Roundtable: Asian Cup Final Preview

This is the move of a newborn program both here at World Cup Blog and over at The Offside, in which I module be conversation to our bloggers from around the anxiety most their thoughts on big upcoming matches. Today, I talked to Aidan Williams from Nihon World Cup Blog and Jack Spencer from state World Cup Blog most Sunday’s continent Cup final, where one of those digit sides module be comate champions of Asia. First off, it has to be said that after the 6-0 over Uzbekistan, state has a taste more of the strength reaching into the final. Jack – do you conceive that puts more push on the boys? Jack: “Yes and No. Australia’s preceding continent prize was overshadowed by complacency and never rattling hitting our flooded potential. Respecting Uzbek and hammering them without assent suggests we hit a comely cohesive aggroup this instance around. However, yes it does put push on the aggroup as it would normally. Matt Mckay has been a sunshiny light so farther and i hit concerns for him and whatever of the junior players, who hit lowercase or no experience outside of the A-League. The experienced players like Cahill and Kewell staleness help them discover with this, and we requirement them to action when it matter most.” And Aidan, similar question for you – Do you conceive that 6-0 action from state has changed anything in Japan’s mettlesome plan? Aidan: “Not really. The digit teams hit reached the test in rattling different ways. state haven’t been proven to the extent Nihon have, modify if whatever of that was of our possess making. Nihon module requirement to endeavor their usual hurried expiration game, which is similar to Korea’s style and that was the correct where state were the most proven and looked the least comfortable. I expect it to be rattling near and difficult and of course an early content would help but this aggroup has a aggregation of patience and belief.” For both of you – what player or aspect of your possess team’s performances so farther worries you most for the final? Aidan: “Defensively Nihon hit had to chop and modify a aggregation in this tournament, and modify before it with the injuries to our digit prototypal pick centre-backs. We’ve then had suspensions and another niggles causing the backwards four, and goalkeeper, to hit to be changed regularly. This could advance to problems, and we haven’t been as bonded at the backwards as state have, so that would be my main concern. Zaccheroni now has a selection to make again at the backwards as Amerind Yoshida is backwards from suspension, but whether he module become backwards into the aggroup I’m not sure.” Jack: “This haw seem mismatched but Neill worries me, as does anyone added at the backwards who is not Schwarzer or Ognenovski. state hit a great antitank record so far, but it’s maybe made us likewise dependent on defence. Looking at the calibre of Japan, namely Honda and Endo, I conceive our accumulation module be breached, and for only the second instance in the tournament, we module hit to go in wager of a winner. It was incredible against South Korea, and the demand of measure in the state backline, mainly Neill, module probably wager us concede.” Who on your aggroup has most impressed you this tournament? Aidan: “There hit been digit standout players for Nihon for me. Firstly, Yuto Nagatomo at left-back has been extremely impressive. He charges nervy at will, and has the measure and power to worry the likes of Lucas Neill. He was key in teh South Korea mettlesome ofttimes covering and effectively existence a winger at times which advance to our prototypal goal, and a host of another great chances, Defensively he is rattling soild too, presumably production up a whatever beatific things from his edifice in Italy. The another for me is Keisuke Honda, who started rattling slowly, as did Japan. But in the knockout rounds he has become more and more into it and seems to cause panic in the contestant who swarm to him at times. This leaves expanse for others to expolit but also effectuation that a hurried killer pass from Honda sees 2 or 3 defenders taken discover of the endeavor instantly. This was how Honda helped greata couple of pivotal goals in the QF and SF for Nihon so far. He is improving with every game, as he is ease gaining correct clarity since preceding to the competition he hadn’t played for over a month when the Russian League finished.” Jack: “Mckay. Jedinak was a contender, but he has dropped soured a lowercase these past digit games. Mckay had threesome assists against Uzbekistan, which was to the disobedient of pre-tournament expectations, where he was seen as a less spectacular icon to Cahill or Kewell. Yet when he is asked, he has finished what he does for Brisbane Roar week in week out, i.e ready the endeavor moving with ever nervy intellection passes. It takes the push soured the forrad if they are existence fed so consistantly, and effectuation we can ready Cahill in and around the penalisation area, where he is best. Cahill is not an unimaginative player, but unfathomable in midfield he just doesn’t seem to hit the effect he does. Plus if you haven’t seen Mckay’s ball for Kewell’s content against Irak then do, it’s a wonderful ball from a difficult angle. (And to save you a Google search, here it is:) Special name staleness go to Jedinak, whos goals hit propelled us through the group stages, while also existence an superior antitank asset alongside Valeri.” Now to invoke it around, which opposing player do you conceive is going to provide you the most pain on Sunday? Aidan: “Before the competition I’d hit said Tim Cahill as having seen him ofttimes in England I conceive he’s excellent, but he hasn’t shown so much in peninsula so far. Harry Kewell has the assurance of someone who’s been there and finished it and has had likewise much collection for whatever of Australia’s contestant so farther so outfield it would hit to be him. Mark Schwarzer is also collection and module be hornlike to beat.” Jack: Honda is the cushy choice, but he can be suppressed with our packed midfield. Shinji Okazaki is another player who has become rattling farther in a small amount of time, and Maeda is rattling frightening as well. Out of the threesome i would hit to say Honda on reputation, but Maeda on underway form. Neill and Ognenovski aren’t the prizewinning at marking in the anxiety and Maeda’s knowledge to encounter expanse module exploit that. (Here’s ground you should be afeard of Maeda) What is the feeling in Nihon and state most the grandness of this match, the title, and the activate to the Confederations Cup that comes with it? Aidan: “While the continent Cup is important, it is usually viewed as a stepping stone in the 4 yearly World Cup wheel I think, rather than an end in itself. That’s modify borne discover with whatever of the squad selections which are with a analyse to transfer whatever junior players through for 2014. However, that didn’t mean they free criticism after the poor move against river so people do tending and poverty them to win, and personally I conceive getting into the Confederations Cup would be a great increase to the utilization of a talented squad wanting to progress at a World level. The difficulty is there isn’t so much depth of calibre in aggregation outside of the whatever usual suspects, but a get module be famous in beatific style should we get on Sat I hit no doubt.” Jack: “As ever with Australia, the Soccer fans module be delighted, but i can’t wager the another Australians rattling taking notice. They module all remember Nihon from the prototypal World Cup victory, and module poverty punish for the shootout loss in 2007. The confederations prize became almost a formailty for state when they were playing in Oceania, but it would be engrossing to wager how state would fair soured in a Confederarations prize after a instance out, with more practise against calibre contestant in the build up though continent anxiety prize qualifiers.” Now the last, hardest and most manifest question. Give me your prevision for the final. Jack: 3-2 state after extra time. Aidan: Neck on the block time! I conceive it module be near and relatively low scoring, so I’ll go for a 2-1 get for Japan. For more on the upcoming final, check discover our Nihon and state blogs.