Toughest of tests for China tonight
IF China is to have any chance of going to the 2018 World Cup, then the team is going to have to pass what is currently the toughest test in Asian soccer — a game against Iran tonight in front of 100,000 fans in Tehran.
China shocked South Korea 1-0 last week for its first win of Asia’s final qualifying groups, and coach Marcello Lippi says there is much more to come from Team Dragon.
Elsewhere Japan hosts Thailand, South Korea plays Syria and table-topping Saudi Arabia entertains Iraq as the road to Russia 2018 heads toward its conclusion.
Lippi, who coached Italy to World Cup victory in 2006, has been hailed as a hero for fashioning China’s rare win over South Korea that hauled the team off the foot of Group A with four games to go.
He said China now needed to maintain momentum. The team now lies five points back from an automatic berth and has games to come against Syria, Uzbekistan and Qatar, after the trip to Tehran.
“We worked hard to get the three points we needed (against South Korea),” said the 68-year-old Italian, according to Xinhua news agency.
“But it is not enough to win a ticket to the World Cup. We need to continue this momentum and win the following matches.”
Lippi added: “We still have room to improve.” However, playing Carlos Queiroz’s Iran away is a different proposition to last week’s home game in Changsha, and Lippi said China could not afford to sit back in the Azadi Stadium.
“In the first half, we played too defensively when we were under pressure. I don’t want to see the same 45 minutes in the following matches any more,” he said. “In the second half, my team was well organized in defense and created several chances to score. We still have much work to do.”
Queiroz spoke highly of Lippi ahead of the crucial match between Iran and China. “China is well-organized” team with Lippi and the Iranians should be very careful.
Meanwhile, Tim Cahill remains bullish about Australia's prospects despite a run of four straight draws that has put automatic qualification in doubt.
The Saudis and Japan are level on points at the top of Group A, occupying the two automatic spots, with Australia three points behind in third and currently in line for a place in the play-offs.
But Cahill, Australia’s record scorer, said he took heart from the victory at the 2015 Asian Cup, which followed a run of indifferent results.
“Leading into the Asian Cup I think everyone was worried and thought we had no chance, and we ended up lifting the trophy,” Cahill told the team website.
The game in Sydney is shaping as a must-win for UAE, whose 2-0 defeat to Japan last week left it fourth in the group.
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