AS Monaco 2-2 Caen

*sorry ya,bru ngepost sekarang*

L’AS Monaco FC, 18ème avec 24 points, accueillait ce samedi soir le Stade Malherbe de Caen, 14ème avec 4 unités de plus avant l’entame de la 25ème journée de Ligue 1. Un match à gagner pour les Rouge et Blanc, toujours dans l’attente d’une série pour respirer au classement.
Pour tenter d’atteindre l’objectif du soir, Laurent Banide décidait d’aligner un 4-3-3 avec Ruffier dans le but, une défense composée de Lolo côté droit, Mongongu et Nkoulou en charnière centrale, Muratori à gauche, une milieu renforcé à trois éléments avec Diarra, Gosso et Mangani, Moukandjo et Coutadeur à l’animation sur les côtés et Park en pointe.

Park au duel avec Leca

Main de Leca dans la surface, Park transforme le pénaltyEntame poussive des Rouge et Blanc, rapidement mis en difficulté par une volée lointaine et placée de Leca (8e, boxée par Ruffier), puis sur une reprise pied gauche de Traoré après une intervention aérienne manquée par Lolo (9e, hors du cadre). Mais Mangani et ses coéquipiers allaient progressivement prendre le dessus sur un adversaire plus jamais menaçant offensivement et régulièrement fébrile défensivement durant ce premier acte. Les occasions d’ouvrir le score se présentaient logiquement : Yatabaré manquait de marquer contre son camp de la tête mais son gardien sauvait sur sa ligne (19e), avant que Coutadeur, servi plein axe par Park, ne rate son intérieur du pied droit (21e). Les combinaisons intéressantes se multipliaient également, avec notamment un côté gauche bien animé par le duo Muratori-Mangani. La récompense arrivait néanmoins sur coup de pied arrêté : un ballon mal dégagé par Heurtaux dans sa surface profitait à Gosso, dont la volée puissante était repoussée par la main de Leca. Pénalty évident et transformation réussie par Park, auteur de son 8ème but de la saison en championnat (1-0, 35e). L’attaquant sud-coréen était même proche du doublé sur une tête décroisée efficacement repoussée par Thébaux (41e). Avantage mérité et logique à la pause pour l’ASM FC.
2 buts en 5 minutes, l'incroyable retour des NormandsDébut de seconde période sur la même dynamique avec un Park toujours sur les bonnes trajectoires et un Mangani bien présent dans les 30 derniers mètres. Et après une frappe pied droit du deuxième sur le poteau (57e), le premier faisait le nécessaire pour aggraver le score. A la réception d’un ballon de Diarra au sol, placé côté gauche face au latéral, Park crochetait, accélérait et plaçait une frappe forte côté opposé, le poteau était encore touché mais le cuir entrait ensuite dans les filets de Thébaux (2-0, 62e). But magnifique et doublé pour le numéro 10 de l'AS Monaco FC. On croyait dès lors les Monégasques à l’abri mais la dernière demi-heure se révélait bien plus agitée que prévu. C’est d’abord El Arabi qui réduisait la marque d’un super coup de tête, à la réception d’un centre travaillé de Nivet (1-2, 67e).

Egalisation accordée mais non valable cinq minutes plus tard : Mollo frappait en rupture un coup franc axial, El Arabi se jetait pour reprendre sans toucher le ballon et Ruffier, sur le recul, le laissait filer dans son but (2-2, 72e). L’arbitre assistant avait bien signalé le hors-jeu évident d’El Arabi mais même si ce dernier ne touche pas le ballon, impossible de considérer qu’il ne fait pas action de jeu et d’accorder le but. Bref, malgré l’injustice, les locaux repartaient de l’avant avec une énorme occasion pour Gosso, seul au second poteau mais maladroit au moment de conclure (76e). Alors que Bonnart avait remplacé Muratori, blessé, en début de deuxième période, Feindouno puis Welcome entraient en fin de partie pour tenter d’arracher la victoire. Malheureusement sans réussite. Et ce sont même les visiteurs qui étaient proche du 3-2 avec un contre initié et fini par El Arabi, à qui il ne manquait que quelques centimètres pour emporter le magot sur une frappe piquée du gauche (89e). Frustration et déception évidentes côté monégasque au coup de sifflet final.

