From The Stands Asian Cup Preview – Group C

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Blake Hampton in Asian Cup, Features, Group C, Group Previews // 1 Comment

Group C of the 2015 Asian Cup contains the best chance for West Asia to lift the trophy – Iran. On paper, it seems to be a case of Iran by how many, with three others vying for that second spot. However, the UAE and Qatar are on an upward trajectory, with the later defeating the Socceroos in Australia’s last hit out. Bahrain will be considered long outsiders for qualification, but the Asian Cup has a habit of throwing up shocks and surprises, just ask Iraq about 2007. The logistics of traveling from West Asia and the Middle East into an Australian summer on hard pitches with little fan fare creates a setting of unpredictability. It will be the teams who are best prepared to handle that scenario who will win out.

Iran

Iran will quickly return to the scene of the crime, or at least that’s how the locals will see it. The 1997 World Cup qualifier in Melbourne still bares a scar for Australians, a time when the game could taste France 1998. Yet this is a new time, a new team, competing for new stakes. Coached by the experienced Portuguese Carlos Queiroz, Iran has spared no expense in investing in their national team. Like the hosts, and all Asian teams for that matter, Iran had an underwhelming Brazil 2014. A standout performance was their injury time loss to Argentina, copping a goal at the death at the boot of Lionel Messi.

2011 result: 5^th

FIFA Ranking: 51

Best Result: Champions (1968, 1972, 1976)

Key Players: The squad is comprised of only six footballers based in Europe. Captain Javad Nekounam, the 34-year-old holding midfielder is one of those, plying his trade in second division Spain with Osasuna. Ashkan Dejagah, of Wolfsburg and Fulham fame, will be relied upon to break games open. Nicknamed The Lions of Persia, you can be assured Iran will be up for the battle. They will have to be, as they carry the hopes of West Asia on their shoulders.

Supporters: The Azadi Stadium in Tehran holds 100,000. It gets filled regularly. They won’t quite have those numbers out in support, but they certainly won’t be any less passionate while trying to get their nation back to the winning ways of the past.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFd6uSCvKqk

Prediction: 1st

Qatar

Qatar’s 1-0 win over Australia in Doha remains fresh in the memory. Make no mistake, that result was far from a smash-and-grab. Qatar’s riches seem to be finally bearing fruit with their football team, as a flurry of overseas coaches have started to produce better technical players. The fact the squad are domestically-based can be seen as a great disadvantage, with no European experience it will be difficult to raise their game to a standard high enough to make inroads. On the other hand, there is consistency and comradery in the group, with everyone knowing their game and their role within it. Despite the circumstances in which they were awarded the tournament, becoming hosts of the 2022 World Cup overshadowed the fact Qatar are becoming bigger players in the world game.

2011 result: 7^th

FIFA Ranking: 95

Best Result: Quarter-finals (2000, 2011)

Key Player: As for players to watch, look no further than Khalfan Ibrahim. By far the biggest talent in the squad (22 goals), Ibrahim is now at his peak at 26 years of age after bursting on the scene as a teenager in 2004. If he doesn’t fire, Qatar will most likely go home early.

Supporters: With the World Cup being hosted soon in the country, Qatar will hope that the extra interest generated in the sport in the country will give fans inspiration to travel over and support their team, who, on the back of a Gulf Cup win, will be keen to continue their good form.

Prediction: 3rd

UAE

Preview any tournament and you will come across the term “dark horse.” It is a clichéd word in sporting parlors that essentially means “a team who could surprise everyone given their level of expectation.” This would be apt for the United Arab Emirates. A country who experienced success in the 1990s, making the Semi-final in 1992 and the Final in 1996, the UAE have bolstered back into contention after a couple of poor decades. Similar to Qatar, the majority of the UAE play in their home nation. The age of the squad is their strong suit, with most players falling between 23 to 26 years old, so they should have more than enough stamina to out-run their opponents. The glass-half-empty perspective on a young team is naivety. A 0-0 draw with Australia a couple of months ago was nothing to be excited about, but it told us the UAE are more than capable of competing at this level, they will be difficult to break down.

2011 result: 13^th

FIFA Ranking: 81

Best Result: Runner-up (1996)

Key Player: Ahmed Khalil could do enough damage to make a big mark in this tournament. The 23 year-old striker has pace to burn and with 24 goals at international level already, he could do anything in this tournament.

Supporters: As one of the richer nations in the world, supporters of the national team should have no problem affording flights and accommodation in Australia while following their side around. The atmosphere in the ACL final was enough to show that the fans are fanatic, and with free flights and tickets being given out, as well as a local turnout, expect the UAE to have decent support.

Prediction: 2nd

Bahrain

The tiny Persian Gulf nation are without doubt the outsiders here. A country of only 1.3 million, it is fair to say that expectation is only relative to their stature – modest. Australians will remember escaping with a 1-0 win over Bahrain on course to South Africa, with Marco Bresciano stealing a goal in injury time. Even Houdini could not explain that result. Yet Bahrain have never been able to truly punch above their weight, and given their size and resources that is probably to be expected. With a mixture of youth and experience, they might prove to be a wildcard across their three fixtures. Coached by Marjan Eid, a 35-year-old Bahrainian national who has worked his way up the coaching set up, he will have a big task to achieve anything other than an early exit.

2011 result: 10^th

FIFA Ranking: 122

Best Result: 4^th (2004)

Key Player: If they are any hope of getting out of the group stages, it will be because of their talisman Ismail Abdul-Latif. 35 goals in 64 appearances tell its own story, the Gulf minnows don’t have much else to lean in terms of match-changers.

Supporters: As seen here, the people of Bahrain are passionate about their football and have had to support other teams in recent tournaments. Now that their own home nation has qualified for Asia’s biggest tournament, Bahraini people, both travelling and those based in Australia will be loud and behind their team all the way, despite a probable lack of numbers.

Prediction: 4th

Key Fixtures

Taking into account the predicted finishes of the group, then the battles between 2^nd vs 3^rd and 1^st vs 2^nd will have a lot riding on them. The UAE vs Qatar first up game in Canberra on January 11^th may very well decide who escapes to the knockout phase with Iran. Being the first game itself will be an enormous challenge, and should be a great leveler for Qatar, they won’t fear the challenge from UAE. If UAE can manage expectation coming into their final clash with Iran, it will be the true test of how far they can progress in the tournament.

Full Fixtures

11 Jan 6.00pm – UAE v Qatar – Canberra Stadium

11 Jan 8.00pm – Iran v Bahrain – Melbourne Rectangular Stadium

15 Jan 6.00pm – Bahrain v UAE – Canberra Stadium

15 Jan 8.00pm – Qatar v Iran – Stadium Australia

19 Jan 8.00pm – Iran v UAE – Brisbane Stadium

19 Jan 8.00pm – Qatar v Bahrain – Stadium Australia

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 A

Group B

Group D : Coming Soon