DOHA – Australia go into their Asian Cup semi-final against Uzbekistan on Tuesday relaxed and confident that they can give themselves a shot at lifting the first silverware in their history. Both teams will be treading new ground at the Al Khalifa Stadium.
Neither has got this far at the continental showpiece before, with the prospect of a final against either Japan or South Korea awaiting the winner. Socceroos coach Holger Osieck is certain his team will be in that match on January 29. “We are pretty happy to be where we are today. We have two more matches to go and this is the first of them,” said the German.
“That means we are in the latter stages of the tournament and that is good for us and I’m pretty sure we will still be here on the 29th of January.” Although key midfielder Jason Culina has had to head home for treatment on a knee injury, Australia were boosted on Monday by news that Everton star Tim Cahill is fit after picking up a knock in their quarter-final win over Iraq. Holger said he would definitely play and said he was thankful that he has the services of a man with plenty of big-match experience. Asked if Australia were feeling the pressure ahead of facing an Uzbek side that has been impressive in Doha despite their lowly world ranking of 108, Olger said it wasn’t an issue. “We don’t really feel pressure, instead there’s always a kind
of excitement,” he said.
SIMILARITY BREEDS RESPECT FOR JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA: Powerhouses Japan and South Korea play for a place in the Asian Cup final on Tuesday, with both sides predicting their similarities will make for an explosive game of football. Both teams have caught the eye with the quality of their game at the tournament, with each adopting an enterprising, high-octane approach that has yielded 11 goals for the Japanese and eight for the Koreans.
The two squads are also dotted with talented youngsters and Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni believes they are pursuing similar long-term objectives.
“For Tuesday’s match, there will be two similar teams on the pitch,” said the Italian. “In terms of systems, we have similar features to each other and we both play with young players. Our concept is the same: improvement and development. “The only difference I can think of is that Korea played well before the competition whereas we are lacking in preparation. “But now we are improving and developing ourselves as the competition progresses.”
Cho Kwang-Rae, the South Korea coach, said the blend of youthful endeavour and attacking intent on show should make for one of the most engaging contests of the tournament.
“The way we approach the game is quite similar and both teams focus on controlling the game in midfield and building the game from the midfield area,” he said.”When we attack, just like Japan, we go forward and create chances at a high tempo. It will be a very exciting match for football fans to watch.”
JI-SUNG POISED FOR 100TH CAP: One of Asia’s greatest players will add another accolade to his already impressive resume on Tuesday when he wins his 100th cap for South Korea in their Asian Cup semi-final against arch-rivals Japan.
Manchester United’s Park Ji-Sung, who rose to prominence under Dutch coach Guus Hiddink at the 2002 World Cup, said it meant all the more to achieve the feat at a top international event. “Obviously it will be a great honour to play the 100th game for the national team in a major tournament like the Asian Cup,” said the 29-year-old.
Park, his country’s most iconic sportsman, joins seven other South Koreans to have reached the landmark, but still has some way to go to better all-time leader Hong Myung-Bo, who played 136 times before retiring in 2002.
