Asian Roundup

Iran upsets South Korea, will face Japan in final

PUSAN, South Korea (Reuters) -- South Korea fell at the semi-final hurdle again on Thursday, upset 5-3 at the Asian Games in a penalty shoot-out with champions Iran after a goalless draw.

Iran, chasing a fourth Asian Games title, will play Japan in the final of the under-23 tournament after the Japanese eased past Thailand 3-0 in the earlier semi-final in Ulsan.

South Korea, who lost 1-0 to Germany in the semi-finals of the World Cup, were in control throughout at Pusan's Gudeok Stadium but received a let-off when Iran had a "goal" disallowed for offside two minutes into the second half.

Replays suggested that the Iran striker Javad Kazemeyan was onside when he stooped to head a left-wing cross from Alireza Vahedi Nikbakht past goalkeeper Lee Won-jae.

There were shades of the World Cup as the Iranian players protested vehemently to Bahraini referee Rahman Al-Delawar.

Italy and Spain both complained bitterly about the officiating after they lost to the co-hosts at the World Cup in the second round and quarter-finals respectively.

If Iran were hard done by, however, that was the closest they came to scoring in a match dominated by South Korea.

The home side hit the woodwork twice and substitute Lee Dong-gook wasted two excellent chances in extra time as South Korea poured on the pressure.

World Cup striker Lee Chun-soo was a constant menace and almost supplied the opener for Kim Eun-jung in the 52nd minute but his near-post header flashed inches wide.

Moments later a dipping 25-metre effort from Kim Dong-jin shaved the crossbar and in the 63rd minute defender Cho Sung-hwan headed narrowly wide after another teasing cross from Lee.

Chief culprit

But Lee Dong-gook was the chief culprit, dragging a right-foot shot wide in the 90th minute when clean through on goal.

Lee, who had scored five goals in five games at the Asian Games, then failed to hit the target with two more golden opportunities in extra time as penalties loomed.

South Korea had beaten Spain in a penalty shoot-out at the World Cup but luck deserted them here as captain Lee Young-pyo struck the crossbar on the second kick to hand the advantage to Iran.

The Iranians, who had hardly mounted a single meaningful attack all game, kept their nerve when it mattered and defender Yahya Golmohammadi duly fired the decisive kick into the roof of the net.

Japan, who have brought their under-21 team to Pusan, reached the Asian Games final for the first time after outclassing plucky Thailand, coached by former Aston Villa striker Peter Withe.

Goals from defender Shohei Ikeda, midfielder Keita Suzuki and striker Satoshi Nakayama -- his fourth in five games -- settled the issue for Japan, who are in the last four for the first time since the 1970 Bangkok Games.

Japan went ahead on 23 minutes when a low cross from defender Hikaru Mita was spilled by goalkeeper Kittisak Rawangpa, leaving Ikeda to smash in the rebound from close range.

The Japanese scored again two minutes after the break when midfielder Kazuyuki Morisaki fed Suzuki, who struck a fierce right-foot drive into the top corner from 25 metres.

They wrapped up victory when Nakayama slid in at the far post to covert a right-wing cross from Hayuma Tanaka six minutes from time.

Miyamoto out of Jamaica friendly with knee injury

TOKYO (Reuters) -- Gamba Osaka defender Tsuneyasu Miyamoto will miss Japan's friendly international against Jamaica on October 16 after damaging knee ligaments in training, officials of the J-League club said on Thursday.

Miyamoto, who helped co-hosts Japan reach the second round of the World Cup despite playing with a broken nose, injured his right knee while tackling a team mate in training and will be out of action for at least four weeks.

New Japan coach Zico had named the 25-year-old in a 22-man squad for his first match in charge at National Stadium in Tokyo.

Asians open hearts and wallets to English game

BANGKOK (Reuters) -- A 12-hour plane ride, a five-hour drive and Suthon Apinantavech's lifelong journey ended at Old Trafford, home to English premier league side Manchester United.

"My dream came true," said Suthon, a 41-year-old engineer from Thailand.

"As a child I thought: one day I must go to Old Trafford, just one time in my life. I planned it. I must study well, graduate well, get a good job, make money. This was my drive."

