Jumat, 27 Juli 2012

Chinese dragon breathing fire again

(FIFA.com) Thursday 25 August 2011
Chinese dragon breathing fire again
© AFP
Zhao Peng headed home the only goal as China PR defeated Jamaica at home in a downpour a little over a fortnight ago. That friendly triumph, allied with their 6-1 second-leg 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifying victory over Laos, saw the east Asians continue their upward trajectory on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, moving four places to 69.

This position, China’s highest since the inception of the new ranking methodology in July 2006, came as a timely boost ahead of their Brazil 2014 opener against Singapore on 2 September in Asia's third qualifying round.

The Jamaica win, their sixth victory in a row, proved a fitting finale to the two-year stint of coach Gao Hongbo, who was recently replaced by Spaniard Jose Antonio Camacho. Under the former national team striker, China racked up 23 wins and 11 draws across 39 matches. The impressive tally of results saw China earn a move of 28 places during Gao’s tenure, which commenced in May 2009.

Progressive era Gao’s appointment came in the wake of China’s disastrous campaign for South Africa 2010, during which they once again failed to reach the continent’s final round. Desperate to rebuild lost credibility, Gao got his spell off to an impressive start as his new-look side drew 1-1 against Germany, before seeing off Iran 1-0 in a friendly.

Despite falling to Saudi Arabia 4-1, his charges bounced back with an 11-match unbeaten run, but his best moment was yet to come. In the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) Championship in February last year, China held hosts Japan to a goalless draw, before firing three unanswered goals past Korea Republic to end a 32-year winless streak against their neighbours. China then went to clinch the regional title with a 2-0 defeat of Hong Kong.

A 1-0 friendly win over France just prior to South Africa 2010 came as another feather in Gao’s hat. Despite a failure to progress beyond the group stage at January’s AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, their 2-0 opening victory over Kuwait and 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan secured a four-place rise to 75 in the global rankings, and into Asia’s top five.
With so many talents from which I can make selections, I am confident that we can make it to Brazil 2014.
New China coach Jose Antonio Camacho
The world’s most populous nation have not looked back since, maintaining their fifth zonal place with a series of competent displays. Their reward soon became evident, with China seeded alongside Japan, Australia, Korea Republic and Iran in the preliminary draw for Brazil 2014, thus avoiding a collision with the continent’s elite.

The draw indeed proved kinder than four years earlier, with China placed into a group that also features Iraq and Jordan. Despite laying the foundation for China’s progress, Gao made way for Camacho, who led Spain to the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Having also managed a host of La Liga sides over the past two decades, Camacho is optimistic of steering China to their second FIFA World Cup appearance. "China are a well-disciplined team and are able to play tactically well," said the former Real Madrid boss. "And with so many talents from which I can make selections, I am confident that we can make it to Brazil 2014.”
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Asian success sends Iran soaring

(FIFA.com) Thursday 27 October 2011
Asian success sends Iran soaring
© AFP
Under the guidance of Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz, Iran, who were once one of Asia’s most formidable national sides, have been clawing their way back to impressive form. And, a recent rebuilding process has overseen many successes, ultimately contributing to the Iranians' rise eight places up to 42nd in October’s FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.
While maintaining fourth position in Asia, the Iranians have closed the gap between them and the continent’s top three following their climb in this month's ranking. Most notably, the gap separating Team Melli and Asian leaders Japan has been significantly reduced from 35 to 25 places.

The driving force behind their giant move up the global ladder is, of course, Iran’s recent sensational form in Asia’s third qualifying round for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, during which they fired six unanswered goals past Bahrain in matchday 3. A 7-0 friendly defeat of Palestine in the pre-match build-up also contributed to their progress as they emerged as Asia’s second best-movers this month. 

More importantly, the Bahrain triumph has seen the Iranian outfit cement their dominant place in a section that also features Qatar and Indonesia. Another win in their second back-to-back meeting with the Gulf side at Manama on 11 November will likely to put the squad on the verge of early progression.

