July 8 to 21, 2019 Global Futbol Matches

The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2019.

July 8 to 21, 2019

Asian Cup Qualifiers continued this fortnight. Turkmenistan and Yemen both needed a win to have any chance of approaching Uzbekistan and Oman in the group. However, the ball mostly remained in the middle of the park as a Turkmenistan defensive formation meant neither side could penetrate into an effective position. Both sides had three first-half shots on target, and only one found its way towards the netting in the second half. In the end, a scoreless draw epitomised the play.

 

However, the next week, Yemen went on the attack, needing to score three more goals than Oman to overtake them in second place. Yemen scored in the 20th minute via Mohsen Hasan, only for Oman to reply six minutes later from a quick Abdulaziz Al Muqbali left-footer. Then, on the stroke of halftime, Mohammed Salem slid home a goal after a shot was saved from Nasser Shi. Yemen increased their lead when substitute Ahmed Abdulrab won the ball deep in the attacking half and slotted into the net.

 

Uzbekistan played a lacklustre home game against Turkmenistan, losing by two goals. The first was an own goal by Farrukh Sayfiev, before Altymyrat Annadurdiyev doubled the lead. Uzbekistan never really looked like scoring, and thus lost the game significantly. The result was mostly significant because now the group is wide open. Yemen and Oman both have a home final match. If both teams win, the team that scores more will top the group, and both will qualify from Group A, knocking out Uzbekistan from contention. A draw for Uzbekistan will be enough. Turkmenistan will progress if they win against Oman away and Yemen loses to Uzbekistan.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group A	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Uzbekistan	5	3	0	2	9	+5
2	Oman	5	2	1	2	7	-1
3	Yemen	5	2	1	2	7	-2
4	Turkmenistan	5	1	2	2	5	-2

 

 

Japan found it tough early against Thailand, but on the stroke of halftime, Shinji Okazaki snuck back off a corner and his header found the gap between a diving keeper and defender on the left post. Japan dominated the second half, but needed another header from a corner to slot their second, this time from defender Takehiro Tomiyasu. Substitute Hiroki Abe then snagged a rebound off a save, ending the match with three goals to Japan, and first place in Group B.

 

Chasing Japan and Thailand are Nepal and Jordan, trying to gain that second spot for the Asian Cup. An 89th-minute winner from Ravi Silwal ensured the opening three points for Nepal, whereas Jordan will rue giving away the late goal, when a scoreless draw seemed likely.

 

The following week, Nepal needed a result to earn a ticket to the UAE. Their desperate defence held strong for 82 minutes, holding out the Japanese in Tokyo. It took substitute Hiroki Abe to header after the ball came off the crossbar to break the Nepalese defence, and thus their hearts. As a result, Japan thus qualified for the Cup.

 

Jordan needed a win to overtake Thailand in the group, and though the score was 1-1 early in the piece, it was Jordan who piled on five more, including a Seif Baha hat trick, to not only win, but give them the best chance possible to qualify for the Asian Cup. If Jordan defeats Japan, they will qualify regardless of the other result, thanks to a near-unbeatable goal difference compared with Thailand. However, if Jordan draw or lose, Thailand can progress with a win. A draw will still give a drawing Jordan the second spot.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group B	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Japan	5	4	0	1	12	+4
2	Jordan	5	2	1	2	7	+4
3	Thailand	5	2	1	2	7	-5
4	Nepal	5	1	0	4	3	-3

 

 

Zheng Zhi came on as a substitute in Group C’s match between Cambodia and China to score after Yang Xu won the ball and passed it to their captain in front of goal. Despite some last-gasp efforts by the home side, the Chinese gained their first qualifying win and pushed within striking distance of Qatar and Tajikistan, with a game in hand.

 

Tajikistan flew to Cambodia the following week, where the match was mostly played in the centre of the field. Both sides had chances to score, with Tajikistan’s best via Jahongir Ergashev, and Cambodia’s being Orn Chanpolin’s shot saved by Rustam Yatimov.

 

China then leapt ahead of Tajikistan and Qatar by defeating Qatar by a solitary goal at home. Qatar had the early chances, hitting the woodwork twice in quick succession. Instead, China took control of the game, maintaining possession for the latter part of the first half. When it seemed they were playing for halftime, Chenye Zhou stepped up and fired from long range, finding the gap between the post and a diving Saad Al Sheeb. China hit the woodwork in the same manner as Qatar in the second half, but one goal was enough to take charge of Group C based on goal difference.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group C	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	China	4	2	2	0	8	+2
2	Tajikistan	5	2	2	1	8	+1
3	Qatar	5	2	2	1	8	-1
4	Cambodia	4	0	2	2	2	-2

 

 

In Group D, Bahrain travelled to East Timor and had the upper hand in the first half, which culminated in a goal by Komail Al Aswad. The second half was far tighter, and East Timor looked more and more likely to score. That came about by a brilliant Filomeno run before popping the ball into the net. Mild chances then came for both sides, only for the game to end in a draw, and give Bahrain the slight upper hand in drawing away from home.

