We Are The Reds

Bunyodkor have changed their name again?

I think they actually have slightly. They used to be FC Bunyodkor and now they appear to be Bunyodkor PFK (maybe it was always that way and we had it wrong all along).

Has anyone ever been to a football game in the gulf?

I'm going to be in UAE on business in about a month and am hoping to get along to Al Jazira v Esteghlal in Abu Dhabi.

van Dijk's team (Sepahan) are playing the previous night in Dubai - would have been great to get along to that too - but I think I'll just be happy to see any game over there.

I have mates who live over in Dubai and have planned to go to games. Many other sports like Cricket have a decent amount of westerners going along to them. Football seems more of a local thing. Should be good though.

Al-Rayyan 1–0 Esteghlal
Al-Shabab 1–3 Al-Jazira

Bunyodkor 1–2 El Jaish
Foolad 1–0 Al-Fateh

Lekhwiya 0–0 Tractor Sazi
Al-Ittihad 2-1 Al-Ain

Sepahan 3–2 Al-Hilal
Al-Ahli 1–1 Al-Sadd

Cerezo Osaka 1–3 Shandong Luneng Taishan
Buriram United 1–2 Pohang Steelers

Central Coast Mariners 2–1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Beijing Guoan 1–1 FC Seoul

Melbourne Victory 2–2 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Yokohama F. Marinos 1–1 Guangzhou Evergrande

Ulsan Hyundai 2–0 Kawasaki Frontale
Guizhou Renhe 0–1 Western Sydney Wanderers

Gotta be one on the best match days for HAL clubs ever!
For WSW as long as they play well at home we have seen an away win and tight form at home can be enough to progress.

Bad day for the J-League

Has anyone ever been to a football game in the gulf?

Found myself at a World Cup Qualifier in Doha once, Qatar v Sri Lanka. I was ushered into the Sri Lankan section where a good selection of Sri Lankan foreign workers were supporting the side. They gave me a flag to wave and I cheered the boys on as they were hammered 5-1 Good fun.

Al-Fath (Sau) Al Jaish (Qat) 0 : 0
Al-Sadd (Qat) Al-Hilal (Sau) 2 : 2
Sepahan (Irn) Al Ahli Dubai (Uae) 1 : 2
Bunyodkor (Uzb) Foolad (Irn) 1 : 1
Beijing Guoan (Chn) Central Coast (Aus) 2 : 1
Ulsan Hyundai (Kor) Guizhou Renhe (Chn) 1 : 1
Hiroshima (Jpn) Seoul (Kor) 2 : 1
WS Wanderers (Aus) Kawasaki Frontale (Jpn) 1 : 0
Al-Shabab (Sau) Al Rayyan (Qat) 4 : 3
Al Ain (Uae) Teraktor (Irn) 3 : 1
Esteghlal TEH (Irn) Al Jazira (Uae) 2 : 2
Lakhwiya (Qat) Al-Ittihad FC (Sau) 2 : 0
Guangzhou Evergrande (Chn) Jeonbuk (Kor) 3 : 1
Pohang (Kor) Shandong Luneng (Chn) 2 : 2
C-Osaka (Jpn) Buriram (Tha) 4 : 0
Melbourne V. (Aus) Yokohama M. (Jpn) 1 : 0

Very tight in the HAL club's groups. All can still make it thru. WSW looking the most likely. I think if they can snatch a draw in Japan they would only probably need to win one of their last two to make it thru.
CCM must get a win at home against Beijing Guoan next week to stand any chance though.
A draw in Japan for MV may seen them jump to second as Jeonbuk face the tough prospect of Evergrande at home.

Has anyone ever been to a football game in the gulf?

I'm going to be in UAE on business in about a month and am hoping to get along to Al Jazira v Esteghlal in Abu Dhabi.

van Dijk's team (Sepahan) are playing the previous night in Dubai - would have been great to get along to that too - but I think I'll just be happy to see any game over there.

How did it go?

I was thinking of trying to catch a game or 2 while i was over there but then saw some of the local games with the crowd of an under12's school boys match.