An attacking mindset
Boosted by the resounding win over Bahrain, Iran have set their sights not only on the next round but also a place at Brazil 2014. For the Iran faithful, however, it was the fashion in which they triumphed that has them buzzing over the side, with many believing they are close to matching the former golden generation spearheaded by the world's goal-king Ali Daei.

Indeed, the recent achievement proved a testament to the work of new manager Queiroz, who began his transformation of the team by instilling an offensive mentality within the players since taking the helm in April – a tactic Iran captain Javad Nekounam told FIFA.com was at the forefront of Queiroz development with the team.
He believes attacking is Iran’s main strength, and that we can win more matches that way.
Iran captain Javad Nekounam on coach Carlos Queiroz

"Before we used to focus more on defending, but Queiroz wants us to attack more," the 31-year-old Osasuna playmaker said. "He believes attacking is Iran’s main strength, and that we can win more matches that way. He wants us to get into the box a bit more."

Not surprisingly, the former Real Madrid and Portugal manager got his spell off to a good start with a 5-0 aggregate victory over Maldives in Asia’s second FIFA World Cup qualifying round. In the subsequent third stage, Iran humbled Indonesia 3-0 in their opener and despite a 1-1 draw in Qatar, thrashed ten-man Bahrain at home.

Along with Queiroz’s seamless transition to the head coach post, the current squad seeps a vast amount of talent. Directing the midfield in their preferred 4-3-3 formation are the likes of Nekounam, Ali Karami and former Fulham Andranik Teymourian, while frontline options include Saipa marksman Karim Ansarifard and Persepolis' attacking duo Javad Kazemian and Gholamreza Rezaei.

Focus on the future
And while Queiroz’s main focus remains forward-minded, Iran boast an impressive backline, integrating into the attack more than ever before with defenders Seyed Hosseini and Hadi Aghili both on target against Bahrain. However, in order to increase their potency upfront, Queiroz has set his sights on bringing in overseas recruits, with reports surfacing that both Belgium-based striker Reza 'Gucci' Ghoochannejhad and Wolfsburg forward Ashkan Dejagah are likely to feature in their next fixture.

Iran narrowly missed out on a place at South Africa 2010, but as every cloud has a silver lining, the heart-wrenching near-miss has served as motivation as the squad seeks to redeem itself on the Asian qualifying stage on the road to Brazil. Queiroz is especially keen on avoiding such disappointment, having watched the Iranian players weeping after a loss to Korea Republic in the quarter-finals of January’s 2011 AFC Asian Cup.

“I saw how sad the players were after the Asian Cup loss,” said the 58-year-old tactician. “It shows how much they love their national team. I told them that there will be no tears for us anymore and we need to work hard to make our rivals cry.”  
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Bahrain on the rise under Taylor

(FIFA.com) Thursday 9 February 2012
Bahrain on the rise under Taylor
© AFP
The Bahrain Football Association’s signing of English coach Peter Taylor has so far proved a masterstroke, prompting a run of excellent results that have seen the national side rocket up the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Indeed, victory in the Arab Games in December helped ensure that Bahrain rose six places to 95th on the global ladder, thus making them the 11th highest-positioned team in Asia. This upward progression was particularly welcome after the team had sunk from 93rd at the start of 2011 to a low of 102nd in June, September and November.
However, that is not to say things could not be better. Bahrain are still a long way off their record high Ranking of 44, which they attained back in September 2004, but the encouraging start to Taylor’s reign holds out the promise of a rosy future.
It’s great news. I’m just happy that our results have had a positive impact on the country’s Ranking.
Peter Taylor on Bahrain's rise to 95th on the global ladder
At the 12th edition of the Arab Games, held in Qatar, Bahrain’s performances were strong throughout. They opened their account with a 2-2 draw against hosts and Group A rivals Qatar, before going on to beat Iraq 3-0 in their second outing. Once in the semi-finals, a 3-1 victory over Palestine took them into the final against Jordan, when Ismail Abdullatif’s last-gasp goal settled a closely-fought contest and clinched the title for Bahrain.

