Asians Learn their World Cup Fate

I was one of the thousands of bleary-eyed Australians last night who sacrificed sleep to tune into the telecast of the 2010 FIFA World Cup draw. Australia was looking for an easier passage to the Round of 16 than what 2006 offered, however find themselves in a group arguably on par with or slightly more difficult than 2006. I immediately hit the forums after the draw to gauge the opinions of fellow Australian football fans. As expected, reactions were mixed. One thing was largely agreed upon though: that Pim Verbeek and the Socceroos will once again really have to earn their spot in the Round of 16.

After a contrived and somewhat tacky pre-draw cultural extravaganza in Cape Town, South Africa, the 32 participating nations finally learnt their World Cup fate in a nailbiting draw which was presided over by actress Charlize Theron in an interesting fashion. All four AFC representatives: Australia, Japan, Korea Republic and DPR Korea, were drawn in tough groups, with Australia and DPR Korea arguably drawing the most difficult combinations of teams. The groups containing AFC nations are as follows:

Group B

Argentina
Nigeria
Korea Republic
Greece

Comments: Perhaps the most open of any group involving an Asian nation. I am tipping Korea Republic to go through with Argentina despite the instability of Diego Maradona's reign.

Group D

Germany
Australia
Serbia
Ghana

Comments: No question, Australia has again been drawn in one of the toughest groups of the tournament. This will be Pim Verbeek's most imposing test yet as a manager. The Germans, Serbians, and Ghanaians can all match Australia technically and physically. Taking points off Germany in the opening match of the group may be vital to Australia's chances of progression.

Group E

Netherlands
Denmark
Japan
Cameroon

Comments: If Japan is to indeed fulfil its desire to reach the semi-finals of the tournament, it will first have to negotiate this tricky group. The Netherlands swept aside the Japanese in a friendly earlier this year and should top the group. Denmark and Cameroon will offer stern challenges to Takeshi Okada's men.

Group G

Brazil
Korea DPR
Cote d'Ivoire
Portugal

Comments: For me, this is the obligatory 'Group of Death' of the tournament. One serious tournament contender out of Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, and Portugal, will be eliminated. Korea DPR, despite nostalgia of its historic 1966 World Cup run, will probably be lucky to get a point out of this group. They may spring a surprise if they stick to their well-drilled organisational style which served them well in Asia. Cote d'Ivoire will be ruing being drawn in a very tough group for the second World Cup straight.

Bahrain Fall to New Zealand

New Zealand have booked their spot in South Africa with a 1-0 home victory over Bahrain in Wellington earlier this evening. The All Whites will make just their second appearance at a FIFA World Cup finals tournament and their first since 1982. A cauldron of more than 35,000 Kiwis carried the home side through a memorable and famous night which will doubtless go down in New Zealand football history as one of the greatest. For the visitors, however, it was once again a ticket to the World Cup lost. Bahrain failed at exactly the same stage four years ago to Dwight Yorke's Trinidad and Tobago outfit, and to be honest, they can only blame themselves for failing to dispatch the Oceania group winners.

The interesting thing about this result is the political ramifications it may have for Australia within the AFC and the A-League's New Zealand-based team Wellington Phoenix. Rumblings from the AFC about Australia developing talent for rival confederations may become more vociferous in the weeks ahead.

To be honest though, I think this is a good opportunity for the AFC and Bahrain to examine their own footballing deficiencies. Any 5th placed Asian national team should be battle-hardened and used to pressure matches. New Zealand does not have the luxury of a long qualifying campaign and, with all due respect, fields a squad with some semi-professional players from the local New Zealand Football Championship. Over the course of the two legs, Bahrain missed a handful of gilt-edged chances to score and even a penalty. So is the A-League's acceptance of Wellington Phoenix and subsequent development of New Zealand national team players 100% to blame for Bahrain's failure? No, of course not, but blaming Australia is the easy way out.

Much to the ire of some powerbrokers within Asia, there will be no sides from West Asia at South Africa. A powershift to the East has occurred. Traditional powerhouses Saudi Arabia and Iran both failed during their respective qualifying campaigns in Asia, whilst Bahrain failed to put away New Zealand in their two matches. Qatar and UAE picked up just 7 points between them in the Fourth Round of AFC World Cup qualifying matches and finished 4th and 5th respectively in their groups.

Some will say, in more than unsavoury terms, that only three nations are representing Asia in South Africa - Japan, South Korea, and North Korea. They will say that Australia does not belong in Asia, and will predictably point to Australia's domestic assistance to New Zealand that we are undermining the confederation. For almost four years some bloggers and keyboard warriors have bad-mouthed Australia's status as an Asian football nation. Apparently a majority caucasian population disqualifies us. Or the fact that we speak English. Never mind that English is an official language in India, the Philippines, and Singapore though.