Thomas Mangani devant Sambou Yatabaré

Feuille de matchAS Monaco FC - SM Caen : 2-2 (1-0)Ligue 1, 25ème journée
Stade Louis II
5 000 spectateurs environ
Arbitre : M. Jaffredo

Buts : Park (35e sp, 62e) pour l’ASM FC ; El Arabi (67e), Mollo (72e) pour le SM Caen
Avertissements : Mangani (74e) pour l’ASM FC ; Sorbon (26e, 84e), Traoré (37e), El Arabi (74e), Marcq (90e+2) pour le SM Caen
Expulsion : Sorbon (84e) pour le SM Caen

AS Monaco FC : Ruffier (cap.) - Lolo, Mongongu, Nkoulou, Muratori (Bonnart, 49e) - Diarra, Gosso, Mangani - Coutadeur (Welcome, 78e), Moukandjo (Feindouno, 75e), Park. Entr. : L. Banide
Remplaçants : Chabbert (g), Hansson, Bonnart, Lacombe, Feindouno, Welcome, Makengo

SM Caen : Thébaux - Sorbon (cap.), Heurtaux, Leca, Tafforeau - Marcq, Moulin (Mollo, 46e), Nivet, Yatabaré, El Arabi - Traoré (Morel, 65e, Inez, 86e). Entr. : F. Dumas
Remplaçants : Mandanda (g), Inez, Barzola, Raineau, Mollo, Morel

*ngerti bahasanya gx*

South Korea vs Bahrain Report

South Korea overcame Bahrain 2-1 in their opening game in Group C of the Asian Cup as Koo Ja-Cheol hit a brace to see off a late fightback in Doha.

Koo scored either side of the break to give the Taegeuk Warriors a commanding lead, but a late penalty from Faouzi Aaish after Kwak Tae-Hwi had been sent off left the Koreans hanging on at the end.
Bahrain suffered an early blow when they lost defender Husain Baba  to a hamstring pull in the first 10 minutes. It was immediately obvious that he’d be unable to carry on and before long he was replaced by Hamad Rakea.
With few real chances at either end in the early stages, there was a mini-flashpoint in the 23rd minute when Abdullah Omar went feet first into a heading duel with Park Ji-Sung. Naturally the Koreans didn’t take kindly to the challenge, and within a minute Bahrain were almost made to pay, but Koo Ja-Cheol’s low shot was pushed wide by Mahmood Mansoor.
Bahrain had a shot on target late in the half when Mahmood Abdulrahman attempted to catch out Jung Sung-Ryong with a direct strike from a 45-yard free-kick, but it didn’t get the kick he desired and was all too easy for the keeper to smother.
With the Taegeuk Warriors knocking on the door more and more though, it seemed only a matter of time before they took the lead, and after Park Ji-Sung headed wide when free in front of goal, his side quickly grabbed the go-ahead goal.
Connecting onto a ball straight through the middle of the Al-Ahmar back line, Koo Ja-Cheol turned well and shot low, but his effort took a wicked deflection off Abdulla Al Marzooqi and looped over Mansoor and into the net. Though the lead was deserved, the nature of the goal was cruel in the least.

