MARINERS SINKING IN ASIAN FUNK

Leandro Domingues in action for Kashiwa in the ACL

They may be a regular visitor to the Asian Champions League but it doesn't equate with any form of Asian success. The Central Coast Mariners have once again failed to deliver on the Asian stage and their demise is painfully of their own doing.

The Mariners have now had 14 matches in ACL competition for a measly one win. In their third visit into Asian soccer's flagship club competition, the team from serene Gosford (an hour and a bit north of Sydney) are once again experiencing failure. The first round clash with Suwon Bluewings of Korea saw the Mariners dominate but fail to rack up the three points even with the assistance of a penalty in the 88th minute. On that night in February manager Graham Arnold rested regulars Patrick Zwaanswijk (defender) and  John Hutchinson (midfielder).

Wednesday night's visit to Kashiwa saw Graham Arnold resting four regulars from the Central Coast's first eleven. Top scorer Daniel McBreen, non stop midfielder Pedj Bojic, fullback Joshua Rose and former Socceroo Mile Sterjovski. It's fair to say that they got what they deserved. The Mariners were thrashed 3-1 by a Leandro Domingues inspired Kashiwa. The Brazilian striker made a mockery of the Mariners defence with the second of his goals, a volley from the edge of the box after earlier involvement in the same movement.

Midfielder John Hutchinson was quick to sight financial differences between the clubs in a post match interview but these matters aren't usually mentioned unless you've come off a bad result. The Mariners had led 1-nil but immediately fell into the trap of sitting back and waiting for their opponent. It's obvious the Central Coast have afforded their opponents too much respect, as Hutchinson's comments illustrate, "They've obviously got a big budget and umm it's a good league, the Japanese league." Unfortunately nobody paid much attention to the fact Kashiwa were roundly thumped by FC Tokyo on the Saturday prior to this ACL clash. Manager Graham Arnold was also heard praising his opponents, ". . . When you look at the foreigners, the two they had out there tonight in Cleo as well as Domingues, they're probably a totally different level to anyone in the A-League."

It's true manager Graham Arnold is stuck between a rock and a hard place. He has to juggle ACL group matches with the pointy end of the A League. Resting players is justified but crying poor won't make things any better or easier to deal with. Champion teams overcome hurdles such as these. Unfortunately the Central Coast Mariners are still yet to take home Australian soccer's biggest prize and this year will be no different if Arnie and the yellow team continue to play the underdog, little battler card. Finding comfort in losing as the underdog is not what champion teams do.

Meanwhile in other significant results from the eastern side of the draw, Urawa Reds gave Muangthong United an absolute hiding after the Thai team went a man down early in the piece. Beijing Guoan defeated J League champs Hiroshima 2-1 and Guangzhou Evergrande also kept Chinese hearts fluttering with their 1-1 result at Jeonbuk in Korea. 

Wests Wandering Into Asia

Ono, Polenz and youngster Appiah-Kubi celebrate

Western Sydney Wanderers the A League's newest club, booked their ticket into the 2014 Asian Champions League, after opening up a five point gap over their nearest rival. With just three matches remaining in the regular season it seems the Wanderers are going to complete a fairy tale.

Defeating Wellington Phoenix 2-1 via two penalties the Wanderers weren't at their best yesterday, yet still came away with the spoils. Also in their favour is the form of Central Coast Mariners who have sunk from the top of the table. Sadly the Mariners choking at this stage of the season is an almost annual occurrence and with two losses in a row manager Graham Arnold is scratching his head, "Senior players ... if you have got goal-scorers out there, the goal-scorers should be the ones that want to take it." The former interim Socceroos manager was frustrated at senior players not wanting to take responsibility for penalty taking after the Mariners loss to Western Sydney Wanderers. Perhaps more concerning for the Mariners is Arnold's perceiving of mental fatigue amongst his players, "With mental fatigue comes decision making and they are doing things they don't normally do. Turning over possession, taking extra time on the ball."

With their fate in their own hands, it's hard to see anything stopping the Wanderers from taking home the Premiers Plate (A - League Premiership). It's almost unimaginable to envisage Wests being defeated anytime this season. There is such a momentum behind the team and at the same time their nearest rivals are imploding. Manager Tony Popovic was typically cautious after yesterday's win, "There is still some work to be done, and this group knows that." Popovic and the Wests are not celebrating yet, but I can't wait to see the best of Asia playing at Parramatta Stadium in 2014.