Australia will proudly represent the AFC at South Africa in 2010. We will do our best to make Asian football proud and to do justice to the rich history of football in this continent. Those that choose to question Australia's commitment to Asian football and development of the Wellington Phoenix, however, need to understand the pecularities of our social, political, economic, and footballing environments and the market in which the A-League operates.

Daal Screamer Wins it for North Queensland

A left-foot screamer by perennial second half substitute Dyron Daal has secured North Queensland FC a deserved inaugural home victory over Perth Glory in Townsville this evening. North Queensland's habit of conceding cheap first half goals continued as Dutchman Victor Sikora scored for Perth in the 25th minute. A sense of 'this is all too familiar' clouded Dairy Farmers Stadium as Perth took their 1-0 lead to the half-time break.

Notorious for securing results in the second half, North Queensland came out of the half-time break a much better outfit and asked plenty of questions of the Perth defence. Star striker Robbie Fowler scored his sixth goal of the season on 65 minutes with a cheeky quick free kick which lifted the spirits of the home faithful. Minutes later coach Ian Ferguson emptied his bench by bringing on big Netherlands Antilles international Dyron Daal. Daal has been an impressive contributor off the bench in recent weeks, but tonight would be his most significant contribution for a club desperately looking to stay in touch with the rest of the competition.

Daal began on the right before moving up forward alongside Robbie Fowler. On 71 minutes, with his second touch of the game Daal received the ball in the penalty box. He turned onto his left foot before unleashing a left-foot drive past Perth goalkeeper Tando Velaphi which sent the green-clad stands into delirium. His goal was just reward for his recent performances and handed North Queensland hope of a first home win. The Greens held on to the 2-1 advantage and secured their first ever home victory - a deserved result and badly needed for the club's off-field credibility as well.

Daal is on a short-term contract replacing Karl Dodd. Once Dodd regains his fitness, it remains to be seen what will happen to Daal although I think he would be a loss for North Queensland. His chances of securing a full-time deal in the A-League have surely increased thanks to his history-making strike this evening.

In the other match of the evening, Thai international Sutee Suksomkit made his debut for Melbourne Victory in their 3-1 defeat of Adelaide United in front of more than 21,000 fans.

2009 AFC Champions League Semi-Finals

On the back of Nagoya Grampus's amazing 6-2 loss to two-time AFC Champions League winner Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, it looks like one of the Asian Football Confederation's worst fears may come to fruition: a slew of empty seats in Tokyo's National Stadium for the Final to be held next month.

In the other semi-final, Korean surprise Pohang Steelers nutted out an important 2-0 home win to take to the away leg in Qatar against Umm-Salal. Barring a minor miracle in the form of a Nagoya victory by at least 4-0 in their home leg, this year's Champions League final will be played without a Japanese team meaning little travelling support. A half-empty stadium and a cavernous atmosphere will be a disaster for the AFC, and it just might make them rethink their somewhat ambitious move to make one of Asian football's showcase events a one-off affair at a neutral venue. According to Fox Sports pundit and commentator Mike Cockerill on this morning's broadcast, just 5,000 tickets have been sold for the match. Tokyo's National Stadium has a capacity of 57,000.

Football Federation Australia has expressed its interest in bidding for next year's AFC Champions League Final, according to this article.

For what it's worth, I think the AFC in its current state is far too unwieldy and far too large to accommodate a one-off continental Champions League Final at a neutral venue. The nature of Asian geography is not conducive to encouraging large contingents of supporting travellers, meaning that stadium capacity is left for neutrals to fill. The fact that the AFC Champions League does not yet have European-like prestige also makes filling stadiums a challenge. The football community knows the talent on offer in the AFC Champions League well, but it's fair to say that general populations throughout the Asian region do not.

In a sense taking the Final to a neutral venue is ripping the game away from the people that matter most to clubs - their fans. Adelaide United's remarkable run in the 2008 AFC Champions League, which culminated in two one-sided losses in the Final to Japan's Gamba Osaka, captured the attention of Adelaide and Australian football fans alike. Would the same level of excitement have been reached if Adelaide did not host a leg of the Final? Probably not.

If indeed the AFC is serious about its one-off Final policy and decides to continue it, then at the very least it should be rotated appropriately around the confederation to ensure that there is no favouritism. If Nagoya remarkably reaches the Final, one would have to think it will have significant backing from the stands and this isn't really fair.

In the meantime, the second leg awaits us with Pohang Steelers and Al-Ittihad the favourites to progress.

