Two teams are flying the flag for Asia in the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The champions of the host nation Al Ahli and AFC Champions League winners Pohang Steelers of Korea Republic experience contrasting fortunes in the tournament though.
The former crashed out in the first game of the tournament as they succumbed 2-0 to Oceania champions Auckland City in the play-off to reach the quarter-finals. The result only highlighted how much more the Emiratis need to work to bring their football to be among the best in the continent.
UAE have the financial muscle to compete among the big players in world football (although the recent Dubai crisis has put a slight dent to that) and their football facilities are simply second to none, comparable to the best footballing nations in the world.
While their oil money can help turn Manchester City into an ambitious, serious outfit in the Barclays Premier League and attract star names to ply their trade on their shores, it is unable to translate into success at continental level, be it for club or country.
Their clubs suffered badly in the 2009 AFC Champions League group stage as all crashed out. One of them even went on to withdraw from the competition with four games played, putting a severe dent on the prestiege of the competition. That club in question was subsequently banned from the next two editions of the tournament with the added option of extending into a third.
Meanwhile, precocious talents have been running through the youth ranks in UAE over the years, but they have not been able to translate their success at age group into senior level. Al Ahli boast their latest teen prodigy in Ahmed Khalil who won the Asian Youth Player of the Year in 2008.
Their opponents Auckland do not boast the same financial muscle or the talent that can compete among the world's best. They come from a country that had recently qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup since 1982 and boasted one professional team playing in the Australian A-League.
Yet these paupers showed the shiekhs how to play football as they outplayed and outfought the hosts to triumph. They demonstrated money could buy almost everything, but not instant success which is often built over some time.
Perhaps the Dubai club could take a leaf out of the Koreans. Pohang are kings of Asia just one year after they were knocked out at the first round group stage in 2008.
Sometimes failure to reach the next round of the most prestigeous club competition in the continent could mean the end of the coach's tenure. But the Steelers board apparently saw something in Brazilian tactician Sergio Farias to keep him in the hot seat.
Their faith was rewarded when they beat Saudi Arabian giants Al Ittihad to be crowned champions of Asia and subsequently put on a creditable performance in Abu Dhabi. They came form behind to beat African winners TP Mazembe of Congo 2-1 in the quarters before losing by the same score to South American kings Estudiantes La Plata while being reduced to eight men.
By reaching the last four, the Steelers repeated the showings made by Gamba Osaka of Japan and Al Ittihad in previous editions of the tournament. Their influential Brazilian forward Denilson might not be in Dunga's sight for the Selecao for the World Cup, but his predatory instincts showed he could match against the best clubs in the world.
While not as cash-rich as their UAE counterparts, Pohang demonstrated their strengths in tactical discipline and maturity to punch above the weight and do the continent proud. They made Juan Sebastian Veron and company work for their win in the semis and could proudly lift their heads high for their commendable performance against the odds.
The shortcomings the Asian sides showed in the Club World Cup only further highlights the need for all Asian clubs to step up their level of professionalism on and off the pitch, from investment of facilities and youth development to scouring around the world for quality import signings that will not only boost their home league's profile, but also of the standard of football in their country.
Until the day comes when an Asian club can adequately rise up to stretch the top European and South American clubs to their limits, AFC Pro League and AFC President Mohammad Bin Hammam still have much work to do to bring the diverse continent up to speed in professional football.
Showing posts with label 2010 AFC Champions League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010 AFC Champions League. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Fresh Faces for S.League 2010
Three new foreigners, a Swede, a Croat and a Uruguayan for reigning league champions Singapore Armed Forces, as reported by the Straits Times today. None of them had prior experience playing in Southeast Asia, let alone the continent.
For the Warriors to make such an extensive effort in scouring around the globe for their new foreign signings signals their seriousness in wanting to be competitive in Asia after having a taste of how elite club football was like in the AFC Champions League at the first half of the year.
As the leading club in this football-mad nation, they are now setting the tone in the hunt for quality players who can regenerate the domestic scene following a dour 2009. For the last few seasons, virtually every local club was guilty of being content with familiarity and cost-effectiveness in their search for imports.
The trade-off was eventually a dour league that culminiated in what was the worst season ever this year, despite the few highs such as SAFFC in the Champions League and a foreign team winning a local competition. Staying in Singapore for too long has led to a deterioration in the playing qualities of several long-serving imports. They had served the league well in the past, but they are no longer the same as they were in their prime.