“I’ve got truly wonderful memories of our unforgettable campaign,” reflected Taylor. “We got the gold and we’ve put Bahrain back on the map. I’m also delighted with the players, who really enjoyed the tournament and put in some excellent performances, especially in the final, which we won with a goal two minutes before the final whistle. That goal made victory even sweeter.”
When quizzed asked about Bahrain’s rise on the Ranking, Taylor appeared pleasantly surprised. “I had no idea about that, to be honest,” he said with a smile. “It’s great news. I’m just happy that our results have had a positive impact on the country’s Ranking.”
Onwards and upwards
It is clear that Taylor, who has previously coached English sides including Leicester City, Hull City and Crystal Palace, has big ambitions for his new charges. With Bahrain’s football administration also making weighty plans for the future of the game in their country, maintaining this excellent run of form is certainly important.
Though Bahrain’s qualifying campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ has been less than impressive, Taylor insisted that bringing youngsters into the squad and continuing the process of building a solid side for the future must take priority.
“Most of the players in the side are youngsters,” he said. “But given time and plenty of games their standard will improve and they’ll get the experience they need.
"If we get knocked out of the World Cup qualifiers early it will be disappointing, but we have to keep our focus. The Gulf Cup is coming up next year and there are a lot of training camps and friendlies to get through if we want the side to keep evolving and getting stronger.”
And though Taylor is thinking first and foremost about building a side to compete with the best in Asia in the near future, he would certainly not be averse to seeing Bahrain a few places higher on next month’s FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.
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Trophy helps North Koreans soar

Trophy helps North Koreans soar
© AFP
March's AFC Challenge Cup in Nepal provided an ideal opportunity for Asia’s developing teams to showcase their progress, and a number of them did exactly that with double-digit climbs on the latest edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Topping the list were Korea DPR, who dominated the tournament throughout en route to the retention of their title.

Consequently, the North Koreans received a double reward. Indeed, the achievement secured them an automatic spot at the AFC Asian Cup 2015, and catapulted the Chollima up 25 places to 86th on the global ladder, leaving them just ahead of Turkmenistan as the biggest movers in April.

Korea DPR entered the Challenge Cup seeking redemption, having suffered an early exit on the road to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. Pitted against Asian champions Japan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the continent's third qualifying round, Yun Jong-Su's side gained only four points from their four opening fixtures, which left them out of the running with two games to spare and as the only member of Asia’s four South Africa 2010 participants to miss out on the final stage of qualifying.

In the previous edition, two years ago, with their first team preparing for the FIFA World Cup, Korea DPR sent a youthful reserve outfit yet still emerged winners following a penalty shoot-out victory over Turkmenistan in the final. Determined to rebuild their lost credibility, though, they arrived at Kathmandu nearly at full strength.

The midfield maestro remained their Japanese-based star An Yong-Hak, who is plying his trade with J.League champions Kashiwa Reysol, while two teenagers in Pak Kwang-Ryong from Swiss side Basel and 2010 AFC Young Player of the Year Jong Il-Gwan formed the spearhead. Bossing the rearguard was captain Ri Kwang-Chon and in between the sticks was Ri Myong-Guk, who put in outstanding displays as his side edged the likes of Iran and Saudi Arabia to make it through to South Africa 2010.

Blessed with talents as such, it was little surprise that Korea DPR made light work of the group stage. Back-to-back 2-0 defeats of Philippines and Tajikistan were followed by a 4-0 demolition of 2008 champions India, before they fired another two unanswered goals past Palestine to set up a final re-match with Turkmenistan.

The central Asians proved to be their first real test as Korea DPR conceded their first goal in the tournament only two minutes into the match, when their opponents went ahead through skipper Berdy Shamuradov. However, Jong Il-Gwan drew the holders level on 36 minutes and shortly after Shamuradov missed a penalty on 85 minutes, Jang Song-Hyok coolly sealed the contest with a spot-kick.