Suksomkit to Melbourne and other A-League Movements

As posted last week, it was strongly rumoured on various internet forums that Thai international and current Tampines Rovers player Sutee Suksomkit was on his way to the A-League to link up with fellow Thai Surat Sukha at Melbourne Victory. Suksomkit's signing was confirmed by the club earlier this week and he will stay for three months on a guest player deal. The Thai language sources were on the money and again Melbourne supporters were able to gather information about a potential club signing before official club press releases. Suksomkit's presence at Victory may help Sukha settle in a little more and the A-League champions may perhaps look at signing Suksomkit for its upcoming AFC Champions League campaign.

In other A-League player movement news:

Newcastle have signed 2007 Asian Cup winning Iraq international Ali Abbas for the remainder of the A-League season as an injury replacement player for Shaun Ontong.

Former Leeds United striker Michael Bridges will return to the A-League after signing with Newcastle for the remainder of the A-League season. Bridges' first stint in the A-League was with Sydney FC in the 2007/08 season.

North Queensland FC have managed to hang on to big Netherlands Antilles international Dyron Daal for a further 6-8 weeks on yet another injury replacement deal. The big Dutchman's willingness to remain in Townsville has been rewarded with a second stint at the club, although when this current deal expires it remains to be seen how Daal can remain in Townsville should coach Ian Ferguson be willing to sign him to a full-time contract.

Thailand's Suksomkit to Melbourne Victory?

I have been alerted to a rumour that Thai international Sutee Suksomkit is set to join countryman Surat Sukha at A-League Champions Melbourne Victory in October on a three month deal, presumably as a guest player.

This scoop first surfaced on an edited Wikipedia page, however it seems some Melbourne supporters have done some digging and uncovered a more credible source from a Singapore football forum:

http://kallangroar.com/asean-footbal...otball-94.html "Sutee Suksomkit sign Melbourne Victory in A-League. Sutee became the thai player in Hyundai A-League next to Surat Sukha last night when he signed a contract at Melbourne Victory After, terminate contract for Tampines Rovers He will go to Australia on October 5th.The Thai Midfielder,will be paid $15,000 AUD per/month for 3 month."

For those that can understand Thai, this source seems to confirm suspicion that Suksomkit, currently with S-League outfit Tampines Rovers, is on his way to the A-League. While I could only catch Suksomkit's name, Melbourne Victory, and the A-League mentioned, others have had native speakers of Thai confirm the content of the video.

It is not unusual for the signing of Melbourne players to be announced in foreign media first, as we saw with the signings of Carlos Hernandez and Surat Sukha. As always nothing is confirmed until Melbourne Victory themselves confirm Suksomkit's signing.

Watch this space.

Australian Government "Sport on Television" Review

Below is my submission to the Australian Government's 'Sport on Television - Review of the anti-siphoning scheme'. My submission deals with the continual neglect that Australian national football teams have been treated with by this scheme in the face of record interest in football.

I strongly encourage fellow Australian football fans wishing to either see the Socceroos on the anti-siphoning list or debate the appropriateness of the scheme to make their own submissions to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy via this link before 16 October 2009.

"The discussion paper clearly states that the main rationale of the anti-siphoning list is to ensure that 'sporting events of cultural significance and national importance can be made freely available to the Australian public.' I put it to the government that this rationale is not applied fairly to association football in Australia.

How, in any way, are matches involving our national association football teams not of cultural significance or national importance? One may find that of all football 'codes' in our nation, association football is best placed to offer a truly national footprint of interest. As shown in the discussion paper, Australia's World Cup qualifying matches against Qatar and Iraq, were two of the most watched Pay TV programs in 2008. Australia's defeat of Japan in June 2009 set a new record for Pay TV viewing numbers. And yet this is not good enough for the Socceroos to be taken seriously as perhaps our most prominent national sporting team?

In light of this, it is simply baffling that games involving our national association football teams are not included on the anti-siphoning list. One must wonder if it is a manifestation of the anachronistic attitude that association football is a foreign game and has no place on the Australian sporting landscape. This attitude is quite frankly out of touch. The decision to include the English FA Cup final on the list is puzzling on two fronts: the importance of this competition has arguably diminished in recent years, and I would argue that the match itself is not as culturally significant or nationally important in comparison to the Socceroos.

I strongly urge the government to reconsider the omission of our national association football teams from the anti-siphoning list. In regards to the Socceroos, this would ideally include placing all friendlies and Asian Cup and FIFA World Cup qualifiers on the anti-siphoning list.