The best and most well-off clubs have the resources to go around the globe to hunt for talent, but how about the more modest teams who may not have the resources as those of the bigger teams?
A proposed solution is to get creative and also get down to player-hunting in Japan and South Korea, instead of waiting for connections from other people or getting lucky in their picks.
In recent seasons, there has been a quiet increase in former J.League players (not those who spent so much of their time there warming the bench) plying their trade here. Tetsuya Okayama, now retired after a stint with Albirex Niigata (Singapore), once played alongside legendary England predator Gary Lineker in Nagoya Grampus Eight then coached by Arsene Wenger.
Then there was one-time All-Star defender Haruki Seto and this season, former Kashima Antlers defender Seiji Kaneko joined Tampines Rovers and contributed significantly to his team being the stingiest defence in the league.
If sushi is not to the clubs' liking, there is still kimchi. SAFFC winger Park Tae Won was the trailblazer with his heroics with Jurong FC, Balestier Khalsa and Woodlands Wellington before moving to his present employers.
Regular K-League stalwart and two-time AFC Champions League winner Jeon Kyeong Joon was a hit with Home United before hanging his boots to become Super Reds coach, guiding the Koreans to the league runners-up place in 2008.
In these two markets alone, there are decent players who have plied their trade at the highest levels who have been released by their former clubs. They are generally affordable for the more well-off teams to look and consider.
This has been said in the media previously, and it will be said again. At one time, the league got it right when an exodus of established Thai internationals flocked to our shores to play before the Thai scene improved and the more lucrative V-League came calling.
Now the V-League and Super Liga Indonesia prove more attractive to the region's top players. The Thais and Singaporeans flocked south on the promises of good money and capacity crowds, where both of these are real challenges to all local S.League teams.
Does that mean our local clubs should just resign themselves that the top players in the region are unattainable to our shores? Their attitudes generally seem so, but this should not be the way.
All is not lost. Look at the ongoing SEA Games football tournament and there is some potential talent who could be within their reach budget-wise. Do not just let the Thais or Vietnamese grab them, go for them too.
Raid the Malaysian League for a few gems as well (provided they are also willing to undergo hardship to pass the Beep Test, the once-a-year fitness exam for S.League players) if they dare to. Opportunities are there.
S.League, like the Singapore civil service, is renowned for administrative excellence. But that does not go far in the jungle of football. We are among the so-called Top 10 Asian Leagues because of that. But if other Asian countries wake up from their slumber and catch up, then S.League will be among the minnows.
Minnows do not go to Champions League. Minnows get the bread crumbs left by the larger leagues. Tampines Rovers and now SAFFC are doing their part to avoid that, but are the other local clubs doing enough?
For the Warriors to make such an extensive effort in scouring around the globe for their new foreign signings signals their seriousness in wanting to be competitive in Asia after having a taste of how elite club football was like in the AFC Champions League at the first half of the year.
As the leading club in this football-mad nation, they are now setting the tone in the hunt for quality players who can regenerate the domestic scene following a dour 2009. For the last few seasons, virtually every local club was guilty of being content with familiarity and cost-effectiveness in their search for imports.
The trade-off was eventually a dour league that culminiated in what was the worst season ever this year, despite the few highs such as SAFFC in the Champions League and a foreign team winning a local competition. Staying in Singapore for too long has led to a deterioration in the playing qualities of several long-serving imports. They had served the league well in the past, but they are no longer the same as they were in their prime.
The best and most well-off clubs have the resources to go around the globe to hunt for talent, but how about the more modest teams who may not have the resources as those of the bigger teams?
A proposed solution is to get creative and also get down to player-hunting in Japan and South Korea, instead of waiting for connections from other people or getting lucky in their picks.
In recent seasons, there has been a quiet increase in former J.League players (not those who spent so much of their time there warming the bench) plying their trade here. Tetsuya Okayama, now retired after a stint with Albirex Niigata (Singapore), once played alongside legendary England predator Gary Lineker in Nagoya Grampus Eight then coached by Arsene Wenger.
Then there was one-time All-Star defender Haruki Seto and this season, former Kashima Antlers defender Seiji Kaneko joined Tampines Rovers and contributed significantly to his team being the stingiest defence in the league.