 

Bahrain then travelled to Palestine the following week, and did draw level thanks to Jasim Ahmed Alshaikh, after Oday Dabbagh had opened the scoring. However, Palestine had other ideas, and took charge, finding Mahmoud Wadi on a lead early in the second half, and he made no mistake.

 

Palestine face East Timor away in their final match. A win will guarantee Palestine’s place in the Asian Cup, whilst it will almost guarantee Bahrain a place as well.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group D	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Palestine	3	2	0	1	6	+2
2	Bahrain	3	1	1	1	4	0
3	East Timor	2	0	1	1	1	-2

 

 

Group E’s Vietnam could not find a way to goal against Macau. Their best chance was straight after halftime with a chip over Ho Man Fai by Nguyễn Công Phượng, only for the ball to slide the wrong side of the post. Eight shots on target were not enough, and both sides left with a point. This left the door open for Afghanistan or the Philippines to claim first place in the group. Afghanistan switched into attacking mode for the second half, nearly gaining the first goal straight after the break, only for Faysal Shayesteh to hit the post. Twelve minutes later, Shayesteh had the ball at the semi-circle, and made no mistake this time. From there, the Philippines had no answer.

 

The following week, Afghanistan defeated Macau by a solitary goal, thanks to Jabar Sharza. The home side could have had a second, only for the Macau goalkeeper and the post to deny them. It did not matter, for Afghanistan is well on their way to qualifying for the Asian Cup, especially considering they and Vietnam have a game in hand.

 

Player of the Match Stephan Schröck provided assists for all the goals for the Philippines as they romped Vietnam. Javier Patiño scored a brace, whilst Iain Ramsay and Angel Guirado got their names on the scoresheet as Vietnam capitulated in defence, with no answer to the constant Filipino attack.

 

Vietnam next host Afghanistan and must defeat them to remain in with a chance of qualifying. Should Afghanistan win or draw, they will automatically qualify.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group E	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Afghanistan	4	3	1	0	10	+3
2	Philippines	5	2	1	2	7	+3
3	Vietnam	4	1	2	1	5	-3
4	Macau	5	0	2	3	2	-3

 

 

Taiwan lost their second game in a row by three goals as Singaporean attacker Gabriel Quak scored twice in the first fifteen minutes to set up a solid first three points for the home side. The margin increased with Huzaifah Aziz’s power shot into an open goal after goalkeeper Wen Chieh Pan was occupied with Quak’s previous attempt on goal. More goals seemed likely, only for the offside rule to keep Singapore out of the goals.

 

Malaysia kept their perfect record for the Qualifiers with a 2-0 win over Kuwait, especially after defeating them away early in the campaign. Malaysia became the first side to guarantee qualification to UAE next year, and will focus on their last two games to consolidate before the tournament begins in January. Norshahrul Idlan Talaha and Mohamadou Sumareh both scored their second goals for the Qualifiers, the former with a solid goal from the edge of the box curling around Hameed Al Qallaf, and the latter stealing the ball from a defender and kicking the ball dead straight into the top right corner.

 

Kuwait and Taiwan then battled for second place a week later. And much like the Japan and Nepal game, Taiwan held out for hope, until in the 76th minute, where captain Bader Al Mutawa led onto a ball and shot from outside the box, guiding it past goalkeeper Pan Wen Chieh. The game ended with that single goal, and Kuwait into second place.

 

 Consolidation continued for Malaysia as they came from 2-1 down to score an equaliser, thanks to Ahmad Syafiq’s second goal. Both teams scored within the first seven minutes, before Singapore took control of the game with Shahdan Sulaiman’s goal, beating the goalkeeper to the ball when it popped up from a prior shot. The draw seemed unlikely towards the end, with Singapore throwing everything at the Malaysians, only to fall short of gaining three points.

