The Socceroos are gunning to keep their 100 percent World Cup qualifying record intact in Bahrain tomorrow, while Japan have injury worries ahead of their critical match in Doha against Qatar.
Australia go into their clash as the only Asian team to have maximum points, after wins against Qatar and Uzbekistan, and are boosted by the return from injury of senior players Mark Bresciano and Harry Kewell.
On the downside, they are expected to be without Blackburn Rovers’ Vince Grella after he picked up a hamstring injury in their loss to Chelsea last week.
Coach Pim Verbeek said that Kewell and Bresciano’s ability to play as left-sided attackers eased the likely loss of Grella and Scott Chipperfield.
“They are fantastic players and they can play on the left side, so although Chipperfield is gone, with Harry back and Bresciano back — if they are all fit — I am very happy with my players,” Verbeek said.
Bahrain are struggling to make an impact on the group with just one point so far, the same as Uzbekistan. Japan have four points from two games and are level with Qatar in Group A, although the Gulf side have played three times.
A win for the Japanese would give them a three point cushion over Qatar as they try to keep tabs on Australia, with only the top two from each group qualifying for South Africa 2010.
But Japan have been hit by injuries, with Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura struggling with a left knee ligament problem.
First-choice goalkeeper Seigo Narazaki is a definite non-starter after knocking his ankle, as is star defender Yuji Nakazawa, who has strained his right thigh.
Japan coach Takeshi Okada, under pressure following a run of uninspiring results, has selected Europe-based midfielders Daisuke Matsui of Saint Etienne and VfL Wolfsburg’s Makoto Hasebe among his mainly Japan-based squad.
“I have selected members who understand the way this team plays and who are highly motivated to represent Japan with determination to win,” Okada said. “Qatar players have individual skills and it will be tough if we are outdone in one-on-one situations. We cannot beat them if we don’t outrun them.”
Qatar coach Bruno Metsu has cracked the whip by dropping Hussein Yasser, with the playmaker lacking match practice after falling out of favor with his club Al Ahly.
“We are now trying to give a chance to new players,” said Metsu, who has called up Mohamed Omer and Hassan Al Haidous for the first time. “Winning the match [against Japan] is very important as it will consolidate our chances for qualifying for the World Cup.”
In Group B, South Korea, who made the semi-finals on home turf in 2002, face a daunting game against Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, while Ali Daei’s Iran play the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Abu Dhabi.
The group is finely poised with South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia on four points after two games, while North Korea have four points after three matches.
UAE desperately need a result after failing to pick up a point in their three games so far.
South Korea are likely to give a start to veteran goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, selected for the first since he was banned for a year over a nightclub incident.
“I think he has fully reflected on what he did. He has also played well in the domestic league,” said coach Huh Jung-moo, who watched his team draw 1-1 with Qatar in a friendly over the weekend.
Manchester United’s Park Ji-sung, former Tottenham Hotspur star Lee Young-pyo and Park Chu-young of AS Monaco give the side a European feel.
The Saudis could be without Asian Player of the Year Yasser Al Qahtani, who has a groin strain.
Also See: City boss Hughes pleads for time
Also See: LEGA CALCIO: Baptista strike wins derby to give Roma timely boost
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to