Koo very nearly doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time, but his long range striker just cleared the bar after beating Mansoor all ends up. But it took him until only six minutes into the second half to grab his second. When Cha Du-Ri sent a storming 25 yard shot in, Mansoor could only parry into the path of Koo Ja-Cheol, who completed the simplest of tasks in tapping in.
Korea continued to have the best of the ball, though Jaycee John had a good chance to bring Bahrain back into it 13 minutes left to play, but he couldn’t hit the target with his header from a right-wing corner. However, Al-Ahmar got a foot back into the game when Kwak Tae-Hwi pulled back Abdulla Al Dakeel on the edge of the box and the referee awarded a spot-kick and brandished a red card for the defender.
Faouzi Aaish stepped up to sidefoot home the penalty to halve the gap with five and a half minutes still to play to give the underdogs a real boost. From there South Korea were left to hang on, but they did just enough to earn the three points ahead of their clash with Australia. Next up for Bahrain is a clash with India, with both teams looking to get off the mark.

Asian Cup: Know Your History (Part 1)

The 2011 Asian Cup is less than a day away now and Goal.com looks back at the history of the tournament in a two part series. In part one, Amoy Ghoshal looks back at the first nine editions.
What began as a profitable period in South Korea's football history - and included India's best ever finish at the tournament - turned eventually into an era of West Asian domination.
South Korean Monopoly & India’s Best Finish

Two years after the formation of AFC (Asian Football Confederation), Hong Kong hosted the first edition of the Asian Cup back in 1956 which had only four teams featuring in the final round, with 11 teams competing in the qualifying stage. The final round was played in a round robin format. South Korea emerged as champions after winning two of their three matches while Israel, who was at that time part of AFC, finished runners-up. Hosts Hong Kong finished third while South Vietnam stood fourth.

The Koreans retained the trophy four years later in their own country after once again topping a four-team round robin league, this time by winning all their three games. Ten countries took part in the qualifiers including India but only Israel, Republic of China and South Vietnam progressed to the final round. Israel once again was runners-up with China and South Vietnam finishing third and fourth respectively.

Double | South Korea won the first two Asian Cups

The 1964 edition will remain one of the most memorable competitions in Indian football history as India finished runners-up, which is also their best ever finish in the Asian Cup. Israel hosted the tournament and South Korea qualified as holders. Hong Kong also made it to the final round after finishing top in the qualifying round. India progressed after the withdrawal of Iran and Pakistan and certainly made the most of their participation as they won two of their three matches to finish second behind eventual winners Israel. India defeated holders South Korea 2-0, lost to Israel by the same scoreline and ended the tournament with a 3-1 victory over Hong Kong. Striker Inder Singh also finished joint top scorer of the tournament with two goals.

Iran Start West Asian Domination

The next six editions were won by West Asian nations with Iran winning thrice, Kuwait once and Saudi Arabia notching a double. Iran hosted the 1968 edition which had five nations in the final round and was oncee again played in a round-robin format. The hosts emerged champions after winning each of their four matches to win their first ever Asian Cup title.

Thailand hosted the '72 edition and for the first time ever the tournament had separate group and knockout stages with six teams being divided into two groups. The top two teams from each group qualified for the semis. In the final Iran faced South Korea and defeated them 2-1 after extra time to retain the trophy.

Iran became the first nation to host the tournament twice in 1976 and also became the first team to win a hat-trick of Asian Cups. The format was similar to that of '72, with six teams qualifying for the final round with two groups of three. Iran this time faced Kuwait in the final and defeated them 1-0, to secure their third successive continental title. To date no other nation has achieved that.

1964 | India managed their best ever finish

Kuwait were the hosts in 1980, which had as many as ten teams participating in the final round. There were two groups of five and Iran were favourites to win their fourth straight title but the morale in their camp got affected midway through the tournament when Iraq invaded Iran and that action was supported by Kuwaiti television as they aired propaganda in favour of the Iraqis. Eventually Iran lost out to Kuwait in the semi-finals, to suffer their first ever defeat in Asian Cup. Kuwait took on South Korea in the final and comprehensively won 3-0 in front of their home fans to win their first ever Asian Cup.