Pak the rising star
While the whole Korea DPR squad impressed as a team, catching the most attention was midfielder Pak Nam-Chol who scored three times as he earned the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award. Having featured predominantly in all their three games in the last FIFA World Cup, the 26-year-old continued his emergence on the international stage, scoring the only goal against Tajikistan before netting the match-winner against a qualified Japan as they recorded two spirited victories despite elimination in Asia’s qualifying for Brazil 2014.

He would maintain his prolific form into the AFC Challenge Cup, scoring in all three group matches as they cruised to the last four. Despite tasting the Asian laurels for a straight second time, Pak was still lamenting their failed efforts in the FIFA World Cup qualifying.

"Of course I am happy to win the MVP award," he said. "But the most important thing is that the team became champions and qualified for the next Asian Cup. You obviously can't compare the Challenge Cup with the World Cup though, because the latter brings together the world’s best teams. The emotion is rather different."
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Hong Kong flying high in the Year of Dragon

(FIFA.com) Thursday 7 June 2012
Hong Kong flying high in the Year of Dragon
© Getty Images
The dragon, considered to be the most powerful of all the animals in the Chinese lunar calendar’s 12-year cycle, is believed to bring about positive changes and fortunes. For Hong Kong the mythology has proven to have had some meaning, as they have soared ten places since the turn of the calendar year from 168th in January to 158th in June.

While some superstitious local fans have been pointing to the power of the Dragon, the double-digit rise can be attributed to the fine work of the team’s newly appointed Australian coach, Ernie Merrick. Taking over last December, the 59-year-old got his tenure off to a dream start with a 5-1 demolition of Chinese Taipei in a friendly in February, a result which catapulted his side five places in March’s update.

After dropping down three spots over the next two inactive months, the east Asians regained the lost ground by beating three-time Suzuki Cup champions Singapore on 1 June, with Lam Ka Wai scoring the game’s only goal. Boosted by these two consecutive victories, Hong Kong enters this Sunday's friendly against Vietnam at Mongkok Stadium seeking to complete a winning treble under their new coach who has fixed his sights on taking his new side into the top 100 within the next four or five years.

“I wanted to set that as one of our goals,” said the former Melbourne Victory boss, who established himself among the most successful managers in Australia having guided the Victory to two A-League Championship and Premiership titles. "There is a lot of work to be done but we want to move up. We have to look at qualifying in three, four or five years for Asian Cups and for Olympic Games."

Recent revival
Long gone are the days when Hong Kong, one of the 12 founding members of the Asian Football Confederation, played a huge part on the continental scene. They finished third in the inaugural AFC Asian Cup in 1956 as hosts, racking up two points in the process including holding eventual champions Korea Republic to a 2-2 draw. Despite the failure to qualify for the next edition, they stormed into the continental finals in 1964 and 1968 only to receive the wooden spoon on both occasions.

They made few waves on the international stage over the next three decades, with a 2-1 defeat of China during the qualifying for Mexico 1986 all but their only noteworthy result. Since the return of sovereignty to China in 1997 much has changed, with the football authorities sparing no expense to claw Hong Kong back among Asia's elite.

For the time being, this is proving to be a tall order, though there was a breakthrough at junior level when they defeated Japan on penalties to clinch gold at the 2009 East Asian Games. At club level, traditional powers Sun Hei reached the semi-finals of the 2005 AFC Cup, with South China equalling the same feat four years later. This year’s edition has seen reigning Hong Kong league champions Kitchee progress beyond the group phase, only to crash out with a 2-0 defeat to Indonesia’s Arema in the Round of 16.

A series of young talents have come up through the ranks to complement the old heads. Aside from Lam Ka Wai who has become an established star with both Kitchee and Hong Kong, Au Yeung Yiu Chung has dazzled the media and fans alike with his excellent control and goalscoring capabilities, while the captain, Chan Wai Ho is the team's most capped defender. There may still be a long way to go, but the recent achievements can surely stand the former British colony in good stead for their rebuilding campaign.
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Jumat, 18 November 2011

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