From The Stands Asian Cup Preview – Group B
In terms of rankings, Group B is the weakest of the 2015 Asian Cup. However that doesn’t mean it is any less intriguing. All four teams in the group have a chance of reaching the knockout round in this open group and this means that every single fixture will be important.
China PR
The People’s Republic of China are the biggest country represented at the Asian Cup in terms of population. In a football sense however the “Dragons” have been fairly disappointing in recent times. Failing to qualify for the World Cup and their flagship club in the domestic competition crashing out in the Asian Champions League Quarter Finals highlights this. This competition will be viewed as a chance to right the wrongs of recent times and to put China back on the map as a heavyweight in Asian football.
2011 Result: Ninth
FIFA Ranking: 97
Best Result: Second (1984, 2004)
Key Players: China will look to their experienced captain and midfielder Zheng Zi, who plays for Guangzhou Evergrande but a previous spell in both England and Scotland displays his quality. Up front the danger will come from his teammate Gao Lin who on his day is a handful for any defender in the world.
Supporters: In terms of fans, there is a heavy population of former Chinese citizens in Australia and this will be no more evident than their first two fixtures in Brisbane. Officials are expecting over 3000 fans of the team to provide colour and atmosphere. However a frosty relationship at home may just affect numbers. For those who continue to support the team, the direct way of play and flexibility ensures that these fans will be certainly entertained.
Prediction: 2nd.
Saudi Arabia
From afar, Saudi Arabia very much look like a team on the decline. With a poor showing in Qatar 2011 and failing to qualify for the previous 2 world cups. You would be forgiven for not knowing that they have won this tournament 3 times (1984, 1988 and 1996). The team qualified by going through qualification in Group C undefeated and a positive Gulf Cup result (runners up) may just be the perfect preparation. However to keep us all guessing, they most recently went down to South Korea in a pre-tournament friendly 2-0.
2011 Result: Fifteenth
FIFA Ranking: 102
Best Result: Champions (1984, 1988, 1996)
Key Players: Expect them to rely on public enemy number one, (at least in Australia), Nasser Al Shamrani, to be the main goal threat. The current Asian player of the year gained his reputation from two incidents recently, firstly spitting toward a Western Sydney Wanderers player in the ACL final, but also fighting one of his own fans before their pre-tournament in Geelong. The Saudi play maker will have to put the taunts as jeers from the crowd to the back of his mind if he is to propel Saudi Arabia into the knockout stages.
Supporters: In terms of fans, Al-Saqour (The Falcons) are heavily supported back home. Admittedly they won’t be the neutrals favorite given the exploits of the Al Shamrani so they will have to rely on those who travel for support and this may be one of the only chances for females to support their national team, who are generally banned from sporting events in their home country. Two games in Melbourne will encourage the Saudi population in Victoria to support their nation.
Prediction: 1st
Uzbekistan
Leading into the tournament, Uzbekistan are the highest ranked of the teams in this group (74). Normally, that would mean I would predict them to come first in the group but it’s really hard to know what you’re going to get from this team. The White Wolves will have good memories of the last Asian Cup finishing fourth place in Qatar which is the furthest they have gotten into the tournament since joining in 1996. They qualified for the tournament by finishing runners up in qualification. Their case is helped by a strong domestic league and are capable of surprising a few in this tournament.
2011 Result: Fourth
FIFA Ranking: 124
Best Result: Fourth (2011)
Key Player: In terms of players, watch out for two time Asian player of the year Server Djeparov who brings creativity and a set piece threat to the side., while also being the captain of the side. A former product of the Uzbek league, the 32 year old now plies his trade in the K-League for Seongnam FC. Expect him to play just behind the striker and ghost into the box to get on the end of counter attacks.
Supporters: In terms of this group, Uzbekistan will likely be the neutrals favourite. Back home, football is the most popular sport and in turn that means a healthy league and fan base. However it will be difficult for too many supporters to travel given the geographical location. Expect a small but loud supporter base to will their country on to go one better than their last Asian Cup and reach the final.
Prediction: 3rd.
DPR Korea
DPR Korea are a team who are hard to write a whole lot about. They occasionally pop up in a fixture but don’t seem to play a lot of football. In fact they played only one game between September 2013-October 2014. Why is that you ask? It is because they qualified early for this tournament by winning the AFC challenge cup in 2012. The strange nature of the situation doesn’t stop there; DPR Korea will be the last team to arrive in the country before the tournament. In terms of recent form they come into the tournament with a mixed bag of form losing to Kuwait and Qatar before winning against Hong Kong and Guam. In short, don’t expect too much, but we could be pleasantly surprised.
2011 Result: Twelfth
FIFA Ranking: 150
Best Result: Fourth (1980)
Key Player: Player wise, they main threat comes from Jong Il Gwan who is a handful for defences and dangerous in the area. He has 6 goals for North Korea in 25 appearances including one to get his side back into the game in a 2012 AFC Challenge Cup which they went on to win against Turkmenistan.
Supporters: Fan wise, as you can imagine, there won’t be many fans supporting this team. At home in fact the population are probably being told they’ve won. The most active support you can expect is probably a random drunk chanting about their leader. Probably the side that will cop the most jokes on their behalf but the surprise factor could help them on the field.
Prediction: 4th.
Key Fixtures:
10th of January at Stadium Australia. Uzbekistan vs Korea DPR.
If Uzbekistan are going to challenge, they will need to start off well. So getting past Korea DPR is a must. DPR Korea on the other hand will be focusing on just giving a good account of themselves and a win will be a bonus, but give them hope going forward to try and pinch a qualification spot.
18th of January at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. Uzbekistan vs Saudi Arabia.
This could very much be the game which decides who comes first in the group. Sure to be an entertaining clash cause it will decide who avoids the home nation for the Quarter Finals assuming the Socceroos top their group.
Full Fixtures
Uzbekistan vs Korea DPR. 10/1 at Stadium Australia 6pm.
Saudi Arabia vs China PR. 10/1 at Brisbane Stadium 8pm.
Korea DPR vs Saudi Arabia. 14/1 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium 6pm.
China vs Uzbekistan. 14/1 at Brisbane Stadium 8pm.
Uzbekistan vs Saudi Arabia. 18/1 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium 8pm.
China vs Korea DPR. 18/1 at Canberra Stadium 8pm.
Who do you think will win the group and are you attending any games from this group? Let us know in the comments below!
Other From The Stands Asian Cup Previews
Group D : Coming Soon
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