If sushi is not to the clubs' liking, there is still kimchi. SAFFC winger Park Tae Won was the trailblazer with his heroics with Jurong FC, Balestier Khalsa and Woodlands Wellington before moving to his present employers.
Regular K-League stalwart and two-time AFC Champions League winner Jeon Kyeong Joon was a hit with Home United before hanging his boots to become Super Reds coach, guiding the Koreans to the league runners-up place in 2008.
In these two markets alone, there are decent players who have plied their trade at the highest levels who have been released by their former clubs. They are generally affordable for the more well-off teams to look and consider.
This has been said in the media previously, and it will be said again. At one time, the league got it right when an exodus of established Thai internationals flocked to our shores to play before the Thai scene improved and the more lucrative V-League came calling.
Now the V-League and Super Liga Indonesia prove more attractive to the region's top players. The Thais and Singaporeans flocked south on the promises of good money and capacity crowds, where both of these are real challenges to all local S.League teams.
Does that mean our local clubs should just resign themselves that the top players in the region are unattainable to our shores? Their attitudes generally seem so, but this should not be the way.
All is not lost. Look at the ongoing SEA Games football tournament and there is some potential talent who could be within their reach budget-wise. Do not just let the Thais or Vietnamese grab them, go for them too.
Raid the Malaysian League for a few gems as well (provided they are also willing to undergo hardship to pass the Beep Test, the once-a-year fitness exam for S.League players) if they dare to. Opportunities are there.
S.League, like the Singapore civil service, is renowned for administrative excellence. But that does not go far in the jungle of football. We are among the so-called Top 10 Asian Leagues because of that. But if other Asian countries wake up from their slumber and catch up, then S.League will be among the minnows.
Minnows do not go to Champions League. Minnows get the bread crumbs left by the larger leagues. Tampines Rovers and now SAFFC are doing their part to avoid that, but are the other local clubs doing enough?
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Singapore's Involvement in Asian Club Competition 2010
AFC Cup 2010
2009 Singapore Cup champions Geylang United make their return to continental football in six years since their semi-final appearance in the inaugural AFC Cup in 2004.
On Monday's AFC Cup group stage draw held in the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, the Eagles are drawn into Group H alongside Hong Kong FA Cup winners Tai Po and Thailand FA Cup holders Thai Port. Either Sriwijaya (Indonesia) or Da Nang (Vietnam) will join this group after the AFC Champions League East zone play-offs early next year.
Meanwhile, should S.League champions Singapore Armed Forces FC (SAFFC) fail to navigate the Champions League play-offs, they will end up in either Group F or G.
Confirmed teams drawn into Group F are Victory of Maldives, Vietnamese club Binh Duong and Malaysian Super League champions Selangor, while Indonesian club Persiwa, 2009 AFC Cup semi-finalists South China of Hong Kong and another Maldivian team VB officially make up Group G.
Should Geylang finish among the top two in their group, they will face runners-up or winners from Group F in a one-off round of 16 clash.
The Warriors might have to make a long-distance Middle East journey to face a team from Group E if they are Group G runners-up. It will be more preferable for them to host, but either way, the prospect of an exit at the feet of the Arabs is daunting.
Group E comprises of Al Rifa (Bahrain), Al Nahda (Oman), Al Whidat (Jordan) and the AFC Cup play-off winner. One of the play-off teams,Al Rayyan (Qatar), will take the last slot instead should the FIFA suspension on the Iraqi football association remain upheld, rendering the Iraqi clubs ineligible for competition.
AFC Champions League 2010
Two teams that featured in the group stage in 2009 are facing off each other for the right to continute their participation in this competition.
SAFFC will take on Indonesian Cup winners Sriwijaya at home in the East zone first play-off round on 30 January 2010. The match will also mark the return of Singapore international defender Precious Emuejeraye since his move to the visiting team at the end of the 2009 domestic season.
Should the Warriors succumb despite home advantage, they will proceed to join the other teams in Group G in the AFC Cup.
Win, and they will be at home again against the winners of V-League champions Da Nang and Thailand Premier League winners Muang Thong United (Thailand) to fight for one of two remaining spots at the group stage on 6 February 2010. If they fail, they will move into Group F in the AFC Cup.