Sendai Stagnant in J League Opener

Wilson of Sendai carries a heavy burden

After their round one clash with Ventrofet Kofu the message for Vegalta Sendai should be, you can't go forward by standing still. Clearly though, Sendai have not made any significant changes to tactics and obviously squad members.

The men in yellow and blue are still led by the irrepressible Ryang Yong Gi, but the graft and sheer perseverance of 2012 won't be enough this season. Sendai were able to go ahead early in the second half via a set piece. The headed goal for Watanabe came in the 49th minute, and unfortunately for the home team it only served as a message to sit back and play opportunistic soccer. Relying as they did last year on transitional play, Sendai's best moments came from crosses which were either headed astray or missed altogether.

Momentum changed after the goal and the newly promoted Kofu suddenly showed why they were comprehensive winners of J2. The visitors were very impressive down the right side, and 25 year old Yoshifumi Kashiwa should be a thorn in the side of any J1 side this year. Kashiwa showed some speed and trickery and was whipping balls into the box on a regular basis. Kofu levelled in the 73rd minute via Brazilian Hugo. It was nothing less than they deserved as the Yamanashi prefecture side began to click and ooze midfield cohesion.

The 1-1 full time scoreline was a better result for Ventrofet Kofu for obvious reasons, but scenes don't augur well for Vegalta Sendai. Manager Teguramori said of his team's playing style (earlier in the week), "I'm going to vary our play widely, but it's sometimes dangerous in the Champions League if we stick to it." Most people wouldn't notice any difference in their style in both competitions. It's all about seizing on the errors of opponents and working hard. Sendai will need more if they're to repeat last year's second placed finish.

We have an ideal style to fight in the J-League, but it’s sometimes dangerous in the Champions League if we stick to it - See more at: http://www.japantoday.com/category/sports/view/j-league-rollercoaster-rumbles-into-action#sthash.SNujb8rP.dpuf

I’m going to vary our play widely. We have an ideal style to fight in the J-League, but it’s sometimes dangerous in the Champions League if we stick to it. We need to show our (different) style for the Champions League, - See more at: http://www.japantoday.com/category/sports/view/j-league-rollercoaster-rumbles-into-action#sthash.SNujb8rP.dpuf

“I’m going to vary our play widely. We have an ideal style to fight in the J-League, but it’s sometimes dangerous in the Champions League if we stick to it. We need to show our (different) style for the Champions League,” - See more at: http://www.japantoday.com/category/sports/view/j-league-rollercoaster-rumbles-into-action#sthash.SNujb8rP.dpufSurely they can't rely on the lackadaisical Wilson to snare goals on the break this season.

Meanwhile, defending champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima went down to Urawa Reds 2-1 while at home. The setback comes after Hiroshima were upset in the ACL by Uzbek giants Bunyodkor. Urawa midfielder Yousuke Kashiwagi got scoring underway in the 38th minute, while classy forward Genki Haraguchi made it 2-nil after 51 minutes. It was too big a mountain for the home side to climb. In other results Yokohama F Marinos came from behind to win 4-2 against newcomers Shonan Bellmare, while Nagoya drew with Jubilo Iwata after taking an early lead at home. In the Saturday evening clash FC Tokyo travelled to Oita to take three points off the newly promoted Kyushu outfit.

Urawa Reds in celebration mode.

Next week all eyes will be on Saitama Stadium as Urawa host Nagoya Grampus, while Shimizu S Pulse host Yokohama F Marinos.

ACL KICK OFF - MARINERS SET TO STRIKE

Marcello Lippi - Guangzhou Evergrande

Today the Asian Champions League kicks off. The most mouth watering of clashes is undoubtedly Urawa Reds v Guangzhou Evergrande starting at 11pm (Sydney time) tonight. Also on the schedule for Matchday 1 is Muangthong United v Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

As all fans of Asian soccer would know Evergrande from the Chinese Super League are the nascent force in the region. Last year the Chinese giants entered the ACL for the first time under super star manager Marcello Lippi. Evergrande made it to the quarter finals in 2012, while in the CSL they swept all before them again. Lippi spoke of his excitement about the Urawa Reds assignment, "We are ready for the match and hopefully we can show our spirit and style in the game." The Italian also alluded to some injury concerns which arose over the off season, "During winter training unfortunately I only had half of the team available. Zhao Xuri and Feng Xiaoting came back with injuries and they were unable to take part in training." Evergrande will still take some beating with their wealthy stock of imports that include Dario Conca from Argentina and Paraguayan Lucas Barrios.

