The 2015 Asian Cup Review

The 2015 Asian Cup is over and the comedown/hangover has already begun.

So to help from any Asian Cup withdrawals you are having it's time to look back on the highs and lows, the winners and losers as I give out my 2015 Asian Cup Awards.

The Winners

The Socceroos

Was this victory as good as the Socceroos qualifying for the World Cup in 2005? Or the Japan and Croatia games at the 2006 World Cup?

Some fans tell me it is, I wish I wasn’t in the toilet when James Troisi scored because I would be saying it was right up their too. 

Now I have to wait another 50 years when Australia hosts the Asian Cup again and Troisi’s grandson scores the winning goal against South Korea in extra time.

Multiculturalism

The Australian fans from all backgrounds confounded nervous organiser’s worries of a low turnout by coming out in their thousands to make this Asian Cup a grand spectacle.

Multiculturalism was the one of the big winners as fans from all over the word with different ethnic backgrounds showcased a different side of culture that the Australian media usually portrays.

Usually associated with terms like refugees, boat people, or even sometimes terrorists, these were simply football fans, enjoying themselves and supporting their team and respecting the opposition.

Iran fans holding placards such as this is what a free Tehran looks like, Palestine fans watching an historic occasion in Newcastle were indicative of the tournament vibe.

The adopt a second team strategy worked to make this Asian Cup more than just about the home team, from the comedy element of Australian fans making fun of North Korea by dressing up as  Kim Jong Un, to the strong turnout in Canberra and Melbourne when teams like North Korea, China, Iraq and Iran played.

The Losers

Sepp Blatter

The sneaky Penguin from the movie Batman Returns Blatter had the nerve to come to Australia and help present the Asian Cup to Australia after FIFA gave the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

Are you watching Sepp? 

Did you see who good this Asian Cup was? Did you see what an amazing show the 2022 World Cup would have been if you gave us the tournament?

Dudes at the AFC x2

Certain members of the Asian Football Confederation for trying to stir shit up before the final by hinting that they wanted to kick out the Socceroos of the AFC.

The AFC get two loser awards and the second one is for not giving any prize money to the winners of the Asian Cup.

An official quote from the AFC was:

“Generally, AFC is a non-profit making association.

“As such, any surpluses generated through its activities are reinvested in its competitions and other football development activities.”

My official quote back is: “Show me the Money!”

The Tim Cahill Selfie Award goes to..

Super Selfie Tim Cahill

Tim Cahill has been going Tim Cahilling crazy. Selfies in the change rooms after games. Selfies on the ground after games.

The funniest one was the next day after the final when the Socceross where celebrating with fans in Pitt Street Mall, Sydney.

While talking to the mainstream TV media scrum Cahill offered his thoughts about what winning the Asian Cup meant for Australian football and then showing the same agility and athleticism as when he scored that bicycle kick against China, he quickly posed for a selfie with adoring Socceroos fans, all in the same movement.

The Ben Williams Award for Highest Achievement in Refereeing Standards goes to..

Ben Williams

Williams’ refereeing performance copped it in this tournament, accused of holding a grudge against Iran coach Carlos Queiroz and of not giving penalties to John Aloisi as a player or as a coach.

Williams’ refereeing performance might benefit from a change in attitude he should see grudges as a place to park his car, not to hold one against one of team’s coach you are refereeing. (Thank you the 12th Man).

The Fans of the Tournament Award goes to…

Superstitious Italian-Australian fans sitting next Dave during the final.

A group of Socceroos fans with Italian background were sitting next my mate Dave during the final.

Dave who is of Italian background got chatting with a member of that group because he noticed that all five of them were doing the gesture that you sometimes see at heavy metal and rock concerts.

But Dave found out that the Italians-Aussies were not rocking out, they were actually doing the il malocchio or the evil eye which is an old Italian custom. They were aiming the hand gesture at the South Korean team to try and curse them with bad luck. 

The lady sitting next to Dave explained that because the South Koreans were wearing a red strip that meant the malocchio hand signal didn’t work so well.

So to get it to work more effectively they wore their underpants inside out, so this would reverse the curse! 

This is no joke!

The Socceroos and Ange Postecoglou should give a thanks to the superstitious and eccentric five Aussie-Italians for cursing out the South Koreans and helping win Australia the Asian Cup!

The Messi Lookalike Contest Winner is….

There was the Chinese Messi, The UAE Messi, The Kuwait Messi, the Japan Messi, but where was the Chinese Paul Wade? 

Or the UAE Chad Gibson? 

Or the Kuwait Alun Hunter? 

Or the Japan Nick Meredith?

Surely some hard working journey man comparison would be nice for a change. 

442 Asian Cup Final Podcast

I'm on latest @FourFourTwoOz  Asian Cup Podcast. It's the special Asian Cup final edition, we talk Socceroos, We are the Champions of Asia! + A League and Tim Cahill's move to China:

 http://au.fourfourtwo.com/podcasts/442FM_10x11.mp3

Socceroos Asian Cup Final Victory

Read my Asian Cup Blog. The Socceroos beat South Korea in the final and guess who missed the winning goal.

If a goal is scored to win the 2015 Asian Cup final while I am in the toilet, and I hear the crowd cheering but I don’t see it, did it really happen? 

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/features/dunny-wish-hed-been-there-australias-number-two

Asian Cup Blog Socceroos UAE Analysis and South Korea Preview

My latest Asian Cup Blog @FourFourTwoOz The Socceroos rewriting the script in their quest for glory with UAE Analysis and South Korea Preview.