 

Kuwait should be the team to join Malaysia, with one last home game to finish; however that is not guaranteed. Taiwan and Singapore will do everything in their power to reach the premier Asian tournament. If Singapore defeat Kuwait in Kuwait City, they will progress. Taiwan will hope to score at least seven goals as they host Malaysia.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group F	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Malaysia	5	4	1	0	13	+7
2	Kuwait	5	2	1	2	7	-1
3	Singapore	5	1	1	3	4	0
4	Taiwan	5	1	1	3	4	-6

 

 

Saudi Arabia needed a win to feel confident in Group G against Myanmar, who had kept them to a scoreless draw at home. Now on Myanmar’s turf, Saudi Arabia held the defence and bided their time before finding a goal. It came about in the 37th minute via Ali Al Nimr. Myanmar worked hard for a equaliser, but their shots had no power behind them, and the Saudis pulled off a crucial victory.

 

Indonesia will be hot on the heels of Saudi Arabia, considering their 2-0 win over Mongolia. The visitors had the early chances, but could not find the elusive goal. Soon Indonesia found their straps and had the majority of the attacking force, leading to close, but not close enough shots. Finally, Irfan Bachdim pounced on a ball and shot low and into the net. Nine minutes later, substitute Arthur Bonai banged into goal from an angle, securing the three points and a fair chance of making the Asian Cup.

 

However, with two away games, it was going to be tricky to stay ahead of Myanmar, who was their next opponent. Indonesia had a chance to equalise late against the home side, but Greg Nwokolo muffed the penalty kick, and Rico Simanjuntak missed the rebound off the woodwork. Earlier, Thet Naing scored for Myanmar after winning the ball off a defender and slotting it into the net.

 

Mongolia only managed one shot on target in the first half, although the fast pace of the match against Saudi Arabia suggested otherwise. In the second half, the match opened up, allowing Saudi Arabia to snag a goal in the 67th minute via Ali Al Nimr. From there, the visitors held out for a win, and secured first place in the group and qualification for the Asian Cup, whilst Mongolia has no way of qualifying.

 

Both Indonesia and Myanmar are on seven points and have their last game away from home. Should the result be the same, Indonesia will progress unless Myanmar can make up a goal difference deficit of four.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group G	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Saudi Arabia	5	3	2	0	11	+5
2	Indonesia	5	2	1	2	7	+2
3	Myanmar	5	2	1	2	7	-2
4	Mongolia	5	1	0	4	3	-5

 

 

In Group H, Brunei secured their first win by defeating Pakistan at home. Goal scorers were Muhammed Hanif bin Hamir and Nazirrudin Ismail; the former finishing into an open goal after Razimie Ramlli’s shot, and the latter in injury time after a deflected block found Ismail one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

 

A week later, Pakistan flew to South Korea, where the home side scored four via Son Heung-min, Na Sang-Ho, Player of the Match Hwang In-Beom and newcomer Lee Jeong-Hyeop. This result confirmed South Korea into the Asian Cup, and leaves Pakistan without any points with only one home game left.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group H	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	South Korea	3	3	0	0	9	+10
2	Brunei	2	1	0	1	3	-2
3	Pakistan	3	0	0	3	0	-8

 

 

One game in Group I saw Bhutan surprise Syria with a single-goal win, leaving Syria on the bottom of the group and in desperate need of a win. Midfielder Galey Zangpo volleyed home a corner in the 39th minute, giving the hosts the advantage after having worked out the Syrian defence. From there, they sought to take charge of the game. Syria had a chance to equalise via Ahmed al Douni, but the header embarrassingly flew wide.

 

Syria made up for this loss with a scrounging win away to Bangladesh. Syria went ahead in the second half thanks to substitute Kamel Kawaya. Eleven minutes later, Bangladesh equalised, bringing the crowd into play, thanks to Biplu Ahmed’s steal and goal. However, it was not meant to be for Bangladesh, as the Syrians worked a second goal via Ward Salama, and the full three points.

 

Hong Kong piled on the pressure early away to Bhutan, resulting in a goal for Leonardo Alessandro. Eventually, the momentum shifted and Bhutan scored twice via Nima Wangdi and Dawa Tshering II. However, Hong Kong had one last say, and levelled the match at the 78th minute, and the score ended 2-2. With two games left, anyone can still qualify. Syria and Bangladesh have the advantage of two home games each, but one must remember that Hong Kong have not lost a match yet.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group I	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Hong Kong	4	1	3	0	6	+1
2	Syria	4	2	0	2	6	0
3	Bhutan	4	1	2	1	5	-1
4	Bangladesh	4	1	1	2	4	0

 

 

In similar fashion to Syria’s first game this fortnight, complacency saw Iran give away a goal in the second minute to Jason Cunliffe’s Guam. From there, Guam dominated the game for longer periods, and kept the pressure on the Iranians. The only decent chance for the away side was, like Syria, a header deep in the match that also flew wide. Guam gained their first win, and Iran their first time losing any points in the tournament.