When one considers the stunning viewer numbers of Socceroos matches on Pay TV, the Socceroos historic participation in a second straight FIFA World Cup, and to a lesser extent the growth of the A-League, the neglect shown towards association football in the anti-siphoning list clearly does not reflect that the game is bigger than ever in Australia and is indeed an integral part of our sporting landscape."

AFC players in the A-League: Update Round 6

Just after this season's A-League kickoff I introduced the six players from AFC nations who are taking to the field in this, the fifth season of the A-League. After six rounds fortunes have been mixed for these players, with some struggling for regular game time whilst others have been cementing starting positions.

So, how are these six players faring after Round 6 of this year's A-League season?

Byun Sung-Hwan
Republic of Korea
Sydney FC

Byun has featured in all six matches of Sydney's campaign so far this season and looks to be adapting well to the A-League. The experienced Korean has established himself as Sydney's regular left full-back and will most likely continue to play an important role in Vitezslav Lavicka's team.

Jiang Chen
China
Wellington

Chen has so far failed to make an appearance for Wellington in the matchday squad. With the experienced forward partnership of Chris Greenacre and Paul Ifill improving each week, the Chinese striker's prospects for regular game time look slim under coach Ricki Herbert. Chen, who is on a season-long loan deal from Chinese Super League club Tianjin Teda, will be hoping to at least be included on the bench in the next few weeks.

Kojiro Kaimoto
Japan
North Queensland

Kaimoto played a part in both of North Queensland's opening fixtures against Sydney FC and Gold Coast United, however the Japanese defender has not been included in Ian Ferguson's squad for the last four weeks. Perhaps being part of a defence which conceded five goals to a ruthless Gold Coast United in Round 2 has hindered Kaimoto's prospects of selection. Ian Ferguson has probably decided not to include the Japanese, who signed for North Queensland on a short-term deal only, in future matchday squads. Kaimoto will probably leave North Queensland having made just two appearances.

Shin In-Seob
Republic of Korea
Adelaide United

Young Shin In-Seob has enjoyed the least amount of game time out of this year's A-League Korean legion. Widely criticised for his Round 2 debut against Sydney FC, Shin is yet to start but has caught the eye with a decent technique and passing game. He looks a little raw and unrefined so perhaps coach Aurelio Vidmar will be exercising patience with this young player on his first professional contract.

Song Jin-Hyung
Republic of Korea
Newcastle

After the disappointment of missing most of Newcastle's AFC Champions League, the lively Korean has enjoyed six starts this season and 525 minutes of football in the midfield. The Newcastle crowd favourite looks to have stepped up a notch this season, linking up well with teammates such as fellow youngster Kaz Patafta. Song scored his second A-League goal against the Central Coast in Round 2 and has provided two assists. He will play an important part in Newcastle's prospects of finals football this year.

Surat Sukha
Thailand
Melbourne Victory

The Thai international made his Melbourne debut in the pulsating Round 2 encounter against Brisbane, coming on in the 78th minute and slotting in at left full-back. Sukha has played in every game since then, including his first start in the North Queensland heat in Round 3 thanks to the absence of regular defensive options such as Matthew Kemp. Hard working and with good skills, the Thai has already established himself as a favourite in Melbourne. He does however have a tendency to administer rash challenges and was lucky to stay on the pitch in Melbourne's 2-1 loss to Perth. Sukha is still most likely coming to terms with the physicality of the A-League. Discussion of his progress has to an extent been overshadowed by the departures and injuries of key Melbourne players, as well as Melbourne's underwhelming start to its A-League title defence.

ASEAN and Australia

An interesting discussion was raised on FourFourTwo Australia's forums some weeks ago. It centred around Australia's status within the ASEAN Football Federation and Australia's possible participation in any future AFF Suzuki Cups. My understanding was that Australia was not a full member of the AFF and therefore is not entitled to participate in the AFF Suzuki Cup. Australia's youth teams, however, participate in all AFF youth tournaments as an invited nation. It is an interesting predicament which Australian football sits within, and for clarification I decided to contact the AFF themselves to see what they had to say. The response was thus:

"Hi there, just to clarify that Australia is not part of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) because the AFF was borne out of the political, social and economic partnerships between countries from South East Asian, which is ASEAN. But Australia is part of Asean in terms of qualification matches of the AFC. And as far as competitions organised by AFF, Australia is an invited team. I hope that it clarifies things. Thank you."

The response neglected to mention whether Australia has any place in future AFF Suzuki Cups however was largely predictable in content. Federations such as the AFF and EAFF are unique to Asia, reflecting the sheer size of the continent and continuing continental power politics.