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/news/asian-cup-socceroos-rewriting-script

Socceroos Belgium and Saudi Arabia Analysis

After watching the Socceroos fumble and bumble their way with a lucky loss against Belgium and a very lucky win against Saudi Arabia, the World Cup afterglow has well and truly faded.

Recently there has been boasting predictions by some of the Socceratti that the Asian Cup victory on home soil is there for the taking.

The Socceroos chucked their 2014 Copo do Mondo performances into the waste bin of history and reminded fans, pundits and bandwagoners that there is lots of work to be done.

The Socceroos have planty of excuses why they played so badly. Sure it's hard to rise up to and match the performances that the Socceroos gave against Chile and Holland when your are playing in half empty stadiums in Belgium and London.

Compared to the pageantry and excitement of the world's biggest organised piss-up. the buzz of full stadiums and the gaze of the world's eyes, the atmosphere and the importance of the friendly games against the Chocolatiers and the Oil Botherers are a Debbie Downer in comparison to Brazil.

Sure Grumpy Postecoglou used a bunch of new players and  used the game to widen the net and add more depth to the national team’s small pool of players.

But talk about comedown Tuesday! I haven't felt so low on a Tuesday morning since the late 90's and early noughties of my misspent youth.

Sure the game was played on a Monday morning Australian time but everyone associated with the term "comedown Tuesday" knows that the low doesn't hit till the following day.

The Socceroos were pedestrian, lazy and as Alan Partridge says just too "cas" in defence.

The midfield is an ongoing saga and the attack is the same old story: a lot of conversation and very little action.

Fire up Tommy!

Before the first game against Belgium I had the opportunity to interview World Cup 2014 Socceroos members, Tommy Oar and Bailey Wright. Click on the their last names for the interviews.

Oar will want to forget these two games and Wright will never ever forget the Saudi Arabia game.

Oar continues to disappoint for the Socceroos while the Preston North End veteran (he's only 22 and has played over 100 games for the Lilywhites) made his full Socceroos debut and scored

After being a suited and booted cheerleader for the Socceroos last six or seven games including the World Cup, Wright would have been thinking 'finally'!

Oar is a mystery to me, and the Utrecht winger is probably puzzling many Socceroos observers and himself over why he can bring it for his club but not for his country.

The 22 years old's performances at the World Cup were mixed, Oar said so himself when I interviewed him:

"I've got mixed feelings,” he says. “Obviously playing at the highest level, coming up against the best defenders in the world is always going to be tough. I’m disappointed I couldn't have a more positive impact; however I am grateful for the experience. It has highlighted for me the things which I need to work on and what I need to improve."

It’s easy for this coach on a keyboard to say, but what Oar needs to improve upon when playing for the Socceroos is his composure.

When Oar plays for his club side in Holland he seems more relaxed. He's been on fire for Utrecht, starting the Eredivise season with three assists in two games.If you look at the highlights Oar's been giving some sublime passes to his teammates.

Where is Utrecht Tommy Oar when he plays for the Socceroos? Perhaps Oar is trying too hard and trying to do too much when he puts on the green and gold. I'd like see Grumpy Ange give him a free role. Give him the freedom to move inside from the left and into the middle like he does for his club side.

Poor Ol' Mitch

Goalkeeper Mitch Langerak must have done something wrong in his past Socceroos life because his current Socceroos teammates are causing the Borussia Dortmund's Goalkeeper all sorts of grief every time he puts on the Socceroos keeper's uniform.

Langerak's Socceroos career seems jinxed. His debut for the green and gold was against France when the Frogs thrashed the Aussies by six goals to nil. It was the last game dour game Holger Osieck ever coached for Australia.

In the lead up to the World Cup, Langerak's poor performance against Ecuador were he got sent off gave Socceros number one GK position to Mat Ryan, wrapped up in a green and gold bow tie.

Langerak must be thinking to himself: “At least I don't have to put up with this shit at Dortmund.”

Hipster bearded kreas Mile Jedinak has Tommy Oar's disease, were he excels for his club and plays crazy in the coconut (go "The Avalanches" reference!) for the Socceroos.

To continue with the Avalanches references: Since the Socceroos left us at the World Cup, Ange Postecoglou's five year project, is still a work in progress.

The Fringsters

Joshua Brilliante, Trent Sainsbury, Mitch Langerack, Massimo Luongo, Bailey Wright, Ben Halloran, Chris Herd, Tomi Juric and Brad Smith all need proper playing time or to move to proper clubs.

The Socceroos can't be having League One players and bench players trying to keep up with your Belgium's and trying to dominate your Saudi Arabia's.

It will take time to get regular games and proper clubs, for some players in the Fringsters list, perhaps the Asian Cup is a year too soon.

The Regulars

Tommy Oar, Jason Davidson, Mile Jedinak, Mathew Leckie, Mat Ryan can’t keep on playing below their ability or better for their clubs.

Step it up, you're playing for Australia farken!

The Meek

Robbie Kruse, Rhys Williams, Mathew Spiranovic and Terry Antonis see more of the inside of a doctor’s office than the outside of a football pitch.

You all don't want to be called the next Hayden Foxe especially by Andy Harper do you?

Generation What's Next? may look like a mad woman’s breakfast at the moment, but with some refinement of the squad particularly the fringsters, regulars and some luck with the meek, I’m still intrigued to see how the story ends.

I just hope it doesn't have the same ending as another disastrous and embarrassing home football tournament.

The Sydney 2000 Olympics anyone?