For the first time since 1993, Australia will host a world class international tournament in the 2015 Asian Cup this month.
Not since the FIFA Under 20 World Cup in 1993 has Australia hosted a football tournament this big.
The Asian Cup, which is held on the largest continent in population and size, has gone from strength to strength since it was first held in 1956.
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Now the second oldest continental tournament, this year’s final is expected to be watched by over 800 million people.
For Australia to host it is a huge boost for the country.
Not only does it put the Socceroos on the world spotlight for a month, it also advertises Australia to the world.
This will be largest football tournament Australia has hosted in the history of the game in this country.
Here is all the information you need for the event, including when the tournament starts, how to watch it and all the broadcast details.
KEY INFORMATION
Venues – ANZ Stadium (Sydney), Suncorp Stadium (Brisbane), Hunter Stadium (Newcastle), AAMI Park (Melbourne), Canberra Stadium (Canberra)
Tournament length – January 9 – 31
Teams – 16
How they qualified –
Three teams – Australia, Japan and South Korea, qualified after placing in the top three in the last Asian Cup.
After that 20 of the strongest teams in Asia were split into five groups with round robin matches determining the top 2 in each group. Those 10 teams won a spot in the Cup.
China, who was the best third placed team out of the four groups, also qualified for the event.
The final two teams were decided by the AFC Challenge Cup. The cup is a tournament for emerging nations in the region and it is held every two years. North Korea (2012) and Palestine (2014) won those two events to become the final two teams to qualify for the event.
Who has won the Asian Cup – Only 7 nations have won the Asian Cup.
Japan leads the way with 4 titles and is the defending champions. Saudi Arabia and Iran have won the competition three times. South Korea, with two wins, is the only other country to have won it more than once. Iraq, Kuwait and Israel have each won the tournament once.
Australia’s best result was runner-up at the 2011 event in Qatar.
TV SCHEDULE:
Fox Sports will broadcast all 32 matches including a minimum of three matches involving the Socceroos.
If Australia makes the final that turn into 6 matches live on Fox Sports.
The free-to-air broadcaster is ABC for the tournament.
They will televise all Socceroos matches and the semi-finals and final of the tournament.
The first three Socceroos matches, in their group, will be on a two hour delay.
From the quarter final onwards, if the Socceroos make it, all matches involving Australia will be live.
The semi-final and final will be live on ABC.
The full fixtures for the Asian Cup can be found here.
BIGGEST STORYLINES TO WATCH FOR
Can Japan go back to back in the Asian Cup?
Japan returns to the Asian Cup as the defending champions and look primed to win their 5th Asian Cup. They have been the dominant team in the competition for the last 20 years.
Their form leading into the tournament has also been impressive. After the World Cup, Japan is 3 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses in their last 6 friendly matches. The two losses came against Uruguay and Brazil, who are two of the powerhouses in football.
On paper they have one of the strongest squads in the Cup. Their midfield, and attack, is one of the best. With Shinji Kagawa, Yasuhito Endo and Makoto Hasebe, they have one of the most experienced midfields in the competition.
Combine that with Keisuke Honda and Shinji Okazaki up front and Japan have a strong attack.
The only worry for Japan is height in defence. They are weak in the air as Cahill showed in the friendly between Australia and Japan when he scored with his head.
If they can solve that, and score plenty of goals, they will be hard to beat. The winner of the tournament – in my opinion – will have to beat Japan to seal the title.
If they don’t then Japan wins. What teams are the dark horses for the event? Watch out for South Korea, Iran, Qatar, and Uzbekistan.
South Korea and Iran have won the tournament before and know how to get the job done. If South Korea finishes top in the group with Australia then they can avoid Japan if they top Group D.
They have the talent to win the tournament for the second time. Iran, who was the best Asian team at the World Cup, is also someone to look out for.
They made the semi-finals in 2011 and look to have a good run to the same spot this year. You never know what they could do in the semi-finals if they get a chance. They can upset the top teams.
Uzbekistan also has a good run and an easy group in the Cup. They should make the semi-finals and anything can happen for them if they make it.
Finally, look out for Qatar. 2014 was a big year for the country. They won the Gulf Cup of Nations and the West Asian Football Championship. Qatar also won the Under 20 AFC Cup. They also defeated Australia in a friendly last year.
If they can get out of Group C then they will be a team no-one will want to face. Qatar could surprise this year.
How will Australia go?
This is the million dollar question for the tournament. How will the home nation go in the tournament?
For Australia success in the group phrase is vital to success in the event. If Australia can win the group – which contains Kuwait, Oman, and South Korea – they can avoid Japan if they finish top of Group D. This would set up a potential semi-final clash with Iran if all things work out equal.
The start of the tournament is vital for Australia. A win against Kuwait will release the pressure from the coach and the team after a poor lead in to the event.
A loss would put more pressure on a team that is expected to repeat their 2011 performance when they made the final.
The match against South Korea will decide who tops the group.
This contest is critical for Australia as a loss will put them in the same half as Japan.
Can they win the tournament? Absolutely, the home crowd gives them a massive edge over the other teams. If they are to win they need to fix up big weaknesses in the team.
The first is options up front. Without Tim Cahill, Australia has struggled to score in the last 12 months. It is vital in this tournament that they find another avenue to goal. James Troisi, Robbie Kruse and Matt Leckie need to find the net.
The defence also needs to be compact. They conceded to many goals in the 2014 World Cup and in the recent friendlies.
If Australia can fix these problems then they can go deep into the tournament. The start is vital for the Socceroos. A win against Kuwait can set them on a potential Cup winning run.
I believe they can win the event but they will need some luck along the way. Don’t rule out a repeat of the 2011 final between Australia and Japan.