 

As for India, the team that needed their first win to overtake the Maldives, the game started well with newcomer Lallianzuala Chhangte’s header from a corner in the 21st minute. India continued to dominate possession for much of the game, hardly allowing the away side the opportunity to set up an attack. In the second half, substitute Vinit Rai crossed to Amarjit Singh, who volleyed with his left, and India felt the win was in their grasp. The Maldives did salvage a goal back, after a shot on goal was parried away by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, only for Ibrahim Hussain to head in the direction of goal. The ball bounced off Anirudh Thapa’s knee and into the net. It was not enough, however, and India gained the full amount of points.

 

Nine days later, Guam’s first half against the Maldives were lacklustre, partly due to the hype after their win over Iran. The Maldives, in fact, scored early via Abdulla Asadhulla, and kept up the pressure in the midfield that Guam had to knuckle down to stay in the game. In the second half, the match opened up, leading to a 51st-minute equaliser from Jason Cunliffe’s header. Neither side, both on the same points, could take the full three points on offer, and thus a 1-1 draw ensued.

 

There was no complacency when Iran took on India. The first half was fast paced, but neither could get effectively into the box to score. The second half opened up, and Mehdi Taremi had his first two goals for the Qualifiers, the second from a brilliant cross by Masoud Shojaei. Shojaei then backed up the reason why he was subbed on by scoring himself, causing Iran to qualify for the Asian Cup with a game to spare, as well as send India lower down the group standings.

 

The final Match Day sees the Maldives play host to Iran, whilst Guam travel to India. Based on this, India should qualify as well, but the Maldives also have a hope of overriding an already-qualified Iran. A double draw will see Guam qualify.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group J	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Iran	5	4	0	1	12	+8
2	Guam	5	1	2	2	5	-2
3	India	5	1	2	2	5	-3
4	Maldives	5	1	2	2	5	-3

 

 

Six goals in sixty-six minutes helped Kyrgyzstan trounce 124th-ranked Laos in Group K. The hosts opened the first half with two solid goals from Bakhtiyar Duyşobekov and Mirlan Murzaev. Straight after the break, Murolimjan Ahmedov took on the weak left defence of Laos, and won, earning a shot and goal for his side. Murzaev then scored his second goal when the ball fell to him on the edge of the box. Two more goals came so fast the Laotian players had no time to react via the right boots of Tursunaly Rustamov and Ahletdin Israilov. Kyrgyzstan, with six out of eight shots on target hitting the net, has all but secured a place for the Asian Cup next year.

 

Iraq moved into second, three points behind Kyrgyzstan, thanks to a plucky away victory, granted at the end by defender Suad Natiq’s tackle. North Korea had four early chances to score, but it was a counterattack that sent the Iraqis in front. From there, they stopped North Korea from penetrating the box, in spite of the home side’s possession prowess. Natiq’s tackle against Han Thae-Hyok as he seemed poised to score, showcased how well the Iraqi defence held out for a vital win. North Korea were left with two away games, and needed a win next against Laos and hope Iraq lose at home to Kyrgyzstan. 

 

Both Laos and North Korea fought each other to bounce back from the previous week. Laos looked the goods, especially when their opponents lost a defender early to injury, and in time scored a goal via Phoutthasay Khochalern. However, North Korea, with more possession, gained an advantage when they equalised twelve minutes later. After the break, they took the lead thanks to Jong Il-Gwan, and from there, they held out for a vital three points.

 

Iraq gained another three points with a second-half goal from Mohanad Ali against Kyrgyzstan, allowing both to finish Match Day 5 on the same amount of points. Iraq should have finished at least one more goal, but were unable to get the ball to cross that goal line.

 

Laos is eliminated from all possible thought of qualifying for the Asian Cup. In the last matches, they fly to Iraq, who will hope to win to guarantee qualification. Kyrgyzstan host World Cup side North Korea, the latter who are in danger of missing out. For North Korea to qualify, they must win. A draw will not suffice, but one point will be enough for Kyrgyzstan.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group K	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Kyrgyzstan	5	3	0	2	9	+7
2	Iraq	5	3	0	2	9	0
3	North Korea	5	2	1	2	7	0
4	Laos	5	1	1	3	4	-7

 

 

Australia scrounged out a scoreless draw playing away against future Asian Cup hosts the United Arab Emirates. The UAE had the better of the first half, and smacked the woodwork, but careless offsides killed their momentum most of the time. Australia had two clear chances in the second half: Jamie MacLaren’s missed volley and Mathew Leckie’s missed turn-and-volley. The UAE had an Ali Mabkhout shot late denied by Maty Ryan, and the resulting corner nearly produced the goal, only for Ismail Al Hammadi to miss with his head.

