As he strolled off the pitch following the end of the AFC Cup Group H match that saw his side Tampines Rovers lost 3-2 to Selangor FA of Malaysia, it could also mean the end of continental involvement as a player for 42-year-old Aleksandar Duric since his appearance with Geylang United in 2004 followed by his stint with SAFFC that included appearance in the prestigious Asian Champions League in 2009.
So it was perfect farewell gift for departing SAFFC coach, Richard Bok, as the Warriors ended their trophy drought since 2009 with the clinching of the RHB Singapore Cup at the expenses of title challengers, Tampines Rovers at the Jalan Besar Stadium with a 2-1 scoreline.
Wrestler Hulk Hogan was a surprise spectator for the AFC Champions League match between Al Jazira and Al Shabab. Hogan was in Abu Dhabi to see the game, with home side Al Jazira being held to a 1-1 draw by Saudi Arabian champions Al Shabab.
Asian football's two major continental tournaments have reached the knockout stages following
the conclusion of the group stages this week.
The AFC Champions League is usually dominated by South Korean clubs but only two of this year's
four representatives have made it through the group stage.
During an Asian Champions League match last night, Al Jazira 'keeper Ali Khaseif managed to ping
a clearance off the 'spider' camera winching away overhead.
The game was duly restarted with a drop-ball, with an Esteghlal player returning the ball to
Khaseif in a sportsmanlike fashion, only for the dead-eye 'keeper to pick out the spider cam
again!
All good things have to come to an end eventually and the long shot that was Shanghai Shenhua belatedly saving their season and qualifying for the Asian Champions League is now off the table after the team was humiliated 4-2 by the high-flying Guizhou Renhe on Sunday.
By Andrew Crawford, writing from Shanghai. View all letters here.
Two months into the second phase of the Shanghai Shenhua revolution, with Didier Drogba freshly
installed as the team's new alpha male, the team have gone unbeaten over seven games.
This crazy footage comes from the Asian Champions League meeting between Iranian side Sepahan and Saudi Arabia's Al-Alhi. Sepahan player Adel Kolahkaj thought he'd do everyone a favour and throw some litter of the pitch during a break in play. Except when the litter landed at the side of the pitch it promptly exploded.
We knew the Melbourne Victory defence, central defence was too slow, too fragile and lacked
Muscat.
And in midfield the pairing of Leigh Broxham and Grant Brebner could never control the game in the
Asian Champions League games - at times the Victory were embarrassing - and these our Aussie
Champions - and this season they've never had the ball, kept the ball or enabled the style boys to
get on the ball.
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Subscribe: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
In this week's review section, we look at stories from the Asian Champions League, pressure at
Sunderland and Carlos Tevez embroiled in more controversy. You can listen to these and other
stories on our weekly podcast and can find explanations of key vocabulary in bold
below, or highlighted in blue.
In this week\'s review section, we look at stories from the Asian Champions League, pressure at
Sunderland and Carlos Tevez embroiled in more controversy.
The hugely talented Nagoya Grampus - loaded with dollars as well - came to Adelaide last night and
were beaten 1-0 by United in the last sixteen of the Asian Champions League.
And what a great game of football it was.
Despite the defensive nature of United there was a lot to like about the Aussies performance up
against such craftsmen from Nagoya.
In a world where any publicity is good publicity it's fantastic to see football, yes women's
football on the front page of the SMH.
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/spectacular-own-goal-as-star-forced-to-choose-codes-20120529-1zhh2.html#utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=tweetbutton
Not an alcohol fueled article or a wife bashing court case - no a stoush between a Coach Jitka
Klimkova who simply wants her players to train full-on and be available for all games, including
semi-finals and finals and a talented dual international, Ellyse Perry.
I've never watched the Brumbies despite being a passionate Canberran. Rugby just doesn't do it for
me.
Football is my sport - my thing. So it is great relief that Aussie football returns after what
seems like a huge break - well two weeks since the last ACL games.
The usual tiresome whinge from a white, over 50 Australian journalist about the game of Soccer.
This time in the Sydney Morning Herald.
And while I could reply with criticism of his "giants of the AFL and NRL, which are the pinnacles
of their parochial codes" I'll make just the one point.
In AFL, Paul you can have 18 teams with 38 players in a squad - some pinnacle you have got going
there.
It may not have been the most difficult challenge that FC Barcelona would have to face in their
quest to become FIFA Club World Cup winners. That, however, did not dampen the celebrations as the
Spanish and European champions strolled their way past a poor Santos FC team courtesy of a 4-0
victory.
Kashiwa Reysol and Al Sadd have booked their semi-final places in the FIFA Club World Cup
following hard fought victories over Monterrey CF and Esperance Tunis respectively.
Kashiwa, representing the host nation Japan as the 2011 J-League champions, needed a penalty
shoot-out to get past North and Central American champions Monterrey after the two teams had played
out a 1-1 draw.
The FIFA Club World Cup officially got under way today with two goals just before half-time
giving Kashiwa Reysol a 2-0 win over Auckland City in the qualifying play-off to send the Japanese
club through to the quarter-finals.
Kashiwa, who clinched the 2011 J-League title last weekend, had Junya Tanaka and Masato Kudo to
thank as the pair struck in the 37th and 40th minutes respectively to send the host nation's
representatives into the next round.
