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 [March 27, 2023]
By Michael Church
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Talking points from the week in Asian
football:
LATE DRAW WITH URUGUAY LEAVES JAPAN'S MORIYASU FRUSTRATED
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu was left frustrated after his side were
held to a 1-1 draw by Uruguay in their first game since reaching the
knockout rounds of last year's World Cup.
Substitute Takuma Nishimura struck with his first touch 15 minutes
from time to earn the Japanese a draw after Federico Valverde had
put the visitors in front just before the break.
"It's disappointing we couldn't win," said Moriyasu, who signed a
contract extension having guided his team to the last 16 in Qatar
late last year.
"I told the players there would likely be good crosses coming in,
and to get on the end of them. We still have lots to work on with
our build up play."
ARNOLD SEEKS TO CALM EXPECTATIONS AFTER VICTORY OVER ECUADOR
Graham Arnold sought to dampen expectations over the country's crop
of emerging players after Australia's 3-1 win over Ecuador on
Friday.
Jackson Irvine, Awer Mabil and teenager Garang Kuol were on target
as Arnold handed debuts to Aiden O'Neill and Alex Robertson.
"Let's not get carried away, because these kids need a heap of
experience and plenty of game time at their clubs," Arnold said
after the win at Western Sydney Stadium.
"The senior boys are doing it every week and you can see the example
that they're setting to the young ones."
KLINSMANN DELIGHTED WITH SON'S TWO-GOAL SHOW
South Korea coach Juergen Klinsmann praised captain Son Heung-min
after the Tottenham Hotspur striker scored both goals in the 2-2
draw with visitors Colombia in Ulsan on Friday.
[to top of second column] |
Soccer Football - International Friendly
- Japan v Uruguay - Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan - March 24,
2023 Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu instructs his players during the
match REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Son, who has endured a difficult season in the
Premier League, netted a brace as the South Koreans took a two-goal
lead into the interval in Klinsmann's first game in charge.
"I'm obviously very happy every time Sonny scores," said Klinsmann.
"As a striker, this is what you're looking for. He had a fantastic
game. He has the freedom to rotate (behind the striker). As long as
he knows where the goal is, I am happy."
JANKOVIC WAITING FOR FIRST WIN AS NEW ZEALAND DOWN CHINA
China's new coach Aleksandar Jankovic is still looking for his first
win after New Zealand handed the Serbian's side a 2-1 defeat in
Wellington on Sunday in the second of back-to-back friendlies.
Jankovic, who was appointed as the long-term replacement of Li
Xiaopeng in February, saw his side held to a 0-0 draw by the All
Whites in Auckland on Thursday.
"These games against New Zealand were extremely important because
one of the main targets was to respond to aggression and intensity,"
he told Xinhua news agency.
"If we play against physically weaker teams, we can never see if we
have problems or not."
(Reporting by Michael Church in Hong Kong, Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
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