Al Ittihad 3 - 1 Lekhwiya SC
Al Jazira 0 - 1 Esteghlal FC
Al Rayyan 0 - 2 Al Shabab
Al Ahli FC 0 - 0 Sepahan
Al Hilal 5 - 0 Al Sadd
Buriram United FC 2 - 2 Cerezo Osaka
El Jaish 2 - 0 Al Fateh
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC 1 - 0 Guangzhou Evergrande FC
Shandong Luneng 2 - 4 Pohang Steelers FC
Tractor Sazi 2 - 2 Al Ain SCC
Yokohama F. Marinos 3 - 2 Melbourne Victory FC
Central Coast Mariners FC 1 - 0 Beijing Guoan FC
Foolad 1 - 0 FK Bunyodkor
Guizhou Renhe FC 3 - 1 Ulsan Hyundai
Kawasaki Frontale 2 - 1 Western Sydney Wanderers FC
FC Seoul 2 - 2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima

I would say for our HAL sides CCM are looking great. A solid win at home next game should see them progress unless they have a disaster in their last game away.
MV are cooked IMO having still to face the top two sides in their group still. They must beat Evergrande at home next to be any chance.
In a game I certainly hope gets a decent amount of media attention. Asia's richest club with Marcelo Lippi coming to Australia should get some coverage.
WSW are in a decent position still. If they can manage a draw when they go to Ulsan then they will be in the box seat come the last match day when they face bottom placed Guizhou Renhe at home.

I agree that CCM and WSW still have their fates in their own hands and CCM at least should get through. I wouldn't be overly upset to see Victory tumble out as the result of an almighty flogging or two.

I agree that CCM and WSW still have their fates in their own hands and CCM at least should get through. I wouldn't be overly upset to see Victory tumble out as the result of an almighty flogging or two.

I think it would be good if MV did well in the ACL one season as I feel it would help the club and the rest of the East Coast footballing community take it a bit more seriously. Maybe if WSW do well then at least one of Fox sport's favourite clubs will be in there for them to focus on.
I was honestly going for MV when I watched their Yokohama game. Sorry!

How did it go?

I was thinking of trying to catch a game or 2 while i was over there but then saw some of the local games with the crowd of an under12's school boys match.

I didn't make it in the end. Was invited out for dinner with some of the guys in the office and I thought I'd best do that.

Shame though, would have been fun I'm sure.

There were some cracking games over the last couple of days. The Victory - Guangzhou game was tasty as was the Yokohama - Jeonbuk game (which featured a freaky goal from Saito). The group is as tight as it gets; all 4 teams on 7 points going into the final match day.

CCM were unlucky to lose to FC Seoul in the end to an own goal in injury time however it wasn't exactly a sparkling performance by either side.

Al Rayyan 2 - 3 Al Jazira SC
Al Shabab (Riyadh)2 - 1 Esteghlal FC
Al Ahli FC 0 - 0 Al Hilal (Riyadh)
Al Ittihad (Jeddah)2 - 0 Tractor Sazi Tabriz FC
Beijing Guoan FC 2 - 2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
FK Bunyodkor 3 - 2 Al Fateh SC
Buriram United FC 1 - 0 Shandong Luneng Taishan FC
Central Coast Mariners FC 0 - 1 FC Seoul
Cerezo Osaka 0 - 2 Pohang Steelers FC
Foolad Khuzestan FC 3 - 1 El Jaish SC
Lekhwiya SC 0 - 5 Al Ain SC
Foolad 4 - 0 Al Sadd SC
Guizhou Renhe FC 0 - 1 Kawasaki Frontale
Melbourne Victory FC 2 - 0 Guangzhou Evergrande FC
Ulsan Hyundai 0 - 2 Western Sydney Wanderers FC
Yokohama F. Marinos 2 - 1 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC

So big results! All HAL clubs can still make it. WSW will be disappointed not to make it, where as MV and CCM have a big of an uphill battle to make it.

Victory out and WSW fly through in impressive fashion.
WSW have huge potential to be a massive massive club. the support for lasts nights game was unbelievable, even by RBB standards.