 

Lebanon started on a feisty note as they sought their first win of the Qualifiers. At first, they struggled to get on target against Sri Lanka. Eventually, Rabih Ataya scored, giving the Lebanese coach a chance to breathe. Then, in injury time, Player of the Match Mohamad Kdouh (one assist and five shots on target) stole the ball and scored, earning a much-deserved two-goal win.

 

After losing 3-0 to Chile in a friendly, the Australians then flew home to take on Lebanon. Their target was to defeat Lebanon by three goals, the same as the UAE when they hosted Lebanon. Apostolos Giannou started them on track for this with a left-footed goal in the ninth minute, after Jamie Maclaren fed a brilliant through ball beyond the Lebanese defence. Australia did have some vulnerable moments in defence themselves, though the away side struggled to capitalise. Australia scored a second via substitute Awer Mabil, and that is the way the score remained, with Australia yet to lose a match in the Qualifiers.

 

The UAE, after drawing at home to Australia, sought to defeat Sri Lanka away. It seemed the case when Ali Makhbout scored in the sixth minute via a header. However, Sri Lanka seemed unperturbed, and worked their way back into the game. This resulted in an equaliser in the 40th minute by Dananju De Silva with a lovely chip over the Emirates goalkeeper. The visitors should have gained back the lead right before halftime, only for steely goalkeeping and defence to deny Mohamad Khalfan’s double effort. Sri Lanka then made defensive substitutes in the second half, and ensured a crucial draw to stop the UAE from reaching first place, and giving themselves an outsider’s chance to reach second place, should they win and the UAE lose at Lebanon, and make up a goal difference of six. However, they cannot qualify, as the UAE, being hosts, automatically qualify, and Australia is also through to January’s tournament.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group L	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Australia	5	2	3	0	9	+3
2	UAE	5	2	2	1	8	+4
3	Sri Lanka	5	1	2	2	5	-2
4	Lebanon	5	1	1	3	4	-5

 

 

July 10 Asian Cup Qualifiers Top 2 Qualify Group A ·  Turkmenistan 0 Yemen 0 Group B ·  Japan 3 Thailand 0 ·  Nepal 1 Jordan 0 Group C ·  Cambodia 0 China 1 Group D ·  East Timor 1 Bahrain 1 Group E ·  Vietnam 0 Macau 0 ·  Afghanistan 1 Philippines 0 Group F ·  Singapore 3 Taiwan 0 ·  Malaysia 2 Kuwait 0 Group G ·  Myanmar 0 Saudi Arabia 1 ·  Indonesia 2 Mongolia 0 Group H ·  Brunei 2 Pakistan 0 Group I ·  Bhutan 1 Syria 0 Group J ·  Guam 1 Iran 0 ·  India 2 Maldives 1 Group K ·  Kyrgyzstan 6 Laos 0 ·  North Korea 0 Iraq 1 Group L ·  UAE 0 Australia 0 ·  Lebanon 2 Sri Lanka 0   Men’s Friendlies ·  Brazil 2 Croatia 1 ·  Mexico 2 Cameroon 0 ·  Spain 1 Netherlands 0 ·  Colombia 2 Greece 1 ·  Uruguay 1 Costa Rica 0 ·  Gambia 1 Dominica 0 ·  US Virgin Islands 0 Montenegro 2

July 15 Men’s Friendlies ·  Chile 3 Australia 0

July 19 Asian Cup Qualifiers Top 2 Qualify Group L ·  Australia 2 Lebanon 0 ·  Sri Lanka 1 UAE 1 Group A ·  Yemen 3 Oman 1 ·  Uzbekistan 0 Turkmenistan 2 Group B ·  Jordan 6 Thailand 1 ·  Japan 1 Nepal 0 Group C ·  Cambodia 0 Tajikistan 0 ·  China 1 Qatar 0 Group D ·  Palestine 2 Bahrain 1 Group E ·  Afghanistan 1 Macau 0 ·  Philippines 4 Vietnam 0 Group F ·  Kuwait 1 Taiwan 0 ·  Singapore 2 Malaysia 2 Group G ·  Mongolia 0 Saudi Arabia 1 ·  Myanmar 1 Indonesia 0 Group H ·  South Korea 4 Pakistan 0 Group I ·  Bangladesh 1 Syria 2 ·  Bhutan 2 Hong Kong 2 Group J ·  Iran 3 India 0 ·  Guam 1 Maldives 1 Group K ·  Laos 1 North Korea 2 ·  Iraq 1 Kyrgyzstan 0