Asian Cup

Asian Cup

Anyone travelling over for it?  Looking forward to it, hope Australia do well.  Starts in January so maybe started thread a bit early but never mind.  Already started bombarding Sky with demands to at least give us regular highlights of the tournament - most likely amount to nothing but certainly worth a go.

There are 16 teams in the tournament divided into four groups:
Group A:
Qatar
Kuwait
China
Uzbekistan

Group B:
Saudi Arabia
Japan
Jordan
Syria

Group C:
South Korea
Australia
India
Bahrain

Group D:
Iraq
North Korea
UAE
Iran

Top 2 from each group go through (my picks, for what they're worth, in bold).  There is a chance of Aussie meeting Qatar in the semi-finals, though.  That would be an interesting one to watch.

Think I would have picked the same as you.
If Oz make it to the semis and play Qatar it will be very interesting.

I'll go for Iran to go through in group D. Iraq havem't done much at all since winning this in 2007, but that looks like the tightest group to me. Uzbekistan might be a dark horse in Group A though. 

Agree with picks for groups B and C, in group A picking Uzbekistan over China, and completely disagree with group D - picking Iran and UAE over the two you picked.

Group D is....*ahem*....explosive.

The Axis of Evil Group.

Qatar are rubbish but will progress with dodgy ref decisions...

Uzbekistan looked very good in the group stages four years ago, don't underestimate them.

There will be plenty of dodgy web streams if you don't mind Arabic commentary.

I wonder if the Phoenix will send a scout or two to the Asian Cup.  Would love some Asian talent in the team.

And yeah, possibly underestimated Uzbekistan, I've only seen them play once which was last Asian Cup.  Was in Australia at the time and the whole thing was televised - was brilliant.

Australia are having an extended squad of 50 announced, anyone know when?  I assume Jade North and Griffiths will at least make the 50.  Hopeful for Durante but wouldn't think that's likely.
loyalgunner2010-12-10 13:23:02

Sky TV replied:
"Hello Ryan,

Thank you for your email.

There are no plans to secure rights for that football event at this time however these plans are always under review. We have registered your feedback with our channel managers and we hope you will continue to enjoy all the great programming on offer here at SKY."

Unlike most other times they didn't just shut it down completely so get in there and email them, unlikely though it is.

Have been trying to find out when the squad will be announced-- to no avail.

If you find something out let us know.  I've been trying to find out the same but had no luck either.

Will do.

It was in this mornings paper.
Squad of 23 players to be announced on the 28th December.
If we get both our defenders selected, then we are going to struggle, as we will be without them for three weeks.

The full squad is:

1 ADAM JAY FEDERICI
GK 2 BRADLEY SCOTT JONES
GK 3 EUGEN-JOSIP GALEKOVIC
GK 4 MARK SCHWARZER
GK 5 MITCHELL JAMES LANGERAK
GK 6 NATHAN MARTIN COE
GK 7 THEOKLITOS SERAFIM MICHAEL
GK 8 ADRIAN ANTHONY MADASCHI
DF 9 CANSDELL-SHERRIFF SHANE LEWIS
DF 10 DAVID RAYMOND CARNEY
DF 11 DAVIDSON JASON ALAN
DF 12 DEVERE LUKE RAMON
DF 13 ERSAN GULUM
DF 14 JONATHAN DAVID MCKAIN
DF 15 LUCAS EDWARD NEILL
DF 16 LUKE WILKSHIRE
DF 17 MICHAEL ERROL THWAITE
DF 18 MICHAEL FRANCIS BEAUCHAMP
DF 19 NORTH JADE BRONSON
DF 20 OGNENOVSKI SASA
DF 21 SPIRANOVIC MATTHEW THOMAS
DF 22 THOMPSON MATTHEW BRIAN
DF 23 ADAM TOMEK SAROTA
MF 24 BRETT MICHAEL EMERTON
MF 25 BRETT TREVOR HOLMAN
MF 26 CARL VALERI
MF 27 CHRISTOPHER HERD
MF 28 HARRY KEWELL
MF 29 JASON CULINA
MF 30 KANTAROVSKI BENJAMIN
MF 31 KILKENNY NEIL MARTIN
MF 32 MATTHEW GRAHAM MCKAY
MF 33 MICHAEL JOHN JEDINAK
MF 34 MOOY AARON FRANK
MF 35 OLIVER JOHN BOZANIC
MF 36 RICHARD GARCIA
MF 37 THOMAS MICHAEL OAR
MF 38 VIDOSIC DARIO
MF 39 WILLIAMS DAVID JOEL
MF 40 ARCHIE GERALD THOMPSON
FW 41 BROSQUE ALEX JASON
FW 42 GRIFFITHS JOEL MICHAEL
FW 43 JOSHUA BLAKE KENNEDY
FW 44 MCGRATH BRENT COLM
FW 45 NATHAN JOEL BURNS
FW 46 NIKITA RUKAVYTSYA
FW 47 ROBBIE THOMAS KRUSE
FW 48 RYAN ALAN GRIFFITHS
FW 49 SCOTT DOUGLAS MCDONALD
FW 50 TIMOTHY FILIGA CAHILL
FW
loyalgunner2010-12-15 21:02:11