Suthon's reward was a goalless draw between Manchester United and Chelsea and a visit to the Old Trafford shop.

For Manchester United Plc (MNU.L), the world's richest soccer club, Suthon is one of an estimated 30 million Asian fans who will help to fund future player purchases, stadium improvements and dividend payments to shareholders.

Key rings, beach balls, T-shirts, inflatable goals -- all bearing the club's "Red Devils" emblem -- are popping up in department stores across Thailand as well as new megastores in Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.

Manchester United are launching a Chinese-language Web site this month to take advantage of burgeoning interest in the English premier league -- partly fuelled by Chinese players joining their rivals Everton and Manchester City.

To maximize profit, the club also sends its own investigators to fight a rearguard battle against counterfeit goods.

Going for just 100 baht ($2.31), fake English football shirts pop up in most street markets in Thailand. The cost of an official replica shirt in Bangkok is around 800 baht, or a tenth of a graduate civil servant's starting salary.

Sound business

"You can't spend 30 million pounds on a player, (Rio) Ferdinand, or 28 million on [Juan Sebastian] Veron last year without having a sound business," David Gill, Manchester United managing director, told Reuters.

"And in order to have a sound business you have to expand and go into markets where people want you," he said.

"The ordinary fans when they sit back will realize that this is a sensible way that Manchester United can continue to be a football club."

Suthon, who named one of his sons "Champ" in honor of his favourite team's triumphs and has covered several walls of his house with Manchester United posters, still has fond memories of meeting a Manchester-born fan at Old Trafford.

"One old woman, maybe 70 years old, gave me a scarf and said: 'You support Manchester United, you have this one'," Suthon said.

"Very nice. Because of Manchester United we could communicate together. But she took it back later."

Manchester United are one of several clubs from England's premier league, including Arsenal, Liverpool and Leeds, marketing their way into Asian wallets, especially after the World Cup in Japan and South Korea spread football fever across the continent.

All four teams have toured the region in the last three years, with Leeds the latest, playing games in China, Australia and Thailand.

"If you're going to play world football, you've got to learn to travel the world and the product is so strong right now it's very much wanted," Leeds manager Terry Venables told Reuters before his team played in Bangkok in July.

The Beatles

British football caught on in many Asian countries, including Thailand, when they began to industrialize and open up to Western cultural influences in the 1960s.

"It was like the Beatles, Elvis Presley. Bobby Charlton and George Best became very famous, like movie stars," said Suthon, who helps to run the Manchester United fan club in Thailand.

Now almost every Bangkok taxi driver can name the full England national team and give any passenger willing to listen a run-down of the latest premier league results -- most probably because he had money on them in the massive illegal betting network centered on English football.

A Thai Buddhist monk has even put a golden effigy of England captain David Beckham at the foot of his temple's main Buddha statue to lure football fans to religion.

Part of the English game's popularity is due to strong marketing by cable and satellite television operators -- more viewers watched Manchester United versus Liverpool than any other cable television program in Asia last year.

In turn, the 1.64 billion pounds of fees that television companies are paying the premier league from the middle of last year to 2004 make it the richest soccer league in the world.

The saturation television coverage worries the Asian Football Confederation, which believes interest and much-needed sponsorship is being sucked from nascent Asian leagues.

But a suspicion lingers that English teams do not really want to spend their summer holidays travelling to Asia.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson suggested in May that tiredness following an Asian tour caused poor form at the start of last season.

This year Leeds goalkeeper Nigel Martyn said he was too tired to tour Asia and stayed at home, while striker Robbie Fowler got injured in Australia and has not played a first-team game since.

"It hasn't been an easy trip for us in all honesty," England right back Danny Mills told Reuters when his club side Leeds were in Bangkok. "There's been a lot of travelling, a lot of night flights. The lads have been very tired."

But in the end money talks. Beckham, who this year used the issue of image rights to get a pay rise, knows he needs Asian fans such as Suthon to keep his weekly salary at 100,000 pounds.

"There's a general recognition by the manager and the players that they need to support these ventures to make sure they're paid appropriately," said Manchester United's Gill.

 

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