Asian Cup
Japan is the first team through to the final of the 2019 Asian Cup, after stepping-up a gear to defeat Iran 3-0 in the semi-final. The other finalist will be known tomorrow after hosts UAE meet Qatar. The Final is played on Friday.
Japan's goals came via a brace from Yuya Osako and a late strike from Genki Haraguchi, with coach Hajime Moriyasu saying his team “didn’t forget to have the mindset of challengers.”
Graham Arnold
A report from ESPN that Graham Arnold was interested in the suddenly vacant role of manager of Hibernian is not something that “sources close to Arnold” have heard him talk about, and FFA is confident that he is not going anywhere.
Michael Lynch paraphrases Oscar Wilde by writing that “losing one coach might be deemed unfortunate, losing two begins to look like carelessness”, but it's actually more who have got the axe before their teams head off to major competitions. He mentions Holger Osieck (2013), Hesterine de Reus (2014), Ange Postecoglou (2017) and Alen Stajcic (2019) – and now, if rumours are to be believed, possibly Arnold. Lynch says that neither Arnold nor FFA have confirmed these reports, but if accurate it would be a huge embarrassment for FFA.
Alen Stajcic
Chairman of Western Sydney Wanderers (and the A-League clubs association), Paul Lederer, says the Alen Stajcic sacking has been a PR disaster ($) saying that the innuendo and the lack of information has been bad for football and for Alen Stajcic. Ray Gatt reports (in both The Australian and News Corp tabloids) that other stakeholders are also not happy, and that the Football Coaches' Association have submitted a range of questions to the FFA and have yet to receive a response.
“But, we still don’t know as to the who, where, what and why of it all and people have a right to know what is going on. Not only is this a PR disaster, but a man’s reputation has been tarnished,” said Lederer.
While Sydney FC W-League coach and former Socceroo, Ante Juric, believes Stajcic should still be in the job, Matildas' player Chloe Logarzo says she and her teammates “would just like to know why the turmoil occurred, and why a man who had 'given his heart and soul'” should be dismissed so close to a World Cup. She said it's a difficult time for individual players and the national team but they must focus on the World Cup ahead.
Matildas
Juric has had informal talks with the FFA about the Matildas job, but says he is “bewildered” at what has happened and why “Staj” isn't there. He said the gender of the coach is “immaterial” and it should be the best person for the job and someone who can handle “big personalities”.
The Matildas position was advertised yesterday on Sportspeople, with applicatins closing on Friday.
.@FFA This is the most embarrassing thing I’ve seen. You want to be a world power in football? You go & advertise @TheMatildas coaching job on Sportspeople? You’re looking for the best in the game not trying to fill the position of casual personal trainer at Crunch Mount Druitt! pic.twitter.com/kX66BI2nni — Anthony Siokos (@AnthonySiokos) January 28, 2019
A-League
Although the top six is more or less settled, A-League boss Greg O’Rourke remains upbeat that there is still plenty of interest in the remaining 11 weeks of competition. He says there is still “a lot of excitement to come”, and says a team like Newcastle Jets (currently 7th) could “get on a roll” and the teams might shift. Ray Gatt writes that it is harder to keep up interest in the competition when games are “meaningless” without promotion and relegation, and crowds are likely to fall off significantly, as TV ratings have already.
Central Coast Mariners manager, Mike Mulvey, says they are not going to feel sorry ($) for themselves after a last-minute loss to Adelaide United. He says they're in the top four, rates them as a good side, and his charges at Mariners pushed them all the way.
Also in the report, Newcastle Jets manager, Ernie Merrick says the VAR was “having a cup of tea” when Roy O'Donovan was “bundled over” by Shane Lowry in the 70th minute of the match against Perth Glory. Just warming-up to the theme, Merrick says “the VAR has lost its bite”, also citing when replays showed that the ball touched the lower arm of Matthew Spiranovic from a Ronald Vargas “thunderbolt”. He says the Roy O'Donovan incident was “pretty blatant”, and that the VAR has gone from one extreme to another.
Adelaide United's George Blackwood says he wants to show a new striker isn't needed at the club by continuing to score more goals, after his stoppage time winner against Central Coast on Sunday.
Brisbane Roar and Avraam Papadopoulos have agreed to part ways.