As many as 21 teams participated in the qualifying stage of the 1984 edition with eight nations progressing to the final round to join holders Kuwait and hosts Singapore. Among those eight were India, who qualified for the Asian Cup for the only the second time. However they got knocked out from the group stage after finishing bottom of their group with just one draw and three defeats in four matches. Saudi Arabia and China contested the final and it was won by the former by a 2-0 scoreline to give the kingdom nation their first ever Asian Cup crown.

Qatar, the hosts of the 2011 edition, hosted the competition in 88' also as the competition returned to West Asia. Once again ten countries participated in the final round with 20 teams taking part in the qualifying stage. South Korea reached their third final but once again ended up as runners-up as Saudi Arabia retained the trophy after winning the showpiece match on penalties. It was the first time the final was decided by a penalty shootout.

Sambungan Kemarin

CHINA
Strengths: Momentum, Manager
Weaknesses: Lack European Experience
Key Player: Du WeiPrediction: Quarter Finals
Verdict: A country that has struggled to regularly produce talented players despite a large population, this is a team that has gradually grown in confidence under talented manager Gao Hongbo, who has taken a young collection of players to Qatar. The semi finals are reportedly the target for this team but there isn't the usual sense of expectation, which could take the pressure right off.
KUWAIT

Strengths: Settled, Talented
Weaknesses: Depth, Inexperience
Key Player: Bader Al-MutwaPrediction: Quarter Finals
Verdict: One of the more settled sides at the tournament, having done well under manager Goran Tufegdzic, they recently lifted the Gulf Cup and will be full of confidence heading into this tournament. Bader Al-Mutwa is an extremely talented footballer and could be a real handful for defences, while not one squad member is over the age of 30. The future appears bright for this team but inexperience might also count against them. Will ruffle a few feathers and get out of their group.
UZBEKISTAN

Strengths: Attack, Technical Quality
Weaknesses: Inexperienced Defence, Alien Environment
Key Player: Server Djeparov
Prediction: Quarter Finals
Verdict: The attacking trio of Server Djeparov (former AFC Player of the Year), Alexander Geynrikh and Maksim Shatskikh is potentially lethal but there’s a distinct lack of experience across the back-line that could make the difference during the knockout stages. A largely local-based squad, they’ll be more used to freezing temperatures than the humidity offered in Qatar, which could also affect them. Perennial sleeping giants and dark horses, they’ll be in the mix.

IRAQ

Strengths: Attack, Former Winners
Weaknesses: Untested, No Surprise Element
Key Player: Younis MahmoudPrediction: Group Stage Exit
Verdict: A new manager in German Wolfgang Sidka, Iraq didn’t have to quality for this tournament as defending champions and it might be to their detriment. Whilst a number of players in their current squad were an integral part of that famous triumph four years ago and know what it takes to repeat the feat, they don’t have the surprise element that seemed to crucial to their title win. Could struggle to get out of a tricky group – write them off at your peril, though as they've got naturally gifted attackers in Nashat Akram and Younis Mahmoud.

Asian Angle:Who Will Win The Asian Cup?

Winners:
Japan
Runners-Up:
South Korea
Semi Finalists:
North Korea
Saudi Arabia
Quarter Finalists:
Iran
Uzbekistan
China
Kuwait
Uzbekistan
Australia
THE FAVOURITES

AUSTRALIA

Strengths: Experience, Professionalism
Weaknesses: Lack of Pace, Lack of Goals
Key Player: Tim Cahill
Prediction: Quarter Finals
Verdict: Can call upon the seasoned minds and bodies of Mark Schwarzer, Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell, who got their first taste of Asian Cup action back in 2007 and presumably learned valuable lessons from their unceremonious exit. Cahill is indescribably important to this team, virtually the only reliable goal-scoring outlet. A lack of pace at the back is conspicuous, while the left back slot in particular is a weak link, with David Carney out of his depth as a defender in the international arena.