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In this week's review section, minnows on the brink, how to reach a final and not make friends,
and Leeds humbled at home. You can listen to these and other stories on our weekly podcast and can
find explanations of key vocabulary in bold below, or highlighted in blue.
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Subscribe: Predictions
On this week's predictions languagecaster focuses on games from Italy and England, including two
London derbies.We also take a look at the Asian Champions League and the European version, too.
The Asian Champions League doesn't get much pub this side of, well, Asia, especially not when
playing on the same day as the European Champions League. A quick way to rectify this injustice is
to start a massive brawl in a regional semifinal. The genesis is as ludicrous as the concept
itself:
With two players down in the box (for genuine reasons), one for each side, Suwon was attacking
the Al-Sadd goal.
A mass brawl erupted in the Asian Champions League semi-final between Al Sadd and Suwon
Bluewings after Suwon put the ball out for attention to an injured player only for the official to
wave play-on and Mamadou Niang to score Al Sadd's controversial second goal.
FC Barcelona will compete in this year's FIFA Club World Cup following a sensational UEFA
Champions League triumph in 2011. The Catalans must first face AFC Asian Champions League winners
Al Sadd before they can start dreaming of the possibility of winning the world crown for the second
time in three years.
Whilst the UEFA Champions League continues to take centre stage in Europe as the competition
nears the end of its group phase, the equivalent tournament in the Oceania region is two rounds
into the 2011-12 O-League and, as usual, the two New Zealand representatives are setting the pace
for all of the others to follow.
What a week it has been for Thai football. Buriram United made it through to the Round of 16 in the Asian Champions League while Leicester City, owned by Thais, are in the mix for a Premier League spot next season with a play off against Watford on the horizon.
Oh, and Buriram sacked the man who had, on paper at least, masterminded their successes of recent years.
Nick, Gerald and Clive talk about the conclusion of the National Youth League and the Mariners' Asian Champions League exploits, as well as dissecting the last round of A-League fixtures.
The arrival of ADP in Australia has kicked the rest of the league into action, with Newcastle Jets landing Emile Heskey and Wanderers set to sign either Michael Ballack of former Japanese international Shinji Ono. Paddy, Aaron and Nick also go over the latest happenings in the Asian Champions League and an interesting decision regarding visa spots in the A-League.
This is some of the most powerful stuff I have ever seen written on soccer!
Wayne Drehs of ESPN with an incredible report (words, photos, audio & video) on Bob Bradley and his
life in Egypt as the national team manager! I love this!
-Drehs also writes about Bradleys relationship with the teams star player Mohamed Aboutrika.
EXCLUSIVE: Al Jazeera Sports Network has won the US TV rights to La Liga,
beginning with the 2012-13 season, according to a source.
The shocking news means that GolTV's flagship league will no longer be shown on the Miami-based
network. Al Jazeera Sports Network's acquisition of La Liga rights comes hot on the heels of
similar acquisitions by Al Jazeera Sports Network worldwide including winning the bid to show Ligue
1 in France from 2012-13 through 2018-18, as well as the rights to show UEFA Champions League in
France from 2012-2015.
The Mariners win their first Youth League title, Adelaide actually win a match and Melbourne
Victory make another misguided signing by offering Jim Magilton a 2-year contract extension! It's
all here on the Nearpost, brought to you by Paddy Bordier, Nick Cumpston and Nick Amies.
Trailing 2-1 as their Asian Champions League with Japanese side Nagoya Grampus Eight ticked
over into injury time last night, Seongnam (of South Korea) were getting desperate and needed
something super duper special to restore parity. What followed was roughly one full level above
'super duper special'.
The Australians are still feeling their way round Asian football and how it operates; or often
doesn't. Take Adelaide United. There they were happily looking forward to playing in the Asian
Champions League when all of a sudden they are being told that they now have to play a play off
against Indonesian champions Persipura.
The Japanese Newcastle Gamba Osaka 1-0 Vegalta Sendai (26:11:11) Newcastle United fan Michael Hudson travels to Osaka to see the
Japanese version of... Newcastle United...
There are two ways of getting from Nagoya to Osaka by train. The Shinkansen takes just under an
hour and will set you back the best part of sixty quid each way; a combination of local and rapid
trains is more than twice as long, half the price and perfectly timed to allow you to read at least
halfway through the Blizzard while sitting next to a bloke in a gauze face mask whose head
keeps falling against your right shoulder.
The Colorado Rapids announced on Monday that the club will not renew the contract of Head Coach
Gary Smith. The Rapids will begin a search for a new head coach immediately.
"After meeting with Gary, we decided it would be in the best interest of both parties to move in a
different direction," said Colorado Rapids Managing Director Jeff Plush.
On this week\'s predictions languagecaster focuses on games from Italy and England, including two
London derbies.We also take a look at the Asian Champions League and the European version, too.
I might have to be writing a bit this season. Things are exciting at the Roar and I am full of
material. If anything I've been suffering the writer's block of someone with far too much to say.
So fuck it, I'll start with a rave. Anything to get the gripes with FIFA (which I still have) from
the top of the page and some news of this brilliant team.
