The Hindu : Business / Briefly : Korea up against a confident Iraq

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Wednesday, Jul 25, 2007
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Korea up against a confident Iraq

Japan takes on a weary Saudi Arabia

— Photo: AFP

GUARDED OPTIMISM: Though confident, Saudi Arabia’s coach Helio Dos Anjos admitted his side was not as prepared as Japan after being forced to travel 12 hours from Jakarta.

KUALA LUMPUR: Something has to give when South Korea, chasing its first finals’ appearance in 19 years, and Iraq, playing in only its second-ever Asian Cup semifinal, collide here Wednesday.

The Koreans, two-time winners but bidding for their first success since 1960, are backing up from last Sunday’s exhausting win on penalties over Iran.

Korea takes on tournament surprise Iraq, which has thrilled its people with its successes.

A place in next Sunday’s final in Jakarta beckons against either tournament favourite Japan or Saudi Arabia, who clash in the other semifinal in Hanoi also on Wednesday.

Korea’s Dutch coach Pim Verbeek believes his team is up against an outstanding generation of Iraqi footballers.

“Iraq is not an easy team to play,” he said. “They reached the semifinal of the 2004 Athens Olympics, they were in the final of last year’s Asian Games and they were in the semifinals of the Gulf Cup.

Good footballers

“They beat Australia, they are in the semifinal, so I think this is a very good generation of Iraqi footballers.”

“Iraq has a strong team, we know them very well,” Verbeek said. “They have good strikers, individual, skilful and dangerous, they have a tough defence, they have good balance, they’re organised, and they are very difficult to defend against in the set pieces. Iraq, last time semifinalists in 1976, has been the inspiring story of the tournament, succeeding against the best teams in Asia.

Sterling job

Brazilian coach Jorvan Vieira, who has done a sterling job to unify the team despite having to prepare outside of Iraq, has called on his players to fight for their flag.

“Our mission is finished in one sense because no-one expected us to make the semifinals here,” Vieira said Tuesday.

“Now we are among the first four teams in Asia, it’s good for my players, good for the country to show the real value of the Iraq team.

Given the closeness of the two teams, it may come down to penalties and if it does, Verbeek is confident his players have the mental strength to win.

Coach warns

In Hanoi, Japan coach Ivica Osim has warned that the defending champion will face an unknown quantity when it clashes with Saudi Arabia.

Both teams are looking for a record fourth continental title with Japan beating the Saudis 3-1 at home in their last meeting in November to avenge a 1-0 loss away two months earlier.

“They are a completely new team with only the goalkeeper and four other players held over from our last game,” said Osim. “We’ll have a very, very big game as both teams are similar in style and powerhouses of Asian football,” said Saudi coach Helio Dos Anjos, who has shaken up the squad after replacing fellow Brazilian Marcos Paquetta in March.

But Dos Anjos admitted his side was not as prepared as Japan after being forced to travel 12 hours from Jakarta to arrive here just 48 hours before the match.

In contrast, Japan has been in Hanoi for nearly three weeks and beat Australia on penalties on Saturday, giving it plenty of time for rest and recovery.

At stake for both sides is a place in the final in Jakarta on July 29. — AFP

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