Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Al Ain: Wataru Endo has stressed Japan will seek to play their own style of football when they face off against Islamic Republic of Iran in the semi-finals of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 on Monday at Al Ain’s Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
Japan will take a perfect record into the last four clash with Team Melli after five wins out of five since the tournament kicked off on January 5, but the Belgium-based central midfielder knows his side face a significant test of their title credentials against Carlos Queiroz’s side.
However, he refuses to be overawed by the challenge that lies ahead against Asia’s No. 1 ranked nation.
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Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Al Ain: Hajime Moriyasu wants his Japan team to show more of the spirit that has taken them into the semi-finals of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 when they take on Islamic Republic of Iran at Al Ain’s Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on Monday.
The Japanese have ground out a series of results that has seen them reach the penultimate round of the tournament with a perfect record of five wins out of five and the former Sanfrecce Hiroshima coach has called for more of the same against Carlos Queiroz’s team.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Al Ain: Ahead of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 semi-final between two unbeaten giants of Asia, the-AFC.com looks at the key facts and history surrounding the eagerly-anticipated clash.
No Taremi for Team Melli
The major team news ahead of the semi-final is the enforced absence of Mehdi Taremi, who will miss Monday's clash through suspension having collected a second yellow card against China PR.
While card trouble has cost them the Al Gharafa star, who has scored three goals in UAE 2019, the Iranians will welcome back Vahid Amiri, while Yoshinuri Muto returns from suspension for Japan.
Outstanding yellow cards were erased following the quarter-finals, meaning only a red card in Monday's match will result in a player missing the final.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Dubai: Japan midfielder Wataru Endo praised his side's resilience, after they made it five successive AFC Asian Cup wins with a 1-0 victory against Vietnam in the UAE 2019 quarter-finals on Thursday.
Ritsu Doan's 57th-minute penalty sealed the Samurai Blue's fifth win in a row by a singe-goal margin, securing a place in the final four for the fifth time in the last six editions of the competition.
Like Turkmenistan, Oman and Uzbekistan before them, Vietnam made Hajime Moriyasu's side work hard for the final result, but while a consummate Japanese performance has yet to materialise, Endo said he was pleased with their building momentum.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Al Ain: Carlos Queiroz has told his players to trust themselves and in his methods as the Islamic Republic of Iran prepare to face Japan in the first semi-final of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 on Monday at Al Ain’s Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
The Iranians are appearing in the last four of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time since 2004, when they missed out on a place in the final in a penalty shootout, and are taking on a nation that has won the title on four occasions since 1992.
But while the pressure is mounting on Team Melli to claim the title for the first time since 1976, the experienced Portuguese coach wants his players to continue to believe in the methods that have taken them to the Finals of the last two FIFA World Cups under his watch.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Al Ain: Islamic Republic of Iran ace Karim Ansarifard has his sights set on realising the dreams of a nation by winning the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 title.
After comfortably beating China PR in the quarter-finals, Iran now play Japan in the last four, a meeting which pits Carlos Queiroz’s charges against a side that has recorded five successive victories en route to Monday's match at Al Ain’s Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
Although more than aware of the test that awaits Iran, the 28-year-old forward - who plays his club football in England with Nottingham Forest - is nevertheless intent on claiming what would be a fourth Continental crown for Team Melli.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Abu Dhabi: Alireza Jahanbakhsh has set his sights on creating history after the Brighton & Hove Albion winger helped Islamic Republic of Iran advance to the semi-finals of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in a generation.
The Iranians will take on Japan in their first semi-final appearance since 2004 as Team Melli continue their quest to secure a first AFC Asian Cup title since the last of the country’s three consecutive crowns was won back in 1976.
Goals from Mehdi Taremi, Sardar Azmoun and Karim Ansarifard saw off China PR in the quarter-finals on Thursday evening in Abu Dhabi, and Jahanbakhsh is confident he and his teammates can continue their impressive run.