JAPAN
Strengths: Technical Quality, Mobility
Weaknesses: Unfamiliar Manager, Central Defence
Key Player: Keisuke Honda
Prediction: Winners
Verdict: The loss of first-choice central defensive pairing Tulio Tanaka and Yuji Nakazawa is a massive blow. Both are world-class players and irreplaceable at the back but Japan still have the necessary balance in midfield to win this tournament. A number of their top players are peaking for their respective European clubs at the moment and it’s a potent mix. The big question is whether the defence-first attitude being implemented by new manager Alberto Zaccheroni will hinder a squad more inclined to a free flowing, attacking style.
SOUTH KOREA

Strengths: Young Stars, Momentum
Weaknesses: Adjusting Tactically, Striking Options
Key Player: Park Ji-Sung
Prediction: Runners-Up
Verdict: Park Ji-Sung will be deployed as the team’s out-and-out striker after Monaco’s Park Chu-Young suffered a freak knee injury while celebrating a goal for his club side. This is a team carrying momentum from a memorable World Cup campaign but new manager Cho Kwang-Rae is looking to implement his own style of play. His system has been described as “kaleidoscopic” by Lee Chung-Yong and will take some getting used to, while Park isn’t a natural goal-scorer and his energy will be missed in midfield. Having said that, a crop of exciting young talent makes up the bulk of this squad and that could unsettle opponents during the tournament.
SAUDI ARABIA

Strengths: Balanced Squad, Much To Prove
Weaknesses: Manager Under Fire, Lacking Confidence
Key Player: Yasser Al-Qahtani
Prediction: Semi Finals
Verdict: A huge history in this tournament, they were runners-up to Iraq last time out when sharp shooter Yasser Al-Qahtani was in outstanding form in front of goal. If he fires, this is a team that has a lovely blend of experience, quality and youth across the park, though manager Jose Peseiro is a man under pressure after failing to steer the country to South Africa. His conservative methods have been criticized but could the need to prove something be just the motivation the Saudis and their manager need? The draw has been kind so a semi final appearance is within reach.
IRAN
Strengths: Midfield Depth, Experience
Weaknesses: Lack of Goals, Form
Key Player: Javad Nekounam
Prediction: Quarter Finals
Verdict: Much will depend on midfield trio Andranik Teymourian, Javad Nekounam and Masoud Shojaei, particularly given the absence of a proven goal-scorer at this level. Concerning is the lack of form of the national team, though they should have enough experience to get them through the group stages. It’s hard to see them getting to the semi finals though, likely to fail against higher quality opposition. Yet to impress under manager Afshin Ghotbi, who will leave his post after the tournament.
THE DARK HORSES
NORTH KOREA

Strengths: Organized, Youthful
Weaknesses: Pressure, New Manager
Key Player: Jong Tae-Se
Prediction: Semi Finals
Verdict: A new manager in Jo In-Cheol, who hasn’t had a great deal of time to preside over the squad after succeeding World Cup manager Kim Jong-Hun. It might work against the Koreans, who will reportedly set out rather defensively, relying on discipline and organization. It might seem cliché to describe them as such but don’t overlook the fact that in Jong Tae-Se they have a real talent, while there are five other players in this squad plying their trade in Europe. A particularly young group of players, if they can reproduce the sort of form they displayed against Brazil in South Africa, the sky’s the limit.

"to be continued"

Shinee - Amigo (Eng subs)

Saatnya Asia Berpesta!!!

Piala Afrika sudah lewat setahun silam. Banyak tragedi mengiringi di Angola, juga tentunya suka cita sang juara.

Pesta sepakbola di benua Afrika pun berlanjut enam bulan kemudian, di mana Piala Dunia 2010 dihelat di Afrika Selatan. Spanyol yang kemudian keluar sebagai kampiun, wakil dari benua biru Eropa.

