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A shift in power in the east?
By John Duerden (FootballAsia.com)
Updated: 2005-08-11 09:04
The East Asian Football Federation Championship (EAFF) may not yet be an
integral part of the region’s football calendar but the second edition of the
competition proved to be intriguing with two nations trying to rebuild for the
future after World Cup failure while the other two have a much more tangible and
immediate objective.
Having failed to make it past the first round of World Cup qualifying last
year, China received a welcome boost as they clinched the championship after
holding hosts Korea Republic and Asian Cup champions to draws before scoring a
2-0 victory over DPR Korea in their final game.
With the qualifiers for the Asian Cup 2007 fast approaching, coach Zhu
Guanghu sees the East Asian title as a platform to hit greater heights and the
long-term future certainly looks bright for the Middle Kingdom.
Young Shanghai Shenhua striker Gao Lin looks to be a highly promising
prospect. The 19-year-old failed to make an impact in his first match as he was
wrongly sent off for an offence that he didn’t commit after only six minutes.
However he shook off that disappointment, constantly teasing the Japanese
defence in his team’s second game and then setting up China’s second goal
against DPR Korea with a superb cross to Xie Hui in the deciding match in Daegu.
Meanwhile, DPR Korea showed what those who had watched them during the World
Cup qualifiers already knew - that despite a record of five losses in as many
games, they cannot be taken lightly.
A strong defence protects an unreliable and inadequate goalkeeper and
protects him well, while the midfield, marshaled by impressive captain Kim
Yong-jun, is full of running.
After scoring bucketloads in qualifying for the East Asian championship
against minnows like Guam and Mongolia, coach Kim Myong-song adopted a
counter-attacking strategy against the region’s best teams, an understandable
tactic for a team that recently ended a long self-imposed exile from
international football.
The EAFF Championship has given the DPR Korea players, who are noticeably
smaller than their southern counterparts, much-needed international experience
as well as the confidence boost that beating Japan and frustrating Korea
Republic brings.
The world has changed since 1966 and that World Cup and despite claims that
the reclusive nation hasn’t, there has been enough on show in a hectic 2005 to
suggest that DPR Korea can make a mark on the regional scene and beyond.
Japan, as is their wont, didn’t take the competition with the utmost
seriousness but Zico can be forgiven for seeing it as the beginning of his World
Cup 2006 preparations, a time for some new faces and experimentation especially
with the European stars busy with their domestic clubs.
There was certainly no lack of trying new things as the 11 players who
started the opening day 1-0 defeat with DPR Korea were consigned to the bench
for the following fixture with China.
The new faces fared adequately and did well to fight back from a two-goal
deficit to claim a point in a 2-2 draw. Tatsuya Tanaka impressed in that game,
caused the Chinese defence problems throughout and capped his display with a
fine strike from outside the area with three minutes remaining.
None of the three performances were good ones from the Asian Cup champions
but after their stunning opening-day defeat at the hands of a spirited DPR Korea
side, Zico will be pleased with the fact that his team fought from two goals
down against China and hit the winner against the run of play at the home of old
rivals, Korea Republic.
The tournament was hugely disappointing for the 2002 World Cup
semi-finalists. Finishing in last place and scoring only one goal in three games
on home soil against their regional rivals has increased the pressure on Coach
Jo Bonfrere that has never been far away, even when the team qualified for the
World Cup with a game to spare.
The lack of creativity and imagination in the final third of the pitch has
been the biggest concern of observers and fans. Despite enjoying the lion’s
share of possession in every game the holders of the competition have only one
goal - a free-kick from defender Kim Jin-kyu – to show for their territorial
domination and, in truth, rarely looked threatening.
A recent nationwide poll organized by a national newspaper revealed that
93.5% of respondents want Bonfrere to be sacked. Striker Lee Dong-gook wouldn’t
be one of them as the ‘Lion King’ endured a terrible tournament and is lucky
that his other nickname in the media is “Bonfrere’s Prince” as the Dutchman is
an admirer of the Pohang Striker.
Fortunately for the former coach of Nigeria, he has a World Cup Qualifier,
the final fixture in Group A, with Saudi Arabia on August 17 to look forward to
while a more familiar Japanese team should line up against Iran on the same
evening.
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