Australia vs UAE – From The Stands Asian Cup – Semi Final Preview

The second quarter final of the 2015 Asian Cup will be contested between the hosts Australia and the tournament’s surprise package, the UAE. The venue for the clash will be Newcastle Stadium which holds 33 thousand people. The action kicks off at 8pm ADST.

This semi final will be fascinating. Australia will be considered the boiling hot favourites to qualify for the final however the UAE have shown that they have the class and the bottle to match it with the very best in Asia.

Tactics will play a major part in this match, for Australia it will be about how effectively they can break through a UAE side that is well organised under manager Mahdi Ali. The Australian’s have been able to create countless scoring opportunities in all four of their matches but I would argue that the Emirati set up is far more organised and compact then China and even South Korea.

Against a team with the organization of the UAE, the chances that are created by the Australians must be taken. UAE goalkeeper and captain Majed Naser has been in good form at this tournament and a strong showing from him would go a long way to seeing his team through.

Australian manager, Ange Postecoglou is likely play his strongest front three of Tim Cahill, Robbie Kruse and Matthew Leckie. This trio is an awesome combination of pace, control and finishing prowess. The same could have been said of Japan’s Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki who UAE dealt with well.

The UAE’s best opportunity to hurt the Australians will be on the counter attack. Australia under Ange Postecoglou have been notorious for momentary lapses in concentration which will be conducive for such counters. If Omar Abdulrahman is given space to pick out passes to the likes of Ali Mabkhout or Ahmed Khalil than the UAE have a real chance of scoring.

Matthew Spiranovic is likely to return from his one match suspension in the place of Alex Wilkinson. Spiranovic’s partnership with Trent Sainsbury will be vitally important to stop Mabkhout and Khalil getting on the end Asia’s form playmaker.

 

Player of the Tournament

Australia – Tim Cahill. The 35-year-old may be the greatest player ever to pull on the Green and Gold, in any code. He is not one of Australia’s most gifted players but he sure knows how to perform when the pressure is on. With the scores locked at 0-0 at half time in the quarter final against China, when the tension began to build, up steps Australia’s all time top goalscorer. An audacious bicycle kick across the Chinese keeper put his nation a goal up. 15 minutes later he seals the deal for Australia with a trademark header into the top corner of the goal. Simply sensational.

UAE – Omar Abdulrahman. The current Emirati player of the year has been the star of this tournament thus far. The pint sized number ten with the afro has the vision and ability to pick a pass that makes opposing coaches whimper. Mahdi Ali’s attractive brand of football revolves around Abdulrahman’s ball playing ability. The UAE are expected to be compact which will mean Abdulrahman’s ability to pick a pass to the likes of Mabkhout will be essential on the counter.

 

Highlight of the Tournament

Australia – The aforementioned second half brace for Tim Cahill will go down as one of the greatest individual efforts in Australian football and would have to be their highlight of the tournament.

UAE – The UAE had the reigning champions of Asia, Japan, on the ropes for the best part of 90 minutes before finishing off a historic victory in a dramatic penalty shoot out. Regardless of whether they go through to the final or not, this victory will go down in UAE folklore.

 

Fixture history

Played – 2

Australia – 0

UAE – 0

2 draws

 

Probable XI

Australia  

Ryan

Franjic – Sainsbury – Spiranovic – Behich

McKay – Jedinak (c) – Luongo

Kruse – Cahill – Leckie

UAE 

Naser

Ahmed – Husain – Salem – Abbas

Al Hamadi – A. Abdulrahman – O. Abdulrahman – Esmail – Khalil

Mabkhout

Prediction: If Australia can score early I can see them winning by a margin and securing a place in their second Asian Cup final in a row. Australia to win 3-0

FTS Fact: The two managers, Ange Postecoglou and Mahdi Ali, are both 49-years-old. They have also played for their country during the 1980s.

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