Juga kemudian diumumkan jika perhelatan periode berikutnya akan dilangsungkan di dataran Latin, Amerika Selatan. Brasil yang akan menjadi tuan rumah Piala Dunia 2014. Pesta pembuka pun dihelat publik Samba.

Lalu, apa kabar sepakbola Asia?

Well, ada kado manis baru-baru ini. Salah satu negara Asia, Qatar, ketiban pulung menggelar Piala Dunia 2022. Sebuah penghargaan yang luar biasa tentunya bagi negeri kecil namun dengan kekayaan dan sumber daya minyak melimpah itu. Asia Barat pun berpesta.

Tapi, pesta sebenar-benarnya pesta sepakbola Asia akan terjadi bulan ini, atau besok lebih tepatnya. Piala Asia 2011 akan bergulir. Inilah pestanya publik pecinta sepakbola Asia, di mana negara-negara terbaik Asia dalam sepakbola akan saling berduel di Qatar pada 7 hingga 29 Januari, untuk menentukan siapa yang terbaik di awal dekade ini.

Piala Asia 2011 merupakan Piala Asia edisi ke-15. Qatar menjadi tuan rumah untuk kali kedua setelah pertama kali menjadi host pada 1988.

Ada lima stadion disiapkan untuk menjamu 15 tim, tidak termasuk tuan rumah Qatar tentunya, yang berlaga di turnamen ini. Stadion terbesar adalah Khalifa International Stadium, yang kapasitasnya mencapai 50 ribu tempat duduk. Sedangkan Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium merupakan stadion dengan kapasitas paling sedikit, hanya 17 ribu tempat duduk. Ada pun tiga stadion lain adalah Al-Gharafa, Ahmed bin Ali Stadium (dua-duanya berkapasitas 25 ribu penonton) dan Qatar SC Stadium (kapasitas 20 ribu tempat duduk).

Jaminan menarik? Pastinya. 16 tim yang bersaing di turnamen ini adalah macan Asia yang kerap ambil bagian di kompetisi internasional, baik level Asia mau pun dunia. Sebut saja Jepang, Korea Selatan, Korea Utara, Uni Emirat Arab hingga Australia.

Melihat komposisi pemain, hampir sebagian besar pemain asal Asia yang merumput di Eropa bersama tim elit dunia sudah mengajukan izin pulang kampung dan membela negara mereka, dan mereka diizinkan. Jika sudah begini, sudah barang tentu akan ada laga yang wajib ditunggu.

Pembagian Grup juga sudah dilakukan. Ada empat grup di turnamen ini, di tiap Grupnya dihuni empat tim. Hasil drawing sudah dilakukan pada 23 April 2010 di Doha, Qatar. Hasilnya, tuan rumah Qatar berada di Grup A bersama Kuwait, Cina dan Uzbekistan, Arab Saudi ada di Grup B dengan Jepang, Jordan dan Syria, Grup C ditempati Korea Selatan, India, Australia dan Bahrain dan Grup D bermaterikan juara bertahan Irak, Korea Utara, Uni Emirat Arab dan Iran.

Inilah Pembagian Grup Piala Asia 2011:

Group A	Group B
Qatar	Saudi Arabia
Uzbekistan	Japan
China	Jordan
Kuwait	Syria
Group C	Group D
South Korea	Iraq
Australia	Iran
Bahrain	UAE
India	North Korea

Yang Harus Diawasi!
Ingin tahu mengenai profil kontestan lebih lanjut? Anda bisa mengklik di sini, di Asian Cup team profiles. Di laman ini Anda juga bisa meraba kekuatan tim peserta dan meramalkan siapa yang bakal melaju paling jauh.

