2019 AFC ASIAN CUP SEMI FINALS & FINAL (Now 100% Aussie Free)

[Mr_Bojangles]

SEMI FINALS

IRAN V JAPAN
1AM TUESDAY MORNING

QATAR V UAE
1AM WEDNESDAY MORNING


FINAL
1AM SATURDAY MORNING

 

[tigs2010]

100% Aussie free, FTA free and probably 2nd page of a thread free.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Probably.

 

[hey shorty]

UAE and Iran to win.

 

[FreoRicci]

Goddamn. Iran loss and choked 3 nil. Well done to Japan!

 

[hey shorty]

Wow, massive effort by the Blue Samurai.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Yeah Japan cruising even with a 'rebuild' squad.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

With the way both teams had been travelling, I would've expected the opposite. Seems like Japan are clicking at the right time and I suspect they go on and win it now.

 

[hey shorty]

Youd think so, although if UAE sneak through theyll be a tough opponent.

Watched the replay, little bit controversial but Japan were the better team.

 

[ioppolo]

Tonight's game is like choosing cancer or aids. That being said, I actually hope Qatar smash the UAE. Either way, Japan will probably have a hard time in the final, mainly from dodgy refs listening to AFC directives.

 

[hey shorty]

Id rather cancer..... so whichever one that is.

Qatar winning kinda validates FIFAs decision to hold a WC there...... "See guys they arent so bad"

 

[FreoRicci]

Qatar obviously went all out for this to showcase their ‘deservedness’ of hosting the World Cup. But UAE are pathetic, we gave them the win on the platter. How would’ve Australia gone if we played Qatar tonight?

 

[ioppolo]

Well that result was unexpected. Now hopefully Japan do the same to Qatar

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Only about 310,000 of Qatar's population are actual Qatari citizens, the rest are expats. How does a country with no football history with a talent pool that thin to choose from make the final? Is there some sort of match-fixing going on for their opposition to play bad to make them look go so that FIFA can validate giving them the WC?

 

[hey shorty]

Only about 310,000 of Qatar's population are actual Qatari citizens, the rest are expats. How does a country with no football history with a talent pool that thin to choose from make the final? Is there some sort of match-fixing going on for their opposition to play bad to make them look go so that FIFA can validate giving them the WC?

Nail, hammer, head.

The ME sides have always been much stronger in familiar surrounds, that's what makes Japans win so impressive, particularly as theyd been poor by their standards up to that point.

 

[ioppolo]

Only about 310,000 of Qatar's population are actual Qatari citizens, the rest are expats. How does a country with no football history with a talent pool that thin to choose from make the final? Is there some sort of match-fixing going on for their opposition to play bad to make them look go so that FIFA can validate giving them the WC?

Qatar, like most middle eastern countries, are decent in familiar surroundings. Away from the middle east, like most of their neighbours, are s**t

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Tonight's game is like choosing cancer or aids. That being said, I actually hope Qatar smash the UAE. Either way, Japan will probably have a hard time in the final, mainly from dodgy refs listening to AFC directives.

Aids is curable so I guess they were UAE. A shame they folded quicker than superman on wash day.

 

[Forward Press]

Only about 310,000 of Qatar's population are actual Qatari citizens, the rest are expats. How does a country with no football history with a talent pool that thin to choose from make the final? Is there some sort of match-fixing going on for their opposition to play bad to make them look go so that FIFA can validate giving them the WC?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspire_Academy

Set up in 2004 with the obvious goal of preparing a decent team for the World Cup.

Importantly:

In 2014, the Qatar U-19 National Football Team, composed solely of past or current Aspire Academy student-athletes, won the 38th edition of the AFC U-19 Championship in Myanmar, for the first time in Qatar's history

Those players are now in their footballing prime.

Someone on Reddit posted that although 8 of the team were foreign born, 5 were raised in Qatar and all of them went through the academy. They've largely ditched the route of naturalising Z-grade Brazilians.

Did you raise the same concerns about Iceland's success in continental competition?

 

[ioppolo]

At least they're not naturalizing randoms anymore. Although their leading goal scorer and most capped player is Uruguayan born and raised Sebastien Soria.

Most of Bahrain's squad was home grown, and born in Bahrain, which is remarkable given their tiny size.

 

[mouncey2franklin]

I like Qatar. U19 champions a few years ago. Their time is now.

 

[mouncey2franklin]

That is one of the best goals you could hope to see in an international final.

What on earth...

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspire_Academy

Set up in 2004 with the obvious goal of preparing a decent team for the World Cup.

Importantly:



Those players are now in their footballing prime.

Someone on Reddit posted that although 8 of the team were foreign born, 5 were raised in Qatar and all of them went through the academy. They've largely ditched the route of naturalising Z-grade Brazilians.

Did you raise the same concerns about Iceland's success in continental competition?

I'll openly admit I am biased against the gulf states. Soulless entities made up of predominately expats with no footballing history who make their oil money off slavery. Regardless of their youth results, it would be a tragic result for football if those corrupt campaigners became successful, and as I type this, those campaigners go 1-0 up.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

I like Qatar. U19 champions a few years ago. Their time is now.

What do you like about them?

 

[Forward Press]

I'll openly admit I am biased against the gulf states. Soulless entities made up of predominately expats with no footballing history who make their oil money off slavery. Regardless of their youth results, it would be a tragic result for football if those corrupt campaigners became successful, and as I type this, those campaigners go 1-0 up.

If your criteria for support is whether they were or were not corrupt campaigners, your pool of national teams to support would be in the single digits.

 

[mouncey2franklin]

What do you like about them?

As I said, U19 champions in 2014. Same coach the whole way through.

Look into what they have done. Overtaken Australia (and many other nations) by investing in football, and doing so wisely.

And now they are 2-0 up against Japan before half time. Amazing stuff.