August 5-11 2019 Global Futbol Matches

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

August 5-11 2019

Asian Cup 2020 Qualifiers concluded this week.

 

In Group A, Yemen and Oman hosted Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan respectively, with both aiming to win and qualify for the tournament in January next year. A draw would be enough for Uzbekistan to qualify and Turkmenistan needed a win for themselves and Uzbekistan to make it through.

 

Uzbekistan scored first through Odil Ahmedov in the 22nd minute. From there, they controlled long periods of the game, only giving Yemen half-chances to have any impact on the game. A few late opportunities came for Yemen to level the score, but to no avail. The Yemeni side then awaited to hear the final outcome of the other game.

 

Oman scored in the 17th minute via Player of the Match Harib Al-Saadi, and from that moment denied Turkmenistan the ball, as they dominated possession and attacks on goal. In total, the 57% possession helped Oman play out the match, and come out victorious, with qualification for the Asian Cup.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group A	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Uzbekistan	6	4	0	2	12	+6
2	Oman	6	3	1	2	10	0
3	Yemen	6	2	1	3	7	-3
4	Turkmenistan	6	1	2	3	5	-3

 

With Japan qualified, second place came down to both hosts in the final matches in Group B. A win for Jordan would be enough, whereas if both Jordan and Thailand drew or lost together, Jordan would progress thanks to a higher goal difference. 

 

Thailand went on the attack early, scoring through Teerasil Dangda in the sixth minute. From there, they continued to dominate, denying Nepal any chance on goal. However, they lacked the ability to force the final blow, and the game ended one-nil, enough for Thailand to give themselves the chance to qualify.

 

When Jordan heard of the early Thai goal, they knew they had to win against Japan. However, Japan went on the attack instead with their second-string side, and looked the more dangerous of the two sides. Eventually, this culminated in a goal in the 32nd minute by Tsukasa Morishima’s left boot. Jordan found the task harder and harder as the match progressed, and while they had some half-chances, their strikers could not find the finishing blow. Against the run of play, Japan took charge of the ball, and eventually scored a second away goal via Ayase Ueda, and sealed Jordan’s fate, with Thailand progressing to the Asian Cup.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group B	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Japan	6	5	0	1	15	+6
2	Thailand	6	3	1	2	10	-4
3	Jordan	6	2	1	3	7	+2
4	Nepal	6	1	0	5	3	-4

 

Bahrain needed a draw or win to progress through to the Asian Cup against East Timor. Two first-half goals from Mahdi Al-Humaidan and Mohamed Al-Romaihi helped the charge as the home side dominated in every aspect of the match. A third goal from Ali Haram sealed the three points and first place in the group.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group D	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Bahrain	4	2	1	1	7	+3
2	Palestine	4	2	0	2	6	+1
3	East Timor	4	1	1	2	4	-4

 

 

With Afghanistan already qualified for the Asian Cup in Group E, Vietnam hoped they would win away to the Philippines whilst they themselves defeated Macau away.

 

The Macau and Vietnam match was played mostly in the middle of the park, with Macau finding some chances on goal late in the first half. Neither side, though, looked like scoring, and much like their previous encounter, the game petered out to a scoreless draw.

 

The same scoreline befell the Philippines and Afghanistan, only their first half was far more entertaining. Both teams were weary in the second half and could not get into a position close enough to goal to have any genuine chance. In the end, the Philippines sighed after hearing the Vietnam result, and started celebrating their progression to the Asian Cup.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group E	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Afghanistan	6	3	3	0	12	+3
2	Philippines	6	2	2	2	8	+3
3	Vietnam	6	1	4	1	7	-3
4	Macau	6	0	3	3	3	-3

 

Singapore and Taiwan both still had a chance to qualify for the Asian Cup from Group F, with Kuwait three points ahead of them in second place.

 

Having already qualified, Malaysia still fielded a relatively strong side away to Taiwan. However, there is little that can be said about the team, as Taiwan demolished seven goals. Three of them came in the first half, effectively securing the three points needed to bridge the gap over Kuwait. The home side did not relent, instead going on the prowl and using the post three times to score a week’s worth of goals. Player of the Match Wu Chun Ching himself scored four goals, with Chen Po-Liang opening the scoring, Chen Jui-Cheh following suit, and an unfortunate own goal from Mohamad Abd Radzak.