Grup A

• Qatar: Bruno Metsu menjadi arsitek tim tuan rumah. Dengan dukungan dari publik sendiri, mereka bisa berharap banyak meraih hasil tertinggi. Sebastian Soria, pemain yang lahir di Uruguay, menjadi pemain andalan Qatar.
• Uzbekistan: Tim dari Asia Tengah ini tak bisa diremehkan. Di sesi kualifikasi, mereka finis di posisi runner up dengan kalah selisih gol dari Uni Emirat Arab. Mantan pemain AFC Player of the Year Server Djeparov akan menjadi tumpuan bagi Uzbekistan.
• Cina: Tim dengan potensi mengejutkan ada di Grup A lagi, Cina. Du Wei, pemain belakang Cina, akan memimpin rekan-rekannya untuk membungkam kritik dan anggapan miring dari publik sendiri.
• Kuwait: Kuwait tak bisa dipandang sebelah mata. Mereka memiliki pengalaman yang bisa menjadi modal tersendiri membuat kejutan di Qatar. Bader Al Mutwa dan rekan-rekannya sangat bisa diandalkan dalam strategi permainan bertahan.

Grup B

• Arab Saudi: Menjadi runner up di edisi sebelumnya, Arab Saudi boleh berharap banyak mereka bisa menuntaskan turnamen ini sebagai juara. Toh mereka juga harus mengobati kekecewaan fans karena gagal berlaga di Piala Dunia 2010 Afrika Selatan. Yasser Al Qahtani akan menjadi andalan untuk bisa meraih kesuksesan.
  
• Jepang: Salah satu favorit utama untuk juara. Banyak pemain bintang bermunculan di Jepang, dan publik Eropa juga sudah mengakuinya. Setelah tampil apik di Afrika Selatan, Alberto Zaccheroni boleh berharap Shinji Kagawa dkk bisa keluar sebagai juara.
• Yordania: Kualitasnya tak banyak yang mengetahuinya, tapi jika sudah bisa lolos ke putaran final Piala Asia, itu artinya Yordania tak bisa dianggap remeh. Hanya saja, pemain Yordania seperti  kiper Amer Sabah minim pengalaman internasional.
• Syria: Valeiru Tita menjadi pelatih baru Syria. Kekuatan tim ini juga masih banyak yang meragukannya. Namun hal ini bisa memudahkan Firas Al Khatib, kapten dan striker tim, memimpin rekan-rekannya membuat kejutan.

Grup C

• Korea Selatan: Jagoan lain dari Asia Timur selain Jepang. Siapa yang tak kenal Ji-Sung Park dan rekan-rekannya. Dengan kapabilitas yang mereka miliki, Korea Selatan layak menjadi unggulan di turnamen ini.
• Australia: The Socceroos baru ambil bagian di turnamen ini pada edisi 2007, akan tetapi kualitas yang mereka miliki tak bisa dianggap remeh. Australia pun juga layak diperhitungkan sebagai salah satu favorit juara jika melihat pemain yang mereka punya, seperti Tim Cahill, bintang Everton di Liga Primer Inggris, dan juga pemain lain.
• Bahrain: Jaycee John akan menjadi andalan bagi Bahrain untuk menjebol gawang lawan. Tim ini juga tak bisa diremehkan karena pengalaman mereka bermain di turnamen ini sangat melimpah.
• India: India bukanlah negara yang terkenal dalam dunia sepakbola. Tapi, bukan berarti kualitas mereka dianggap remeh. India adalah juara 2008 Challenge Cup. Dengan besutan Bob Houghton dan pengalaman yang dimiliki Subruta Paul sebagai kapten, India boleh berharap membuat keajaiban di Qatar.