The winners of playoff East will be rewarded with a place in Group G where they will take on Chinese Super League outfit Henan Jianye, former Champions League winners Gamba Osaka of Japan and K-League giants Suwon Bluewings.
If the Warriors progress that far to join the group, Suwon coach Cha Beum Kun may end up moaning about "the weather and the pitch" at Jalan Besar once again.
With the draws for the group stages of both Asian club competitions complete, it is now the onus of SAFFC and Geylang United to assemble their squads so that they can compete on both domestic and continental fronts.
The Warriors are now frantically assembling their squad for the 2010 season in the midst of heavy team rebuilding after winning four straight S.League titles under head coach Richard Bok. Before the year is out, we will know who this master tactician will entrust to defend the league title and fly the Singapore flag in the Champions League again.
As for the Eagles, they have more than a month to fine tune their playing roster and get their act together on the pitch. With the additional time afforded to them to submit the squad list by the 30 January deadline, can they provide a first team capable of representing the league in the AFC Cup with honour while improving their league position in the upcoming S.League season?
2009 Singapore Cup champions Geylang United make their return to continental football in six years since their semi-final appearance in the inaugural AFC Cup in 2004.
On Monday's AFC Cup group stage draw held in the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, the Eagles are drawn into Group H alongside Hong Kong FA Cup winners Tai Po and Thailand FA Cup holders Thai Port. Either Sriwijaya (Indonesia) or Da Nang (Vietnam) will join this group after the AFC Champions League East zone play-offs early next year.
Meanwhile, should S.League champions Singapore Armed Forces FC (SAFFC) fail to navigate the Champions League play-offs, they will end up in either Group F or G.
Confirmed teams drawn into Group F are Victory of Maldives, Vietnamese club Binh Duong and Malaysian Super League champions Selangor, while Indonesian club Persiwa, 2009 AFC Cup semi-finalists South China of Hong Kong and another Maldivian team VB officially make up Group G.
Should Geylang finish among the top two in their group, they will face runners-up or winners from Group F in a one-off round of 16 clash.
The Warriors might have to make a long-distance Middle East journey to face a team from Group E if they are Group G runners-up. It will be more preferable for them to host, but either way, the prospect of an exit at the feet of the Arabs is daunting.
Group E comprises of Al Rifa (Bahrain), Al Nahda (Oman), Al Whidat (Jordan) and the AFC Cup play-off winner. One of the play-off teams,Al Rayyan (Qatar), will take the last slot instead should the FIFA suspension on the Iraqi football association remain upheld, rendering the Iraqi clubs ineligible for competition.
AFC Champions League 2010
Two teams that featured in the group stage in 2009 are facing off each other for the right to continute their participation in this competition.
SAFFC will take on Indonesian Cup winners Sriwijaya at home in the East zone first play-off round on 30 January 2010. The match will also mark the return of Singapore international defender Precious Emuejeraye since his move to the visiting team at the end of the 2009 domestic season.
Should the Warriors succumb despite home advantage, they will proceed to join the other teams in Group G in the AFC Cup.
Win, and they will be at home again against the winners of V-League champions Da Nang and Thailand Premier League winners Muang Thong United (Thailand) to fight for one of two remaining spots at the group stage on 6 February 2010. If they fail, they will move into Group F in the AFC Cup.
The winners of playoff East will be rewarded with a place in Group G where they will take on Chinese Super League outfit Henan Jianye, former Champions League winners Gamba Osaka of Japan and K-League giants Suwon Bluewings.
If the Warriors progress that far to join the group, Suwon coach Cha Beum Kun may end up moaning about "the weather and the pitch" at Jalan Besar once again.
With the draws for the group stages of both Asian club competitions complete, it is now the onus of SAFFC and Geylang United to assemble their squads so that they can compete on both domestic and continental fronts.
The Warriors are now frantically assembling their squad for the 2010 season in the midst of heavy team rebuilding after winning four straight S.League titles under head coach Richard Bok. Before the year is out, we will know who this master tactician will entrust to defend the league title and fly the Singapore flag in the Champions League again.
As for the Eagles, they have more than a month to fine tune their playing roster and get their act together on the pitch. With the additional time afforded to them to submit the squad list by the 30 January deadline, can they provide a first team capable of representing the league in the AFC Cup with honour while improving their league position in the upcoming S.League season?
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