Unlike most, if not all other nations in the AFC, Australia does not officially belong to a federation under the AFC such as the AFF or the EAFF. Australia does not benefit from the extra matches played within these federation tournaments. However, it can be argued that they are largely irrelevant for nations such as Japan and China and Australia would find it difficult to secure the release of players for federation tournaments. For the AFF, at least its tournament serves as a development platform and offers much needed matches to developing football nations such as Laos and the Philippines.

It is unlikely that we will see senior Australian teams participating in any AFF tournaments soon, however the participation of Australian youth teams in AFF tournaments can only benefit our integration into the region. Whether or not Australia can one day become a fully-fledged member of the AFF may have more to do with the fostering of political, social, and economic partnerships to which the AFF employee alluded.

Will Australia ever be seen as belonging to Asia in more than a footballing sense?

North Queensland pick up first A-League point

North Queensland FC picked up its first A-League point in yesterday evening's entertaining 3-3 draw with Adelaide United, however it could and probably should have been the club's first ever victory. Adelaide, however, amazingly almost snatched victory in the 93rd minute through a misdirected Cristiano header in what would have been another huge blow to the new A-League side. Australian football fans can breathe a sigh of relief that the A-League strugglers have finally picked up a point, but perhaps more importantly played decent football and outplayed an opponent for long periods of a match.

North Queensland perhaps surprisingly opened the scoring in the 5th minute through a composed Robbie Fowler finish. Fowler sweetly met fellow Englishman James Robinson's cross leaving Hindmarsh Stadium stunned. The Greens' habit of surrending cheap goals continued however, as defending and goalkeeping errors let in Reds pair Lucas Pantelis and Lloyd Owusu to claim the lead for Adelaide heading into half-time.

The second half belonged to North Queensland as Adelaide looked disjointed and struggled to move forward with real purpose. Ufuk Talay and Rostyn Griffiths both hit the post before big Netherlands Antilles international Dyron Daal gave the Townsville-based club a deserved equaliser in the 84th minute. Striker Daniel McBreen gave North Queensland the lead in the 87th minute with a bullet header. Adelaide, quite frankly, did not look like making a comeback until Daal bizarrely handled the ball in the Adelaide box in injury time. Pantelis obligingly scored from the spot, no doubt shattering the dreams of North Queensland fans for a first A-League win.

The talking point of the match has been Dyron Daal's bizarre injury time handball. Was it a foul by Reds defender Robert Cornthwaite? Was Daal pushed? What were Daal's hands doing up there in the first place? I do think Daal was fouled by Cornthwaite, but what Daal did was indeed very conspicuous and clumsy especially given his height. I feel for North Queensland and Daal. North Queensland were impressive and did not deserve to be robbed of their first A-League victory in such cruel circumstances, and Daal looked useful coming off the bench. Hopefully North Queensland can collect their first victory soon with Daal redeeming himself by being a big part of it.

In the other A-League match of the evening, defending champions Melbourne Victory continued their shocking record in Western Australia, succumbing 2-1 to an improving Perth Glory outfit.

World Football Weekly on Radio Australia

Today I tuned into ABC's Radio Australia online broadcast and caught World Football Weekly, a football-dedicated program which I had not heard before. It is hosted by members of the Four Diegos team. Football fans who tune into Melbourne's SEN 1116 radio station will most likely be familiar with the content and style of the Four Diegos. World Football Weekly, however, seems to go beyond Europe and complement Radio Australia's Asia-Pacific focus, offering a refreshing look at aspects of football in Asia and Oceania.

Amongst other topical issues of world football, in today's episode the team spoke about Tahiti's qualification for the upcoming U/20 World Cup in Egypt, and chatted to Thailand assistant coach Steve Darby in what was a fascinating insight into managing a national football team in Southeast Asia. Darby, who admitted to enjoying Tasmania as a holiday destination, amusingly said that the inclusion of a team from Tasmania in the A-League would make him swim across Bass Strait to get involved.

Interested football fans can read more about World Football Weekly on Radio Australia's website here.

World Football Weekly goes to air four times per week on Radio Australia's website at the following times:

Thursday - 1030
Friday - 1330, 1930
Saturday - 0130

All times quoted are Universal GMT. Broadcast times in your timezone can also be found by clicking here.

Making football big in the Philippines

Being a populous nation certainly does not guarantee success on the football pitch.

Just ask China, home to a staggering 1.3 billion people. If ever there was a a nation which asked so much of itself and underperformed equally as much, China would probably have to be it. The men's national team of the world's most populous nation has struggled both results and credibility-wise on the international stage for years. The most recent disappointment of being bundled out of the 2010 World Cup qualifying group stage by Qatar, Iraq, and Australia, only served to remind the Chinese of how far they have to develop. Constant allegations of corruption, discipline problems both on and off the field, and an underperforming national team probably all served to deflate China's bid for the 2018 World Cup.