Meanwhile the Urawa Reds are also coming into the match with high aspirations. The team looked favourites to take out the J League title at times last year but faded disappointingly. Reds manager Mihailo Petrovic said, " I am aware of the possibilities of losing to such a strong opponent; however, we won't lose in terms of fighting spirit. I also hope we can cause them a lot of trouble." Petrovic's men made a habit of scoring goals with speedy transition play last year, and on an away trip early in the season, you can expect them to fall back on that style. It's more than a suitable situation for the Reds as they'll face a hostile Chinese crowd but no pressure to make the play. While Petrovic speaks conservatively about Urawa's chances, you can bet the Japanese will fancy themselves with possibly the most dazzling midfield in Asia. If you only watch one ACL game this Matchday, make it this one.

Muangthong and Jeonbuk ahead of tonight's ACL clash

In Thailand Muangthong will host established Asian powerhouse Jeonbuk. The green team from Korea have a great record in continental competition but Muangthong will hardly be awestruck. The Thai outfit claimed the local league by a 14 point margin and the atmosphere will be electric as the Thai's love to pit themselves against their more acclaimed Asian neighbours. Muangthong come into the match after a recent loss to rivals Buriram in the Thai King's Trophy match (2012 league winner v 2012 cup winner). With names like Guangzhou and Urawa in the group both Jeonbuk and Muangthong will not underestimate the importance of taking maximum points tonight.

From an Australian viewpoint it was disappointing to see Brisbane Roar crash out to Buriram in the recent play-off match. However, the Thai's will definitely add more in terms of crowd involvement. With only one representative in the tournament Australians could quite easily lose interest but the Central Coast Mariners should make an impact this year. The Mariners are drawn in a favourable group which includes Guizhou Renhe, Kashiwa Reysol and first round opponent Suwon Bluewings. While Suwon have acquired the services of North Korean ace Jong Tae Se and Aussie Eddy Bosnar, the Mariners are now old hands at the continental game and manager Graham Arnold has used his contacts in Japan to attain comprehensive scouting reviews. Speaking of his connection with Shimizu S Pulse manager Afshin Ghotbi Arnold said, "I contacted him, and as well as the DVD he was good enough to give me a written report on their players." Ghotbi's team played Suwon in a pre-season trial. Ghotbi is set to be sourced for information on J League outfit Kashiwa Reysol also. For the Mariners the ACL is the only frontier which they've failed to make strides in, but if the weekend's 6-2 drubbing of Melbourne Victory is anything to go by, they're set to stamp their names into the minds of Asian soccer fans.

Asian Cup Qualification Kicks Off While Japan Lash Latvia

Whilst most of Asian soccer's  big names were starting their 2015 Asian Cup qualification campaigns, Japan were having a kick about against Latvia.

Japan hit the field with all of their stars. The best early chance falling the way of Shinji Kagawa after a run from Kiyotake resulted in a 'room service' cross which Kagawa skied over the goal from the edge of the box. What was confusing was Kagawa's choice to head the ball away from goal after a Hasebe cross found him unmarked at the far post in the 27th minute. Nagatomo was up to his old tricks, making space for himself and sending in deadly accurate crosses. In the 31st minute Okazaki was on the end only for it to be directed at the goalkeeper. Keisuke Honda looked a little selfish at times with a hot and cold performance. Finally in the 41st minute Okazaki redirected a shot from Schlke's Uchida to make Japan's dominance count.

Early in the second half Okazaki almost made it two nil but the advancing Latvian goalkeeper got a last ditch duke out to prevent the Stuttgart based striker from passing the ball into the goal. Moments later in the 5th minute Kagawa dribbled to the box only to rush his shot at the sight of an on-rushing defender. On this occasion he should have slid the ball forward to Honda. The CSKA Moscow midfielder got on the scoreboard in the 60th minute with a sublime first touch goal after a Kagawa cross. The pair have looked at times to be on a different wavelength but on this occasion got it together. Soon after Okazaki added his second to allow Japan a 3-nil victory in front of 28607 fans in Kobe.

Meanwhile the first round of Asian Cup qualifiers saw no surprises. Hosts Australia and defending champions Japan are already qualified as are South Korea (Korea Republic) due to their performance in Asian Cup 2011. North Korea have secured their entry via the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup.

