China gets even Asian group
Print Edition
AUSTRALIA’S prospects of winning the Asian Cup on home soil in 2015 became significantly more difficult when the Socceroos were grouped with 2002 World Cup semifinalist South Korea during yesterday’s draw at the Sydney Opera House.
Australia will play Kuwait in the opener on January 9 in Melbourne and Oman on January 13, but it’s the clash against two-time champion South Korea in Brisbane on January 17 that highlights the first stage of the tournament in Group A.
The top four teams were seeded into different groups, with South Korea slipping to No. 5 in the region ahead of the draw and, in turn, becoming the team to avoid from the second pot of nations.
“It’s a challenging group and it will be a tough three games for us, but from our perspective we’ll know we’ll be well prepared for it,” Australia coach Ange Postecoglu said.
Defending champion Japan was put in Group D with 2007 Asian champion Iraq, Jordan and the winner of the eight-team 2014 AFC Challenge Cup to be held in Maldives in May.
Uzbekistan will face three-time champion Saudi Arabia, China and North Korea in an even-looking Group B.
“I know Uzbekistan very well because I have seen them many times in Qatar and they are a strong team to play but I think this group everyone can lose points against anyone, so it’s open,” said China coach Alain Perrin, who also hopes the large expat Chinese population in Australia will turn out to support his team.
“I think with the number of expats in Australia, it will be like playing at home,” he said.
Iran, the region’s top-ranked team, was placed with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain in a politically tense group. The UAE and Bahrain earlier this month withdrew their ambassadors from Doha in protest at Qatar’s support of the Muslim Brotherhood.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