However, to portray China as the only nation in Asia with a heap of unlocked football potential would be misleading. A number of populous nations within Asia are nowhere near what they could and perhaps should be in football terms. The huge nations of Bangladesh (FIFA World Ranking 169), India (156), Pakistan (167), and to a lesser extent Indonesia (134), are failing to harness the potential of football as a tool for international investment and interest. Indonesia however, did co-host the 2007 Asian Cup, making names like Bambang Pamungkas and Ellie Aiboy familiar to football fans around Asia.

South of China sits the remarkably diverse archipelago of the Philippines, a nation home to more then 90 million people. Once a strong football nation in Asia, these days the Philippines is pleased with any win at international level.

With four visits to this eclectic nation, one of those for an extended period, I feel I am somewhat qualified to talk about life in the Philippines. I am not, however, an authority on Philippine football thanks to the appallingly low level of coverage it receives in Philippine media outlets and the low levels of football interest amongst the general population. What I do know of Philippine football can be attributed to digging through the internet for a perspective over some years.

A most striking thing (aside from pollution, traffic, and heat) about a walk through downtown Manila is the amount of people wearing basketball singlets and the amount of people casually shooting some hoops. A jeepney or a tricycle emblazened with the logo of an NBA team might fleetingly catch your attention. Thanks to the legacy of American colonisation in the early 1900s and an enduring cultural fixation with America, basketball is big here, and football is not.

Basketball is an important thread in today's Philippine social fabric. In poor urban settlements, families crowd around television sets or makeshift basketball courts cheering on their players and selling their wares. In the provinces, the basketball court is a central element of a town's social, cultural, and sporting life. Barangay meeting places double as basketball courts and local basketball matches draw big crowds. Basketball makes a lot of Filipinos happy, and good on them.

Football struggles for attention in the Philippines against not just basketball, but also billiards, boxing, and even ten-pin bowling. However, some might be surprised at the pedigree of Philippine football dating back to the era of Spanish colonisation and the years as an American colony in the early 1900s:

- Barcelona legend Paulino Alcantara was the first Filipino and Asian player to turn out for a European club and is still the club's highest goalscorer in history with 357 goals in 357 games.

- In 1913, the Philippines organised the first ever Asian international football match in Manila. The Philippines emerged victorious against China 2-1.

- In 1917, the Philippines demolished Japan 15-2 in Tokyo to record their biggest international victory, a record which still stands today.

- In 1954, the Asian Football Confederation was founded in Manila.

In recent years, the Philippines has struggled to compete at international level and while the nation's FIFA World Ranking currently sits at 158, it had dropped to as low as 195 in September 2006. The Philippines has never qualified for an Asian Cup or World Cup and sadly, it does not seem that qualification for either tournament is realistic soon. Curiously, Philippine Football Federation decided not to enter the men's national team in the past two World Cup qualifying campaigns, robbing national team players of much needed games and experience.

The Philippine men's national team has in recent years embraced an interesting side effect of having millions of Overseas Filipino Workers and ex-pat Filipinos abroad. It has adopted a somewhat controversial policy of contacting and capping Europe and American-based players with Filipino blood such as Phil and James Younghusband, Neil Etheridge, and Chad Gould in order to boost national team standards. The policy has had some success with the Philippines recording some impressive results including a 7-0 thrashing of East Timor in 2006 and a 0-0 draw with Tajikistan in 2008. In the next decade, the Philippines should be looking to qualify for and do well in competitions such as the AFC Challenge Cup and the ASEAN Football Championship.

As much as anything, what football needs to succeed in the Philippines is a massive cultural shift and significant investment and expertise, particularly from Europe. Some argue that the Philippines would enjoy more success and exposure on the international stage if football is embraced more at the expense of basketball. This would mean more investment, interest, and infrastructure in the country. FIFA is recognising the potential of football in the nation with its contribution of funds to the building of a brand new Philippine Football Federation administration base in Pasig City.

In attempting to dig up information about Philippine football on the internet, sites such as philfootball.info and pinoysoccer.com do not seem to exist anymore which is a shame. In a nation dominated by basketball, a dynamic internet community driving discussion and debate is an essential element in improving football standards. Hopefully Filipinos are talking about football out there somewhere.

