Asia is a big continent, so it s hard to make sweeping generalizations. I think Zac meant specifically Far East countries like the two Koreas, China, and Japan. So I ll focus on those. The short answer is that yes, there is a physical gap, and it matters. Yet it probably does not matter as much as many think it does. And it comes with two big qualifiers: 1- it…
Kewellās life at Anfield never quite reached the heights he would have hoped, with injuries a constant companion. He was part of the magical night in Istanbul when Liverpool pulled off an unbelievable comeback and beat AC Milan in the UCL final in 2005, but he limped off before half-time after being handed a start by Rafael Benitez. After that his career took…
With its massive population, it is no surprise that Asia is the worldās largest betting market. However, it is also a market that is experiencing rapid change, making it even more important for sports betting fans to do their homework before making a deposit. Asian betting sites focus on a variety of different sports depending on what regional or national markets…
Jason Dasey and PJ Roberts recap the AFC Champions League playoffs as JDT edge out Bangkok United on penalties. Kelantan will be facing an intense domestic schedule after their Malaysia Super League (MSL) match against Johor Darul Ta zim (JDT) on Saturday was postponed, due to their opponents regional Cup commitments. The Southern Tigers are preparing to face…
The Iranian menās national beach soccer team (file photo) The Iranian menās national beach soccer team has maintained its place as the best squad in Asia in the newest edition of the Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW) rankings, and claimed the fifth spot in the world. According to the latest monthly rankings released by the BSWW, the organization responsible for the…
Claudio Ranieri and Alejandro Sabella are the latest to be linked to become the next manager of the Thailand national team. There will be literally dozens of big names who will apply for the position. I hope it goes to a coach who really wants the job, and not just a take the money and run merchant. Having worked under Peter Reid and Bryan Robson, as assistant…
Yes Simon Johnson Director of Corporate Affairs at the Football Association There is no question that football has come a long way in recent times in involving ethnic minorities in the game. There is still much work to do, particularly in bringing more people from the Asian communities into the sport, but it is important to recognise that we now have the principles…
The Indian football team is in Yangon to play an Asian Cup Qualifying game. Myanmar have faced India 17 times in the past, with India winning on just four occasions. Their south-eastern neighbours on the other hand have got the better of them ten times. Despite Indiaās indigent records against most teams in world football, their poor numbers against Myanmar makes…
When businessman Charanjit Singh Gill bought non-league Southall Football Club in 2010 his dream was not just to win points, promotions and silverware. Founded in 1871, the west London club already had a fine tradition of producing footballers who went on to play at higher levels, most notably former England, Tottenham, Queenās Park Rangers and Newcastle United…
The Asian Cup, which wrapped up in Sydney at the weekend, was a wonderful event for so many reasons, including the football. Yet globally, it has lived in the shadow of the African Cup of Nations. And for good reason. The Asian confederation represents the majority of the worldās population, some of its richest countries and many of its biggest economies. Yet…
In the movie Airplane! when a lady requests light reading material, she is promptly handed a leaflet titled āFamous Jewish Sports Legends.ā āFamous Asian Sports Legendsā might not be much more voluminous than that leaflet, either, but at least thereās an Ichiro Suzuki here and a Yao Ming there. But when it comes to the gladiator sport of American football, will…
China players line up before their embarrassing 1-0 home defeat to Syria. Photograph: Reuters China host South Korea in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday but, with the home side already all but out of the running for a place in Russia, serious issues already threaten their chances of making it to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. China scraped through the first of…
On April 29, at 10:01 p.m., soccer fans Simon Miller and Paul Langley lost their faith in the sport. The Irish men were sitting in City Calling Stadium in Longford, Ireland, and their team, Athlone Town FC, was behind 1:2. In the 80th minute of play, a Facebook message alert popped up on their mobile phones. A man who had been monitoring football bets for years…