BRONSON

Arf

Highlighted Errol for the lols but probably should have highlighted Archibald Gerald also.

It looks as though Australia will be hosting the 2015 Asian Cup.
They are the only bidders and it is expected to to be rubber stamped next week before the KO of this years tournament.

They'll celebrate by bowing out in the semis.

So just like the coming azn cup then?

The fact that they will be hosting the tournament is the main thing.
Good for the game.

What is the azn cup?

So Qatar lost to North Korea in a warm-up. I can't wait to see them play at the WC in 2022..

Australia play a friendly vs the UAE overnight (I think) in a warm-up match before their first match of the Asian Cup. 

Fifa's website got it down for the 5th, doesn't look like it's going to be on skysport. Would like to watch it if North and Mckain are playing.

Had one of my classic mix ups.  Yeah, thanks for that.

KO 3.30am NZ time Thursday.

Australia warm up with a massive draw with heavy weights UAE.

This may have been generous

With those comments I'm sure you would have watched the game and seen the side that was put out?

Yes I did see the side.  A second rate Aussie squad still should pump UAE (ranked 105th).

They're worried about playing us as the 5th ranked Asian side.  When you look at the full Aussie squad they shouldn't be worried.  They won't finish as high as 5th.

Thats like saying we should have hammered Bahrain. Football does not work like that. Check todays EPL results as an indication.
Most of the players were A league and should have won it anyway. Was a disallowed goal from Lucas N, which was a goal.
I seem to remember us losing to Tanzania (ranked 116) in a friendly not so long ago.

Does it matter? What do matter is whether we can get any results against China and Japan. That might be an insite to where we really are.

Sorry about the do/does.

I watched the whole game. Australia were by far the superior side in the first half. On the 60 minute mark of thereabouts Osieck made a triple substitution with Kilkenny, Kruse and another A-League player (can't remember who) coming on. At that point the wheels fell off and UAE would have scored if it were not for Coe making a couple of good saves. Point being this was only a warm up and you won't see such triple substitutions in the tournament proper.

1) Jones, Wilkshere, Neil, Ogg, Carney, Valeri, Jedinak, Burns, Holman, McKay, McDonald.  I count 1 A-league player.

2) It is not like saying we should hammer Bahrain.  Australia are ranked 16th, UAE are 105th.  We are 63rd, Bahrain are 93rd.  Not even close to being the same.

Just pick the points you are happy with.
You choose to ignore the other points raised. The bottom EPL side beats one the the best this morning.
The previous thread mentioned the subs.
As long as you think you are right, thats fine with me.

well considering there are only 4 a-league players in the squad, it is impossible that most of the team was from the A-league.

Your still on about that.? What about the Tanzania result, and the EPL result? I think it proves that rankings don't always mean a lot.
The major fact is that Oz are playing in a major tournment and as I am a football supporter, that is all that matters.
If the AW get done in the friendlies against Japan and China,what will your comments be then. Only friendlies"

Err we were 78th before that results. So hardly the same.

My point is that a good proportion of Aussie supporters think that their team is hot sh*t and get their hopes up.  Even talking about competing for the WC etc.  So it is funny when reality hits them smash in the face.