 

In the other match, Kuwait scored in the 30th minute, but could not penetrate towards goal to finish the game off against Singapore in a foul-riddled match. Kuwait scored through Faisal Al Harbi, but it was goalkeeper Hameed Youssef that kept them ahead as Singapore sought an equaliser. That came in the 79th minute as Yasir Hanapi’s header found the net, and the final eleven minutes were nervous for both sides. Kuwait managed to keep more possession of the ball and run out the clock for the draw and qualification for January’s tournament.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group F	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Malaysia	6	4	1	1	13	0
2	Kuwait	6	2	2	2	8	-1
3	Taiwan	6	2	1	3	7	+1
4	Singapore	6	1	2	3	5	0

 

 

 

Both Indonesia and Myanmar, on seven points, were looking for away wins this final Match Day in Group G. For Myanmar to qualify, they had to best Indonesia’s result, of if the same, make up a goal difference deficit.

 

Indonesia faced the might of Saudi Arabia, where in his first starting appearance, Abdullah Al Hamdan scored off a beautiful cross. Saudi Arabia looked to keep their lead, and Indonesia never really looked like scoring. Hatan Babhri came off the bench to make the final score two-nil.

 

All eyes were on Mongolia facing Myanmar, where before the match Myanmar felt a draw would be enough to qualify. However, it was Mongolia who had other ideas, as they shot to a two-nil lead early thanks to Narabold Nyam-Osor. Such a lead can be dangerous, as Myanmar snagged a goal back, and it soon became a tight tussle for the remainder of the half. Mongolia came out the stronger, partly due to the home ground advantage, and Nyam-Osor scored twice more to set up a four-one victory, and thus Indonesia progressed through on goal difference.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group G	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Saudi Arabia	6	4	2	0	14	+7
2	Indonesia	6	2	1	3	7	0
3	Myanmar	6	2	1	3	7	-5
4	Mongolia	6	2	0	4	6	-2

 

Pakistan needed to win by three goals against Brunei to qualify for the Asian Cup. It seemed likely they would get close, with the first half hour littered with through balls leading to shots at goal from within the box. However, the Pakistani strikers could not get on target, and when they did, goalkeeper Haimie Anak Nyaring thwarted with ease. As the second half progressed, Pakistan truly struggled to enter the final third with any real force as they realised the mission was too far out of their reach. The draw was their only point for the Qualifiers, and will quickly drop in rankings as a result. Meanwhile, the country of Brunei is on cloud nine as they qualify for the Asian Cup for the first time.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group H	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	South Korea	4	4	0	0	12	+11
2	Brunei	4	1	1	2	4	-3
3	Pakistan	4	0	1	3	1	-8

 

The final Match Day of Group J saw the Maldives play host to already-qualified Iran, whilst Guam travel to India. A double draw would see Guam qualify, whereas India played host to Guam and were the more likely to win.

 

The Maldives certainly everything but the kitchen sink at Iran. They attacked as often as they could, and giving goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand a hard time. Eventually, the second half saw Iran wear down the Maldivian defence, and Mehdi Taremi scored his third goal in two games as the Iranians finished their group with five wins out of six games.

 

Meanwhile, Guam held out for a draw against India. The home side struggled to place shots on target. It took until additional time and into the last minute for substitute Lallianzuala Chhangte to head home a corner and send a sigh of relief around the stadium as the Indians qualified for the Asian Cup.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group J	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Iran	6	5	0	1	15	+9
2	India	6	2	2	2	8	-2
3	Guam	6	1	2	3	5	-3
4	Maldives	6	1	2	3	5	-4

 

With Australia and the UAE already qualified, the final matches in Group L came down to who would finish first. Australia played at a quick pace but could settle completely in the game. However, a goal in each half, one from Jackson Irvine and one from Tom Rogic (their firsts in the tournament), ensured victory and momentum into January’s tournament.