By Michelle Phipps-Evans Edward Wang is changing the face of the history of the National Football League (NFL). In the 93-year history of the professional football league, Wang has the enviable distinction of becoming the first Chinese player ever drafted in the NFL. He was drafted by New Yorkās Buffalo Bills, who snagged him in the fifth round of the 2010 draft…
Swiss-Asiaās football finance note sales doubled from April Low global interest rates burnish appeal of such investments The most important business stories of the day. Get Bloomberg s daily newsletter. Investorsā money is pooled to form loans to soccer clubs for operating expenses or to fund signing players. The financing matures at different stages from six…
The Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang have emerged as unlikely, but crucial destinations in the topsy-turvy career of South Korean winger Son Heung-Min. A gold medal at the multi-sports event would excuse all team members from having to serve the mandatory National Service of up to two years. For Son, who missed Korea s triumphant 2014 Asian Games because…
The tortuous sale of the legendary Italian soccer club A.C. Milan to a consortium led by the previously unknown investor Li Yonghong was closed on Thursday. It s just one of a series of sales of storied soccer clubs to Chinese buyers, either closed or pending. The purchase of A.C. Milan for ā¬740 million ($788 million), including debt, is being funded in part…
Bradford City s Zesh Rehman, the only British Pakistani to have played in the Premier League, during his days at Fulham. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images As clubs such as Chelsea look to develop British Asian footballers, the growing number of supporters of subcontinental origin feel at home in grounds In a column last week, Dear GĆ©rard, How times have changed…
Cyril Radcliffe was a civil servant who was little known outside British bureaucratic circles before 1947. However, the events which transpired in August of the same year would etch his name into eternity. On 17 August 1947, details about the Radcliffe Line were published, dividing 450, square kilometres to partition India and Pakistan. Chaos and civil disorder…
Ahmed Khalil dedicated his AFC Asian player of the year award to the UAE after becoming the first Emirati to be voted the continentās finest footballer. The Al Ahli striker, who won the young player gong in 2008, was presented with the trophy at a ceremony in New Delhi on Sunday, clinching the title ahead of compatriot Omar Abdulrahman and Chinaās Zheng Zhi…
For Asiaās super rich, owning a European football club may mean more than having a plaything at their disposal, with experts noting that such investments can have the potential to generate rich returns. SINGAPORE: Asian tycoons have been digging deep into their pockets for stakes in European football clubs, and the latest to join the ranks is Chinese businessman…
Timor Leste s Patrick Fabiano, (far left) was one of the 12 players declared ineligible by the Asia Football Confederation disciplinary committee. Joshua Paul/AP hide caption toggle caption Joshua Paul/AP Timor Leste s Patrick Fabiano, (far left) was one of the 12 players declared ineligible by the Asia Football Confederation disciplinary committee. Joshua Paul/AP…
Son Heung-min had a memorable 2014, but where did he rank in the top 10? It has certainly been an up-and-down year for Asian football and ESPN FC has a go at choosing the 10 best performers of 2014. 10. Boualem Khoukhi (Al Arabi and Qatar) The Algerian-born star scored six goals to help the men in maroon lift the West Asian Football Federation Championship in…
Easah Suliman: āIf I can be a role model to get others involved in football then itās a real achievement.ā Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images Even at the tender age of 17, Easah Suliman is already used to all the attention. The Aston Villa central defender has just returned from the Under-17 World Cup in South America having played every minute as England…
Fifa president Gianni Infantino gestures as he arrives to attend the Asian Football Confederation in Goa. Photograph: Indranil Mukherjee/AFP/Getty Images ā¢ Congress closed less than 30 minutes after opening ā¢ Delegates overwhelmingly rejected meeting agenda Asiaās top football officials delivered a major snub to Fifa on Tuesday, forcing the postponement of an…
Three players from the I-League champions have also made it to Stephen Constantine s initial list for the camp in Mumbai.. Indian national team coach Stephen Constantine has drafted an initial list of 35 players for a conditioning camp in Mumbai before The Blue Tigers take to the field for a crucial AFC Asian Cup qualifier game against Kyrgyz Republic. There…
Jason Dasey and Stanely Bernard discuss Thailand s future after winning their record fifth AFF Cup. From the recently concluded AFF Suzuki Cup where Thailand once again reigned supreme as the region s top guns to Albirex Niigata (S) rewriting S.League history in Singapore with a first-ever quadruple, it has been another good year for Southeast Asian football…
