Group A Final Matches [AFC Asian Cup 2015] - Date, Time, & Live Updates

[Oz1]

Personally I think the task to win the Asian Cup is going to be very tough if we mess up vs. UAE: as Peiman92 mentioned, we will face cup-favorites Japan and Australia. I would rather play them in the semi-final and the final instead of so early in the quarter finals.

If anything, the outcome of this game made our job harder!

Iran should beat UAE comfortably. Anyway if Iran want to win it they must beat at least one of them. So they must be playing at their peak to have a good chance.

[DireStraits]

OK was this Sardar Azmouns effect or Was this for real?

[GolfePersique]

Iran should beat UAE comfortably. Anyway if Iran want to win it they must beat at least one of them. So they must be playing at their peak to have a good chance.

Why should we give ourselves a hard time?
Our primary goal is getting into semis, winning the competition is just a bonus for any realistic TM fan given our precarious preparation.

Hopefully, we'll beat UAE and that'll pave the way for advancing as far as possible.

[peiman92]

Iran has to defeat one of them anyway I don't see the big deal about the "route" to the final.

[Bi-honar]

Ok guys we are in deep shit if we do not defeat uae.
Our route to the final will look like this. Japan in quarter and australia in semis.
If we defeat them our route will look like this. Iraq in quarter and then korea in semis.

You forgot to mention S. Korea in the final! Basically, we'll have to beat all the other 3 pre-tournament favorites in a row to win the cup! It's going to be a nightmare scenario.

[Kiarash]

You forgot to mention S. Korea in the final! Basically, we'll have to beat all the other 3 pre-tournament favorites in a row to win the cup! It's going to be a nightmare scenario.

But if we manage to win them all three, any non-Iranian football fan who ever doubted our football will be put in his place. And not to mention it will probably be the biggest compliment from TM and CQ ever. Add to the fact we will have a great chance to show ourselves to the world by having a ticket to Confederations Cup 2017.

We must win this cup to become relevant outside Asia. Becoming champions in Australia will gain us massive respect too.

[Ardalan]

How is that bad for Japan? They will cruise past Australia...

Ki gofte Japon lolashoon mikone, ye baazi bakhtan, kheili ham bad baazi nakardan, besyaar nazdik bood 1-1 beshe.

[Oz1]

If Iran don't beat the UAE (which I feel wont happen anyway) they probably wont beat Japan in the quarters. Japan are playing pretty well.

[Bi-honar]

But if we manage to win them all three, any non-Iranian football fan who ever doubted our football will be put in his place. And not to mention it will probably be the biggest compliment from TM and CQ ever. Add to the fact we will have a great chance to show ourselves to the world by having a ticket to Confederations Cup 2017.

We must win this cup to be relevant outside Asia.

If Iran and Japan both end up in the bottom bracket bro, I can almost guarantee that no team from that bottom bracket's going to win the cup. These games are already proving to be very exhausting with these temperatures and the humidity and the rest time in between games for the bottom bracket is shorter, as someone mentioned yesterday, so it's going to be a monumental task for any of the teams in the bottom half.

But here's the interesting million dollar question: If we do end up in the bottom bracket (heaven forbid) and you are Japan playing your last game against Jordan, are you going to play to top the group and end up in that bracket or throw the game to end up in the top bracket?!

I think it would have been a simple answer if Japan were guaranteed a spot in the next round, but a loss against Jordan could get them eliminated, so do you play a 0-0/1-0 game until minute 80 when you're sure Iraq doesn't have the goal difference and then throw the game, or you don't care and just play your game to top the group and end up in the "bracket of death"?!

[Oz1]

If Iran and Japan both end up in the bottom bracket bro, I can almost guarantee that no team from that bottom bracket's going to win the cup. These games are already proving to be very exhausting with these temperatures and the humidity and the rest time in between games for the bottom bracket is shorter, as someone mentioned yesterday, so it's going to be a monumental task for any of the teams in the bottom half.

But here's the interesting million dollar question: If we do end up in the bottom bracket (heaven forbid) and you are Japan playing your last game against Jordan, are you going to play to top the group and end up in that bracket or throw the game to end up in the top bracket?!

I think it would have been a simple answer if Japan were guaranteed a spot in the next round, but a loss against Jordan could get them eliminated, so do you play a 0-0/1-0 game until minute 80 when you're sure Iraq doesn't have the goal difference and then throw the game, or you don't care and just play your game to top the group and end up in the "bracket of death"?!

Japan will play to win that's not even a question IMO. All the semis are in Sydney and Melbourne where there is no humidity and as far as the break time that's why teams should be using their bench more especially in long tournaments like this and the WC.

