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Teams turn to Asian Cup after Brazil debacle
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LESS than three months after Asia’s teams earned just three points at the World Cup, Australia, Japan and South Korea are back in action and ready to put Brazil behind them as the countdown to the 2015 Asian Cup begins.
Much has changed since June — Australia is the only team with the same coach. Japan has a new foreign tactician and South Korea is still seeking a new coach after Hong Myung-bo quit in July.
Of the four nations that participated in Brazil, South Korea has endured the toughest time.
The Korea Football Association’s senior members have resigned and talks with the Netherlands’ 2010 World Cup coach Bert van Marwijk did not lead to an appointment.
With just four months until the Asian Cup kicks off in Australia, South Korea takes on Venezuela tomorrow followed on Monday by Uruguay,.
The Korean public is normally fiercely supportive of the national team, but its standing among the people is the lowest in years. With just one win in the past eight matches, players know they must urgently improve.
“We are ready to show that we have recovered from the World Cup in which we were lacking,” said Swansea midfielder Ki Sung-yeung.
There was plenty of disappointment elsewhere as well.
Japan held hopes of making the quarterfinals at the World Cup, but like Korea, it collected only one point. The Japan FA moved quickly to replace Italian Alberto Zaccheroni with Javier Aguirre, two-time coach of the Mexican national team.
Aguirre has already omitted 11 members of the World Cup squad from his first selection against Uruguay on Friday.
Despite failing to collect a single point in Brazil, Australia is perhaps the most optimistic. Creditable performances by an inexperienced squad in a tough World Cup group were better than most expected and gave coach Ange Postecoglou something to build on.
The Socceroos face World Cup quarterfinalist Belgium in Liege today and take the field again three days later, against Saudi Arabia, which is also preparing for January’s continental tournament.
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