Asian Football Games Kicks Off!

[South Iraq]

Tuesday 28 Nov 2006:

United Arab Emirates -- : -- Uzbekistan Group 1

South Korea -- : -- Bangladesh Group 2

Thailand -- : -- Palestine Group 3

Bahrain -- : -- Vietnam Group 2

Qatar -- : -- Jordan Group 1

Kuwait -- : -- Kyrgyzstan Group 3

[Darvish11]

go kuwaiiit

[South Iraq]

Results:

United Arab Emirates 1 : 2 Uzbekistan

South Korea 3 : 0 Bangladesh

Thailand 1 : 0 Palestine

Bahrain 2 : 1 Vietnam

Qatar 3 : 0 Jordan

Kuwait 3 : 0 Kyrgyzstan

[South Iraq]

Wednesday 29 Nov 2006

Japan -- : -- Pakistan
India -- : -- Hong Kong
Oman -- : -- Malaysia

Iran -- : -- Maldives
North Korea -- : -- Syria
China -- : -- Iraq

[mehdy]

Peter Verbeek & Ghotobi.

Red Devils???

[Suprah]

We gonna get hammered by Japan

[South Iraq]

We gonna get hammered by Japan

No country gets hammered if they got nuclear

[Suprah]

No country gets hammered if they got nuclear

LOL!!!!

[khabalood]

South Korea sends their A team coach. I can't wait until he looses to us again then makes the same excuse as last time.

[Suprah]

Pakistan urged to remain positive against Japan



By Alam Zeb Safi

KARACHI: Former national football coach Tariq Lutfi has suggested to Pakistan to be positive if they want to put up some resistance against Japan in their opener in the second round of the Asian Games.

The Group F match between Pakistan and Japan will be played on Wednesday (today) at the Qatar Sports Club Stadium.

During an interview with ‘The News’, Lutfi said it would be unfair to compare both the teams as Japan are Asia’s fourth-ranked side besides enjoying 47th spot in the world rankings while Pakistan are hardly at the 165th place in the world.

However, he said the application of positive strategy is the only remedy to avert anything humiliating in such a clash when the opponents are very tough like Japan.

He recalled, “When I was coaching Pakistan we had to face Morocco who were playing the World Cup (qualifiers), in the Islamic Solidarity Games. I told the boys to play beyond the 18 yards, the penalty area. Because had we played in the box, there was every chance that our defenders could throw weapons while saving the goals as the opposition was technically very strong.

“I also instructed Jaffar Khan (goalkeeper) that anything beyond the eighteen yards would be his responsibility. By applying that formula we were undefeated till the 78th minute, but then, unfortunately, Jaffar received an injury and we conceded two goals in the dying moments.”

Referring to that strategy, Lutfi said, against Japan, a far better side than Pakistan, the national squad should apply such kind of strategies that may stop them from complete penetration.

“You will have to adopt the strategy while keeping in view your standard and that of the opposition,” the former coach said.

He added, because in the Asian Games the Under-23 teams are playing, there are some chances for Pakistan to exhibit good performance, pointing out, three players above 23 years of age are also allowed for every team, so Japan will definitely field their best players in order to manage gold this time.

It would really be a hard task for Pakistan to defend against a team, which is 118 places higher in world rankings. But Pakistan’s side were optimistic to show impression before leaving for Doha the other day.

The leaders Mohammad Essa and Jaffar Khan, the two experienced campaigners, were quite sure that this time they would do something different.

Previously, in the 14th Asian Games played in Busan, South Korea in 2002, Japan had managed to grab silver medal after they lost to Iran in the final. Japan have to their credit two bronze medals in the Asian Games also, once in 1951 in New Delhi and then in 1966 in Bangkok while Pakistan have so far not been impressive in the Asian Games since their first outing in 1954 in Manila, managing to win only two matches, drawing one and losing 14, out of 17 matches they have played so far in these competitions.

Against Japan, Pakistan have played so far three matches. In 1960, in the Merdeka Cup held in Malaysia (then Malaya), Pakistan had defeated Japan 3-1. In 1962, again in the Merdeka Cup, the match was drawn 1-1 while in another Merdeka Cup clash held in Kuala Lumpur, Japan had thrashed Pakistan 4-1.

Today’s (Wednesday) match would be the fourth between the two sides, but the first ever in the Asian Games history.

[ShirFarhad]

Good luck to Pakistan.

[Suprah]

I was actually expecting Pakistan to lose like 4-0 to Japan today...and we did lose...but we lost 3-2...and Japan had a man sent off in the last 10 minutes as well but our inexperience was a factor in not earning a shock 3-3 draw

I am proud of the boys apparently they were very very physical and aggressive the entire match with plenty of cards shown, though it was Japan lad who did get sent-off though.

Naveed Akram again scored a beauty

We lost...but I am proud of my boys for what they acheived, and at this rate DPRK and Syria better watch out what we can do

PAKISTAN ZINDABAD

[mehdy]

FK by HONDA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaXEEHIxrIg

[Suprah]

FK by HONDA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaXEEHIxrIg

our keeper thought it was going to be a cross...he should have done better but that's inexperience for you but the freekick was class

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ayTbO95XE here are the match goals as well....keep a note of the goal that made it 2-3 for Pakistan...Naveed Akram at his best again

[South Iraq]

Thailand go through to the quarter-finals after defeating Kuwait 1-0.
7 more teams to go!