By Michael Church
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Talking points from the week in Asian football:
LATE DRAW WITH URUGUAY LEAVES JAPAN’S MORIYASU FRUSTRATED
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu was left frustrated after his side were held to a 1-1 draw by Uruguay in their first game since reaching the knockout rounds of last year’s World Cup.
Substitute Takuma Nishimura struck with his first touch 15 minutes from time to earn the Japanese a draw after Federico Valverde had put the visitors in front just before the break.
“It’s disappointing we couldn’t win,” said Moriyasu, who signed a contract extension having guided his team to the last 16 in Qatar late last year.
“I told the players there would likely be good crosses coming in, and to get on the end of them. We still have lots to work on with our build up play.”
ARNOLD SEEKS TO CALM EXPECTATIONS AFTER VICTORY OVER ECUADOR
Graham Arnold sought to dampen expectations over the country’s crop of emerging players after Australia’s 3-1 win over Ecuador on Friday.
Jackson Irvine, Awer Mabil and teenager Garang Kuol were on target as Arnold handed debuts to Aiden O’Neill and Alex Robertson.
“Let’s not get carried away, because these kids need a heap of experience and plenty of game time at their clubs,” Arnold said after the win at Western Sydney Stadium.
“The senior boys are doing it every week and you can see the example that they’re setting to the young ones.”
KLINSMANN DELIGHTED WITH SON’S TWO-GOAL SHOW
South Korea coach Juergen Klinsmann praised captain Son Heung-min after the Tottenham Hotspur striker scored both goals in the 2-2 draw with visitors Colombia in Ulsan on Friday.
Son, who has endured a difficult season in the Premier League, netted a brace as the South Koreans took a two-goal lead into the interval in Klinsmann’s first game in charge.
“I’m obviously very happy every time Sonny scores,” said Klinsmann. “As a striker, this is what you’re looking for. He had a fantastic game. He has the freedom to rotate (behind the striker). As long as he knows where the goal is, I am happy.”
JANKOVIC WAITING FOR FIRST WIN AS NEW ZEALAND DOWN CHINA
China’s new coach Aleksandar Jankovic is still looking for his first win after New Zealand handed the Serbian’s side a 2-1 defeat in Wellington on Sunday in the second of back-to-back friendlies.
Jankovic, who was appointed as the long-term replacement of Li Xiaopeng in February, saw his side held to a 0-0 draw by the All Whites in Auckland on Thursday.
“These games against New Zealand were extremely important because one of the main targets was to respond to aggression and intensity,” he told Xinhua news agency.
“If we play against physically weaker teams, we can never see if we have problems or not.”
(Reporting by Michael Church in Hong Kong, Editing by Peter Rutherford)