Australia will be hoping under achieving China can scrape their way into the tournament in order to take advantage of the large Chinese population in Sydney. However, China have gone down to Saudi Arabia in their first match while Group C opponents Iraq defeated Indonesia 1-nil. The Chinese did level the scores at Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium and looked set to take a point until the Saudis scored in the 77th minute.

Another group of great interest to organisers is Group B. In Group B Lebanon took a beating from Iran 5-nil. Not a great start for the Lebanese who have put on an impressive performance throughout the World Cup Qualifying campaign. Again cosmopolitan Sydney is home to a large Lebanese community, and organisers would be confident of attracting big numbers to any games in the 2015 tournament involving Lebanon.

The Asian Cup qualification rounds continue on 22nd March 2013. More information can be found at the AFC website. http://www.the-afc.com/en/afc-asiancup-2015-schedule-results?id=140&type=Stage

Del Piero Hits Four as Sydney Begin to Click

Del Piero celebrates another goal against Wellington

Alessandro Del Piero has blitzed the Wellington Phoenix, and in the process dragged Sydney FC into the A League top six temporarily. The Italian maestro was unstoppable as he inspired his teammates via a first half treble which had Wellington Phoenix resigned to defeat before half time.

Sydney FC are now back into end of season reckoning with today's remarkable victory. Coinciding with today's win was the Sydney FC debut of Australian international Joel Griffiths, who has spent the past three seasons in China with Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua. For the record the final score was 7-1, a scoreline which condemned Wellington to the bottom of the A League table. The win was also Sydney FC's biggest ever win.

For Del Piero the goals came in the 20th, 23rd, 39th and 70th minutes. The best of the goals came in the 39th minute when midfielder Jason Culina found Del Piero with a pin point switch of play which gave the Italian enough space to bamboozle Wellington's Leo Bertos, and smash home a ripper. Wellington keeper Paston was left flailing as the strike punched the corner of the goal to his left.

The win sounds a warning to Sydney's opponents and even Del Piero was buying into the new found momentum in a post match interview. Asked whether he thought today's win was the turning point for the season he replied, "I hope . . . I hope" before adding that last week's match was even more significant when against Melbourne Heart they turned around a 1-nil deficit with 5 minutes remaining.

Although trailing competition leaders Central Coast Mariners by 14 points with 10 matches left to play Sydney can still take away the A League's major prize as the season ends with a final series. Unlike most professional soccer leagues around the world the A League uses a final six format which virtually turns the final weeks of the season into a knockout competition.

GAMBA'S SEASON OF WOE RECEIVES A FINAL BLOW

Gamba Osaka have hit rock bottom. After a season of torment in the J League which saw them relegated to Japan's 2nd tier for the first time, Gamba bombed out in the Emperor's Cup final to Kashiwa Reysol. It truly was a case of Gamba's J League form coming back to haunt them. After a recent undefeated run to gain entry into the Emperor's Cup final gave fans a glimmer of hope, today was the hammer blow which sent the marquee club crashing into J2 with a thud.

Ironically some Gamba fans are glad that the team didn't win the Emperor's Cup, as it would see them committed to an Asian Champions League campaign while playing for promotion in a league which involves more than 40 matches. Now it's Kashiwa who will contest the ACL in 2013 just as they did in 2012. Kashiwa put on a decent showing in 2012 making it to the knockout stage only to meet eventual winner Ulsan Hyundai first up. The win today came about via a Hirofumi Watanabe header. The centre back got himself on the end of a Jorge Wagner corner and made Gamba pay for not taking their own chances. Truly a season of despair for Gamba Osaka.

ONO RECEIVES OVATION AFTER STUNNING DOUBLE FOR WANDERERS

Shinji Ono has put on a masterclass as he took his A League club Western Sydney Wanderers into third place on the ladder. The Japanese import continues to improve as he settles into A League life. Ono Put Wests ahead on the brink of halftime with an amazing juggling volley which will find its way onto every A League highlights reel ever released.

Melbourne levelled the scores in the 72nd minute and looked set to steal the points as momentum had swung their way. Wanderers were looking tired and it was somewhat against the run of play that Ono's second goal came about. On this occasion Ono took advantage of some time given to him by the Melbourne defence, providing a neat turn as a defender strode past him expecting him to lay the ball off. But Ono turned toward goal, and sent a shot into the keeper's left corner. Brilliant!

Ono would leave the field in the 84th minute to a standing ovation, as his team held on for a forth win in their last five matches.