SYDNEY — Australia will launch its attempt to reach new heights in football by toppling champion Japan and winning its first Asian Cup when it kicks off the tournament Friday. A sell-out crowd is expected at the 30,000-capacity Melbourne Rectangular Stadium as Ange Postecoglou's men take on Kuwait on day one of the 16-nation extravaganza. But with host Australia in a state of flux and holder Japan engulfed by scandal, the Asian Cup looks to be the most wide open in years.
Redemption for a humiliating 2014 World Cup beckons should Australia, Japan, South Korea or Iran win Asia's showcase tournament, which begins on Jan. 9 when the Socceroos face Kuwait in Melbourne.
The quartet flopped badly in Brazil as Asia failed to register a single victory for the first time since 1990, a new-look Australia arguably emerging with the most credit.
But coach Ange Postecoglou must find an alchemist's touch to replace a golden generation of players who qualified for three successive World Cups — or at the very least, a quick fix with his side short on firepower in attack.
Much of the responsibility will fall on talisman Tim Cahill, who lit up the World Cup with a stunning volley against the Netherlands but will need his supporting cast to step up.
“We have to be ruthless,” the former Everton forward told the Sydney Morning Herald. “If we are ruthless, teams are not going to know what's hit them.”
Australia has added incentive after being upset by Japan in the 2011 final in Doha, but the defending champion will be a tough nut to crack, while 2002 World Cup semifinalist South Korea lurks for the host in Group A.
However, pressure will also be on Japan, whose Mexican coach Javier Aguirre is under investigation following claims of match-fixing while he was manager of Spanish club Zaragoza in 2011.
To what extent the furor unsettles the Blue Samurai remains to be seen but Aguirre, who is scheduled to appear in court in Valencia next month, has raised eyebrows with his team selection since taking over after the World Cup.
“All my attention is focused on winning the Asian Cup,” Aguirre told reporters before flying to Australia. “I have nothing to hide and understand the media have a job to do, but that is my sole objective.” Failure at the Asian Cup could end in the termination of his contract, however, although the four-time champion will be expected to comfortably negotiate its first-round group, which also features Jordan, Iraq and Palestine.
Iraq overcame conflict and turmoil to win the Asian Cup in 2007 but Uzbekistan could prove the best of the rest this time around, with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar also potentially dangerous to the top sides. But with no outright tournament favorite, the title could come down to which team has the courage to abandon caution and take risks.
South Korea last lifted the trophy in 1960 — the year Muhammad Ali, then Cassius Clay, won Olympic boxing gold — and will be hoping that the success of their Under-23 side in winning last year's Asian Games rubs off on the senior team, despite their own lack of cutting edge.
Iran, led by former Portugal and Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz, will also be looking to make an impact after a disappointing World Cup, but the three-time Asian champion has struggled to fill the void left by the likes of Ali Karimi, Mehdi Mahdavikia and record goalscorer Ali Daei.
Australia's opener against 1980 winner Kuwait heralds the start of a 32-game fiesta which gets into full swing with a triple-header Saturday: Uzbekistan vs. North Korea, South Korea vs. Oman, and Saudi Arabia vs. China.
Games are being played in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Newcastle, with the final at Sydney's 83,500-capacity Stadium Australia on Jan. 31. — Agencies