 

The UAE scored twice in the space of ten minutes to set up a seemingly surefire win over last place Lebanon. However, a resurgent home side, buoyed by the crowd, pegged a goal back ten minutes after halftime. From there, they attacked without fail, seeking an equaliser. Hilal El-Helwe nearly gave it to them, only for his header to hit the crossbar. Then, substitute Mohamed Kadouh found himself free after a ricocheted shot, and he slotted into the net, giving Lebanon a vital point, but not vital enough to rise off bottom place.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group L	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Australia	6	3	3	0	12	+5
2	UAE	6	2	3	1	9	+4
3	Sri Lanka	6	1	2	3	5	-4
4	Lebanon	6	1	2	3	5	-5

 

In Group C, China only needed a draw or a loss by less than three goals to qualify, whilst Tajikistan needed only a draw to qualify.

 

Tajikistan scored first via Parvizchon Umarbaev, only for Yang Xu to level the scores immediately. Jahongir Ergashev then scored in the 35th minute, and from there Tajikistan dominated, giving themselves every opportunity to qualify. It took China until the 90th minute to equalise, again with Yang Xu the hero. Tajikistani players then listened for the results in the Qatar and Cambodia match.

 

Qatar looked weak against the Cambodians, although they dominated the match. Eventually, substitute Ahmed Fatehy scored a brilliant goal as he ran onto an overhead pass, before setting up a second goal for Ali Almoez. This was not enough, as the draw for Tajikistan was enough for them to qualify for the Asian Cup alongside China.

 

 

	Asian Cup Q Group C	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	China	6	3	3	0	12	+6
2	Tajikistan	6	2	3	1	9	+1
3	Qatar	6	2	2	2	8	+1
4	Cambodia	6	0	2	4	2	-8

 

In Group I, all teams were in with a chance of qualifying for the Asian Cup. Syria had the best chance, being three points ahead of the following two, Hong Kong and Bhutan.

 

The Syrians were patient in their match against Bhutan. They maintained possession for much of the first half, culminating in a lovely header by Player of the Match Omar Al Soma. The second half was a little tighter, but the home side were the only ones truly attacking, and substitute Nasouh Al-Nakdali secured the win with his first touch and guaranteeing a place in January’s tournament.

 

Hong Kong were banking on Bhutan losing to Syria, and felt an away draw would suffice against Bangladesh. However, Sohail Rana had other ideas as he scored his first goal for the Qualifiers in the eleventh minute. Bangladesh continued to maintain control over the match, and even when Rabiul Hasan had to slide into the striker’s position early thanks to an injury, they continued the dominance of possession. In fact, Hasan scored with his head from a brilliant run-and-cross, effectively sending Bangladesh to the Asian Cup.

 

	Asian Cup Q Group I	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Syria	6	4	0	2	12	+4
2	Bangladesh	6	2	2	2	8	+2
3	Hong Kong	6	1	3	2	6	-3
4	Bhutan	6	1	3	2	6	-3

 

Iraq were the main side hoping to win to guarantee qualification from Group K. A draw would be enough for Kyrgyzstan as they hosted North Korea, the latter who needed to win to qualify.

 

Laos thwarted Iraq in the first half with 60% possession, denying them the ball. That led to multiple fouls with advantage played by the referee. Tactics required changing as Iraq switched to a 4-3-2-1 instead of a back 5, and Bashar Resin thrust into the striker’s role, as he seemed the most likely to score. This brought on a goal in the 58th minute, with Resin bringing a through lob down, and easily slotting the ball past the goalkeeper. From there, Iraq had more of the possession, and ran out winners and qualification for January.

 

All eyes then turned to the result of Kyrgyzstan against North Korea. The North Koreans started well with a goal from Jong Il Gwan, heading the ball from a perfect cross. His counterpart at the other end, Mirlan Murzaev, replied fourteen minutes later with his own header. With the match level, both sides fought for the killer blow. Jong Il Gwan had a chance to send North Korea to the Asian Cup, only for his shot to hit the right hand post. Then, with seven minutes remaining, Murzaev secured Kyrgyzstan’s place as the 24th team to qualify for January’s grand tournament, and North Korea to be another 2018 World Cup side to fall victim to the post-World Cup blues.

