes while Wang came close with an audacious
effort from the halfway line towards the end.

Victory midfielder Matthew Theodore almost shocked China 10
minutes into the last period with a ferocious shot that pole-axed
defender Cao Yang.

No reason was given for the unusual rules although there was
speculation China coach Zhu Guanghu, who has been threatened
with the sack, was unwilling to risk losing a full match just days
before the Asian Cup.

'This is preparation for the Asian Cup -- it's just training,' said Zhu.
'We're preparing step by step to get ready for the Asian Cup. We're
on track.'

But the unconvincing result is unlikely to alleviate pressure on
Zhu, who has been told by officials to reach the semi-finals 'or
else.'

The match completes an unorthodox preparation for China, who
fielded players from Hong Kong in Sunday's Reunification Cup
victory over an ageing FIFA World Stars team.

China reached the final of the last regional showpiece but have
failed to build on their success, dropping nearly 30 places in the
FIFA rankings and failing to reach last year's World Cup.

They open their campaign against co-hosts Malaysia in Kuala
Lumpur on July 10.

HONG KONG (AFP) © 2007 AFP

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SAUDI ARABIA


Latest results:

04/07/07
Korea DPR 1
Saudi Arabia 1


and

01/07/07
Oman 1
Saudi Arabia 1

3:1 PSO

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