Philippine Mens National Team latest results:

18/04/2009 - Turkmenistan 5 - 0 Philippines (Friendly)
16/04/2009 - Maldives 3 - 2 Philippines (Friendly)
14/04/2009 - Philippines 1 - 0 Bhutan (Friendly)
23/10/2008 - Cambodia 2 - 3 Philippines (Friendly)
21/10/2008 - Philippines 1 - 2 Laos (Friendly)

Sukha makes promising A-League debut

Thai international Surat Sukha made history in Melbourne Victory's dramatic draw with Brisbane last night, becoming the first ever player from an ASEAN nation to play in the A-League. As expected, Sukha started on the bench, but was thrust into the pulsating encounter in the 79th minute as a substitute for Evan Berger. Sukha operated in his usual left full-back role and demonstrated a composed head on the ball and a willingness to go forward. The highlight of Sukha's debut was undoubtedly his driving run and long range effort on goal. It certainly roused the Thai-speaking fans sitting behind me who willed on their countryman with his every touch during the 3-3 draw.

Sukha's brief debut performance has been widely praised by Melbourne fans, with most wanting to see what the former Chonburi man can do in a starting role. Whether Ernie Merrick will give Sukha the chance to start against the bottom of the table North Queensland is up for speculation, as so far the Melbourne coach has preferred other defensive options. If Sukha does not start in the Townsville heat, however, we can probably expect to see him once again in a role off the bench and with another impressive performance can further stake his claim for a starting role in the coming weeks.

Sukha exuded spark and composure during his A-League debut and both Melbourne and Thailand fans should be pleased with his prospects.

AFC players in the A-League 2009/10

The 2009/10 season of the A-League will feature more players from fellow AFC nations than any season before. The reasons for the shift in recruitment focus from the lower leagues of England and Brazil to Asia are probably three-fold:

1. Australian clubs realising the need to become more integrated into the AFC. In the case of qualification for the AFC Champions League, signing an AFC player gives a club an extra foreign player in light of the 3+1 foreign player rule.
2. Australian clubs beginning to recognise and embrace the technical qualities of players from fellow AFC nations.
3. The growing credibility of the A-League as not only a decent league to play football in, but also as a viable gateway to a possible European move.

Also, while I don't think marketing and dollars plays a large part in persuading a club to sign an AFC player, signing an AFC player undoubtedly gives any A-League club a little more exposure in Asia. It also gives an A-League club a positive image as a welcome place for AFC players to play.

This year, six players from four AFC nations will line up in the A-League. They are:

Byun Sung-Hwan (Sydney FC, 1 game 0 goals)
Previous Club: Jeju United (Republic of Korea)
Position: Left Back

Byun is a 29-year old left back joining Vitezslav Lavicka's foreign legion at Sydney FC. He has been capped for the Korean national team twice and is signed to a two-year deal at Sydney. Made his debut and played the full 90 minutes against North Queensland on August 8. He looks a handy inclusion into the squad.

Jiang Chen (Wellington, 0 games 0 goals)
Previous Club: Tianjin Teda (China)
Position: Striker

Chen trialled with Wellington during their pre-season tour of China. He seemingly impressed enough to be offered a one-year loan deal. Chen did not feature in Wellington's Round 1 clash with Newcastle and it will be interesting to see how much game time he will get with Chris Greenacre, Paul Ifill, and Costa Barbarouses all offering striking options.

Kojiro Kaimoto (North Queensland, 1 game 0 goals)
Previous Club: Bonnyrigg (Australia), Tokyo Verdy (Japan)
Position: Right Back

Kaimoto was signed by North Queensland from NSWPL outfit Bonnyrigg on a short-term loan deal. The 31-year old is something of a journeyman in Asian football, having turned out for Gamba Osaka, Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, Nagoya Grampus, Albirex Niigata, and Tokyo Verdy during his career. Kaimoto somewhat surprisingly played the full 90 minutes of North Queensland's first ever A-League match against Sydney FC. The first Japanese player in the A-League since season two, Kaimoto looks competent at A-League level and might be looking to secure a full A-League contract.

Shin In-Seob (Adelaide United, 0 games 0 goals)
Previous Club: Konkuk University (Republic of Korea)
Position: Attacking Midfielder

Shin is a dynamic 20-year old midfielder recruited straight from the Korean university league. He failed to play in Adelaide's opening weekend win over Perth due to his international clearance not coming through in time. He is untried at professional level although according to Adelaide United coach Aurelio Vidmar, "if he didn't come here he would probably have been chosen in the K-League somewhere." Shin's interest in playing in Australia was sparked by seeing Adelaide play in the AFC Champions League. Set to line up against Sydney FC in Round 2, Shin could well prove to be an astute get by the Reds.

