We Are The Reds

Could wikipedia be wrong?? No Adelaide??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_AFC_Asian_Cup

P.S when is Adelaide Oval gonna be ready?

My understanding was that Adelaide was not in the original bid book. There is a long way to go between now and then though.

Yes at this stage its just an eastern states thing. Although Hindmarsh would be perfect for games like Jordan v Kuwait etc. I can't see a game like that getting more then 10,000.

The AFC qualifiers are heading towards their final stages and thus far we have:
Group A:
Oman is through with Jordan, Syria and Singapore still duking it out with only 2 points separating them. However with three games in hand compared to Singapore’s two and Syria’s one, Jordan are looking the most likely to join Oman in the finals.
Group B:
Iran and the country that led the opposition to Australia’s inclusion in the AFC, Kuwait, are through
Group C:
Saudi Arabia have qualified with China travelling to Iraq with only a draw needed for them to qualify. The bean counters at the FFA are praying like mad for any result other than a win for Iraq.
Group D:
Bahrain and Qatar cruised through
Group E:
UAE and Uzbekistan qualified with ease
Australia, Japan, South Korea and North Korea (via the Challenge Cup) have already qualified.
The 2014 Challenge Cup winner will also qualify, and intriguingly Afghanistan have a real chance. Also joining will be the best placed 3rd ranked side from the qualifiers.

So does China have a chance to qualify as best 3rd placed country? It will be a big blow if they aren't here.

Are countries like bahrain , Qatar and UAE really better then China ? Or do they have a benificial draw

So does China have a chance to qualify as best 3rd placed country? It will be a big blow if they aren't here.

If they at least get a draw then they are in as 2nd. If they lose then they do have a chance to qualify as third however it comes down to an equation, one that they are in a very good position to come out on top of.

Are countries like bahrain , Qatar and UAE really better then China ? Or do they have a benificial draw

A little bit of both. Qatar and Bahrain had a pretty easy draw both being in the same group as Malaysia and Yemen. UAE topped a far tougher group so I assume played some decent football. That said China are famous for crumbling under pressure whereas the Arabs tend to play out a game.

The organisers can breathe a sigh of relief, China scraped in as best 3rd placed. Iraq and Jordan also made it. Both of these will be good as they provide stern opposition (and the Iraqi's are entertaining to watch).

Only one place remains, and that is for the 2014 Challenge Cup winners. Here's to hoping it is Afhganistan!

Only one place remains, and that is for the 2014 Challenge Cup winners. Here's to hoping it is Afhganistan!

Indeed. They're making great strides in the cricket also.

Who would be their main competition? I see a number of them are all pretty close to each other in the FIFA rankings.

Who would be their main competition? I see a number of them are all pretty close to each other in the FIFA rankings.

Rankings don't mean much down this end as some sides have lower rankings simply because there federations are not wealthy enough to send the team out for games.

If the games were on FIFA dates then solid competition would come from the Philippines who can amass a formidable side from its diaspora. The competition is in May so if some of the European & US competitions have finished the Philippines may get a decent side on the park. The real challengers for my mind are Palestine who have put together some inspiring performances despite some towering obstacles.

is anyone planning to go to a game or two or three?
i'm planning a road trip as it is conveniently melb, Sydney then brisvegas.

Yeah should get some time off work for this - want to head to all Aus group games and then some.

Was going to head to the WC but finances didn't allow so this looks like a lot cheaper alternative. Ticket prices look great.

I suppose everything else will be jacked up though!

I am not entirely sure I will be able to get back to Oz for this . I will try to arrange some meetings in Australia at the same time however they will most likely be in Adelaide, though Canberra remains a possibility.

TBH i wouldnt mind getting to a Japanese group game, im sure there will be many japanese creating a good atmosphere and they should be fielding some world class players that no other country in Asia can really compare to.

Looking at getting tickets now. I wonder if Australia's QF and SF will sell out before the tournament starts.

With Korea in our group we really could finish either 1st or 2nd which will mean we could possibly play in 2 different destinations for our QF and SF (provided of course we make it that far).

Does anyone think Australia's games will sell out?