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A shift in power in the east?
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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