Song Jin-Hyung (Newcastle, 22 games 1 goal)
Previous Club: FC Seoul (Republic of Korea)
Position: Attacking Midfielder

Song is another young Korean to watch in this season's A-League. Song disappointly missed most of Newcastle's AFC Champions League campaign through injury but will resume his midfield role this season with the Jets. Always energetic and looking to take players on, Song memorably nutmegged Melbourne's Matthew Kemp in the 2008/09 season. Probably needs to step his game up a bit this season.



Surat Sukha (Melbourne Victory, 0 games 0 goals)
Previous Club: Chonburi FC (Thailand)
Position: Full Back/Defensive Midfielder

Included in Melbourne's matchday squad for the Round 2 clash against Brisbane, Sukha will be hoping to make his A-League debut. Sukha has been capped 14 times by the Thai national team and actually played against Melbourne alongside fellow Melbourne recruit Ney Fabiano during Chonburi's 2008 AFC Champions League campaign. The first player from an ASEAN nation in top flight Australian football, Sukha will be hoping for a stellar season although Melbourne coach Ernie Merrick may prefer other defensive options.

Sukha to make A-League debut?

A-League champions Melbourne Victory have included Thai international Surat Sukha in their matchday squad for Saturday night's clash against Brisbane at Docklands Stadium. It is the first time Sukha has been included in Victory's matchday squad for an A-League fixture. Sukha has so far turned out for the club in just a handful of pre-season matches, most notably a friendly against English Premier League club Fulham.

Sukha was curiously omitted from last week's matchday squad which disappointly succumbed to a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of the Central Coast Mariners. With the injury of club captain Kevin Muscat, Victory's defensive stocks are thin and critics of coach Ernie Merrick's recruitment policy are growing more vociferous as the club looks to sign yet another striker.

Sukha is the first ever player from an ASEAN nation to play in Australia's top flight, and is one of a handful of AFC players recruited by A-League clubs in the off-season. He was signed from Thai Premier League club Chonburi to a two-year deal and should Sukha's stay in Australia prove to be a success, it is hoped that other A-League clubs will be encouraged to look for often underrated talent plying their trade in South-East Asia.

In being the first Thai player to sign for an A-League club, Sukha is something of a trailblazer and indeed an experiment. Australian football fans have become well aware of the technical quality on show in South-East Asia thanks to exposure to the Asian Cup and AFC Champions League. "I am very happy that I will be the first Thai player to play in Australia's top football league," Surat said. "I hope this will be the first step for other Thai players to follow", Sukha told the Bangkok Post in this article.

About 'Football Continent' and Introductions

Hi there, and welcome to my football blog. I have blogged on and off over the years about various things but found myself struggling for content and meaning. There really didn't seem to be a great reason to justify spending hours writing about an experience when probably a handful of people at the most read and appreciated the articles. The predecessor to this blog, albeit with a different domain, was a travelogue largely focused on my travels through the Philippines and Japan. I intend to continue my affinity with the Asian region through this blog, Football Continent. Football Continent hopes to provide and provoke discussion and debate about topical football issues from around the vast Asian Football Confederation; from club football to international football, from Australia to Japan to Saudi Arabia, from supporters issues to the negotiations at AFC headquarters.

There are indeed a lot of places on the internet for football fans to engage in lively, well-informed, and respectful discussion and debate regarding football matters. I already spend a lot of time writing about football on the internet through forums and comments on media. Through this blog I hope to further articulate my football opinions and create an organised space for them.

Football is the world game, and this means trying to listen to and appreciate a lot of opinions and styles, but above all trying to understand everything in a global context. I value football as a mechanism of understanding and co-operation between people and governments. It goes without saying though that things don't always end amicably in football circles.

Australia's historic move into the Asian Football Confederation, for instance, received far less attention than it deserved in the Australian media in light of the economic, political, and social (identity) ramifications for Australia. It will irrevocably change how Australia is viewed throughout the Asian region.

For the sake of transparency perhaps it would be wise to inform you that I am Australian, a supporter of Melbourne Victory in Australia's A-League and indeed the Australian national football team. Any perceived bias of preference for content regarding Australian football matters in particular largely reflects the superior knowledge I possess of Australian football issues and the Australian football media. Nevertheless, I shall endeavour to cover as much football as I can from every corner of Asia.

To my Japanese speaking friends, Football Continent will one day be available for reading in Japanese. The content and complexity of ideas featured in the Japanese articles will in the meantime, however, be decidedly less than what is offered in the English articles as I continue to grapple with the Japanese language.

Thanks for checking Football Continent out, and please feel free to comment on anything you see in the blog or send me an email. Feedback is always welcome and appreciated.

Clinton Moore