Group D

• Irak: Tim ini menjadi kejutan di turnamen Piala Asia 2007. Di Jakarta, mereka menjadi juara dengan menaklukkan Arab Saudi. Younis Mahmoud masih akan menjadi andalan untuk meraih sukses yang sama.
• Iran: Iran masih merupakan tim yang dianggap sebelah mata di kancah sepakbola Asia. Terakhir kali juara, Iran meraihnya di tahun 1976. Javad Nekounam akan menjadi tumpuan meraih sukses di turnamen ini.
• UEA: Hampir selalu ambil bagian di setiap edisi, Uni Emirat Arab selalu gagal mengukir prestasi. Tahun ini pun mungkin juga demikian dan melaju ke perempat-final akan menjadi hal yang menggembirakan bagi mereka. Ismail Matar dari Al-Wahda akan menjadi andalan UEA.
• North Korea: Tim ini sudah membuat kejutan dengan lolos ke putaran final Piala Dunia 2010 Afrika Selatan. Patut ditunggu lagi apakah Korea Utara bisa kembali membuat kejutan serupa di Piala Asia 2011 dengan menjadi juara. Pemain Bochum Jong Tae-Se akan menjadi pusat perhatian.

Prosedur
Di fase grup, masing-masing tim akan memainkan tiga laga. Untuk menentukan peringkat, sistem yang digunakan adalah jumlah poin, keunggulan head-to-head dan selisih gol, baru jumlah gol yang dicetak.

Jika masih ada kesamaan, penentuan peringkat akan diatur dengan melihat tingkat kedisiplinan masing-masing tim. Menentukan dengan koin akan menjadi jalan terakhir. Dua tim teratas dari masing-masing grup akan lolos ke babak berikutnya, di mana juara grup akan dihadapkan pada runner up dari grup lain di babak perempat-final, yang menggunakan sistem knockout, alias gugur tunggal. Sistem ini akan digunakan sampai babak final.

Quarter-Final	Semi Final	Finals
1 - A1 vs B2Jan 21 19:25
	5 - Winner 1 vs Winner 2Jan 25 16:25
2 - D1 vs C2Jan 22 19:25
		Final - Winner 5 vs Winner 6Jan 29 18:00 Third-Place Play-Off - Loser 5 vs Loser 6Jan 28 18:00
3 - B1 vs A2Jan 21 16:25
	6 - Winner 3 vs Winner 4Jan 25 19:25
4 - C1 vs D2 Jan 22 16:25

Jadwal Kompetisi

• 7-19 Januari: Fase Grup (16 tim)
• 21-22 Januari: Perempat-Final (8 tim)
• 25 Januari: Semi-final (4 tim)
• 28 Januari: Perebutan tempat ketiga (2 tim)
• 29 Januari: Final

Goal.com's Coverage
Kami memiliki segudang konten menyambut turnamen ini. Tentunya semuanya akan terus diupdate.

• Profil Tim:  Anda bisa menemukan profil 16 tim kontestan di sini Asian Cup 2011 team profiles here.
• Profil Pemain: Reporter Goal.com Chris Paraskevas telah memilih sepuluh pemain Piala Asia untuk dilihat di sini.
• Berita: GOAL.com mengirim sejumlah reporternya untuk melaporkan langsung dari Qatar, yaitu tim dari Goal.com Arab  dan Rahul Bali from Goal.com India. Ingin tahu kabar terabru dari Piala Asia 2011, klik disini Asian Cup news.
• Match Coverage: Live commentaries untuk laga-laga besar akan tetap ditampilkan, termasuk fase knockout, juga previews dan laporan pertandingan sepanjang turnamen. Jadwal juga bisa dilihat di sini, di jadwal dan hasil Piala Asia 2011.
• Rapor & Terbaik-Terburuk Pemain: Nikmati juga penilaian GOAL.com terhadap penampilan pemain sepanjang turnamen ini.
• Editorial & Opinion: Goal.com International Laporan khas GOAL.com akan tersaji di setiap laman. Nantikan kehadirannya!

Qatar dan Uzbekistan akan memulai turnamen besok malam di Khalifa International Stadium, Doha dan laga final akan dilangsungkan pada 29 Januari, juga di tempat yang sama.

Patut ditunggu siapa yang akan menjadi raja Asia tahun 2011. Mungkinkah tim unggulan Anda? Kita lihat saja nanti.

Mari berpesta, Sepakbola Asia!