 

 

	Asian Cup Q Group K	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Kyrgyzstan	6	4	0	2	12	+8
2	Iraq	6	4	0	2	12	+1
3	North Korea	6	2	1	3	7	-1
4	Laos	6	1	1	4	4	-8

 

The Quarter Finals for the Invitational Cup began this week, starting with Russia hosting Switzerland. Switzerland placed on the field a relatively young side, whilst Russia’s defence had not played together previously. The Russians, helped by a booming crowd, attacked the goals, but their shots from around the edge of the box could not find the net, largely thanks to Yann Sommer’s left hand. The second half opened up, and Russia played perfectly in placing the ball in front of each other. This led to an open chance for Aleksey Miranchuk, who slid in and toed the ball before Sommer could reach it. Seven minutes before the end of the match, Daler Kuzyaev shot from long range into the top right hand corner and sealed a Semi Final place for the Russians.

 

Costa Rica travelled to Spain and straight away had the home side on the back foot. This came about by two goals from Jonathan McDonald and Joel Campbell. Poor defensive clearance by the Spaniards gifted McDonald his goal as he powered with his right boot. Nine minutes later, Campbell found a chipped ball, and easily slotted past Kepe. From there, Spain chased the game, and though they had the better of the play for the remainder of the match, it was the Chilean defence that held firm. Finally, Saúl �'íguez had two shots on goal from close to the edge of the box, and his second shot found the net. The last 25 minutes had all on edge as Spain sought an equaliser. Substitute Mikel Oyarzarbal had the best chances late, including a header from a corner, but it was Costa Rica, led by Player of the Match Leonel Moreira (with ten saves), who found their way to the Semi Finals of the Invitational Cup against Russia.

 

Belgium travelled to Poland, and a tight first half ensued, with only a shot on target for both sides. The game soon opened up in the first half, thanks largely to the Polish defence opening multiple gaps. The Belgian attackers made the most of it, scoring firstly through Eden Hazard, followed by Kevin de Bruyne, where both found themselves free in front of a clear goal. Poland attacked for the remainder of the match, only to not find an adequate attempt on goal, and Belgium progressed to the Semi Finals.

 

In Brazil, the home side had the slight upper hand against Ghana. The Brazilians’ best chance came for Gabriel Jesus, smacking the bottom of the right hand post. Then, Phillippe Coutinho switched from the left flank to the right and crossed right on halftime into Lucas Paquetá, who did not disappoint the fans with a wonderful volley. From there, Brazil continued to attack in the second half, but not as relentlessly. In the end, the Ghanaian defence held firm, but they struggled to then penetrate forward as Brazil wound out the win. They now face Belgium in Brussels in the Semi Finals.

 

August 7 Invitational Cup Quarter Finals ·  Russia 2 Switzerland 0 ·  Spain 1 Costa Rica 2 ·  Poland 0 Belgium 2 ·  Brazil 1 Ghana 0   Asian Cup Qualifiers �" Final Match Day Top 2 Qualify Group A ·  Yemen 0 Uzbekistan 1 ·  Oman 1 Turkmenistan 0 Group B ·  Thailand 1 Nepal 0 ·  Jordan 0 Japan 2 Group C ·  Tajikistan 2 China 2 ·  Qatar 2 Cambodia 0 Group D ·  Bahrain 3 East Timor 0 Group E ·  Macau 0 Vietnam 0 ·  Philippines 0 Afghanistan 0 Group F ·  Taiwan 7 Malaysia 0 ·  Kuwait 1 Singapore 1 Group G ·  Saudi Arabia 2 Indonesia 0 ·  Mongolia 4 Myanmar 1 Group H ·  Pakistan 0 Brunei 0 Group I ·  Syria 2 Bhutan 0 ·  Bangladesh 2 Hong Kong 0 Group J ·  Maldives 0 Iran 1 ·  India 1 Guam 0 Group K ·  Iraq 1 Laos 0 ·  Kyrgyzstan 2 North Korea 1 Group L ·  Australia 2 Sri Lanka 0 ·  Lebanon 2 UAE 2