The result tonight also sets up a possible Australia V Iran final in Sydney. That will be something special and a once on a lifetime event.

[Bi-honar]

BTW guys, Spiranovic (Australia's central defender) becomes the 1st player to miss the quarterfinals - compliments of a second yellow in this game! He was the most experienced/capped defender for Australia.

This has got to be a HUGE blow for them. Perhaps our Australian members can provide some more info on this, but they were already pretty thin on defense in their squad, so Wilkinson looks like the only option.

[Oz1]

BTW guys, Spiranovic (Australia's central defender) becomes the 1st player to miss the quarterfinals - compliments of a second yellow in this game! He was the most experienced/capped defender for Australia.
This has got to be a HUGE blow for them. Perhaps our Australian members can provide some more info on this, but they were already pretty thin on defense in their squad, so Wilkinson looks like the only option.

AUS have plenty of options but none with his height. Likely options is Davidson who is solid but also reshuffling to put a DM at right or left back. Playing China most likely so I doubt they will get too many chances and AUS will be playing the best 11 available. Brisbane is not a good home match for AUS as it is big rugby town compared to Melbourne or Sydney. Also the pitch itself is pretty rough because it gets played for all codes year round.

Options from squad-

1 GK Mathew Ryan 8 April 1992 (aged 22) 13 Belgium Club Brugge
2 DF Ivan Franjic 10 September 1987 (aged 27) 12 Russia Torpedo Moscow
3 DF Jason Davidson 29 June 1991 (aged 23) 13 England West Bromwich Albion
4 FW Tim Cahill 6 December 1979 (aged 35) 76 United States New York Red Bulls
5 MF Mark Milligan 4 August 1985 (aged 29) 33 Australia Melbourne Victory
6 DF Matthew Spiranovic 27 June 1988 (aged 26) 21 Australia Western Sydney Wanderers
7 MF Mathew Leckie 4 February 1991 (aged 23) 16 Germany Ingolstadt 04
8 DF Chris Herd 4 April 1989 (aged 25) 3 England Aston Villa
9 FW Tomi Juric 22 July 1991 (aged 23) 5 Australia Western Sydney Wanderers
10 FW Robbie Kruse 5 October 1988 (aged 26) 32 Germany Bayer Leverkusen
11 MF Tom Oar 10 December 1991 (aged 23) 21 Netherlands FC Utrecht
12 GK Mitchell Langerak 22 August 1988 (aged 26) 5 Germany Borussia Dortmund
13 DF Aziz Behich 16 December 1990 (aged 24) 7 Turkey Bursaspor
14 MF James Troisi 3 July 1988 (aged 26) 16 Belgium Zulte Waregem
15 MF Mile Jedinak (c) 3 August 1984 (aged 30) 52 England Crystal Palace
16 FW Nathan Burns 7 May 1988 (aged 26) 7 New Zealand Wellington Phoenix
17 MF Matt McKay 11 January 1983 (aged 32) 50 Australia Brisbane Roar
18 GK Eugene Galekovic 12 June 1981 (aged 33) 8 Australia Adelaide United
19 MF Terry Antonis 26 November 1993 (aged 21) 3 Australia Sydney FC
20 DF Trent Sainsbury 5 January 1992 (aged 23) 4 Netherlands Zwolle
21 MF Massimo Luongo 25 September 1992 (aged 22) 5 England Swindon Town
22 DF Alex Wilkinson 13 August 1984 (aged 30) 11 South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
23 MF Mark Bresciano 11 February 1980 (aged 34) 81 Qatar Al-Gharafa

DF= AUS full backs

[babak_australia]

Japan will play to win that's not even a question IMO. All the semis are in Sydney and Melbourne where there is no humidity and as far as the break time that's why teams should be using their bench more especially in long tournaments like this and the WC.
The result tonight also sets up a possible Australia V Iran final in Sydney. That will be something special and a once on a lifetime event.

The semis are in Sydney and Newcastle (which is 2 hours north of Sydney.)

Melbourne only has a quarter final.

My head tells me that the game against UAE is basically an elimination final for us.

Going potentially through Japan then Australia and then Korea is a HUGE task.

CQ will need to play as close to our best 11 as possible on Monday.

[DireStraits]

OZ1,
How many of your players today were in your ideal lineup?
I thought your level was much higher when you played Q8 or Oman.

[Oz1]

The semis are in Sydney and Newcastle (which is 2 hours north of Sydney.)

Melbourne only has a quarter final.

My bad I assumed Melbourne for some reason. The weather there is not humid anyway so wont be an issue.