Six players who enhanced their profile at Asian Cup

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  • Asian Cup stars (l-r): Massimo Luongo (Australia), Ali Mabkhout (UAE) and Son Heung-Min (South Korea).

    The 2015 Asian Cup in Australia was a tournament filled with great goals, epic battles and record attendances. With so many vying for a spot on centre stage, here are six players who managed to enhance their reputation.

    – Asian Cup victory marks dawn of new era in Australian football
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    ALI MABKHOUT (UAE)
    Ali Mabkhout poses for pictures with his Golden Boot award after finishing as top scorer at the Asian Cup.

    The Golden Boot winner impressed many throughout the continent with his finishing ability, particularly after his thumping strike to give UAE the lead over Japan in the quarter-finals. A penalty against Iraq was his tenth goal in as many games, and ultimately sealed the award – not to mention third place for his team.

    Now linked to a Bundesliga move, it would not surprise to see Mabkhout take this goalscoring form to Europe in the near future.

    TRENT SAINSBURY (Australia)
    Trent Sainsbury was a fulcrum in the Socceroo defence throughout the Asian Cup.

    Coming into the 2015 Asian Cup, Australia’s defence was something of a rabble. Constant injury woes for Curtis Good, Rhys Williams and Chris Herd had not helped, but heroes emerged in the shape of Sainsbury and Matthew Spiranovic.

    Not only did Sainsbury open his international goalscoring account against UAE in the semi-final, his cool head and willingness to cover Ivan Franjic at right-back surely cemented the 23-year-old’s spot in Socceroo squads for the foreseeable future.

    DHURGHAM ISMAIL (Iraq)
    Dhurgham Ismail proved he is destined for bigger things after a number of impressive performances in Australia.

    The Iraqi left-back was one of the finds of the tournament, keeping fellow starlet Ali Adnan out of the starting line-up and standing out in every game.

    As able in attack as he is in defence, the Al Shorta man is destined for bigger things. If there were any doubts about his ability to handle the big stage, they were duly put to rest as the 20-year-old stepped up to slot home an extra-time penalty in the quarter-final win over rivals Iran.

    OMAR ABDULRAHMAN (UAE)
    Omar Abdulrahman controls the ball during the Asian Cup game against Qatar.

    Already well known throughout Asia, Omar dazzled crowds in Australia, becoming a fans’ favourite wherever he went. Blessed with sublime footwork and an intelligent passing game, the 23-year-old was one of the tournament highlights for UAE supporters and neutrals alike.

    Of course, talk of European clubs circling around the playmaker abound and if he is able to balance his rare talent with some discipline, he could well take the UAE national team to the 2018 World Cup.

    Always a joy to watch, there will be plenty more eyes on Omar after his Asian Cup display.

    SON HEUNG-MIN (South Korea)
    Son Heung-Min celebrates after scoring a goal during the Asian Cup final against Australia.

    Step aside Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa, this man must now be considered the best player in Asia. Having played in the Champions League and Bundesliga at Bayer Leverkusen, Son transferred this form onto the international stage while in Australia.

    His injury-time equaliser in the final was equal parts graft and skill, demonstrating his ability to produce a moment of magic when it matters most.

    The only shame was that Son was hit with a virus in the early stages of the tournament. How dangerous he can become with proper preparation is anyone’s guess.

    MASSIMO LUONGO (Australia)
    Massimo Luongo waves to the crowd as he walks to the stage to receive the most valuable player award at the Asian Cup.

    It is quite remarkable to think that in a tournament involving stars from across the world’s biggest leagues, the Asian Cup MVP plays his club football at Swindon Town. And the third-tier English club will be as delighted with his recent form as Australian fans, with his summer price tag sky-rocketing to a reported Dh8.3 million (€2m).

    Few in his home country had even heard of Luongo a few months ago, but after his strike to open the scoring in the final, the 22-year-old’s name will be forever etched in the history books.

    Where his Asian Cup form takes him is now a great point of interest, with Italy a reported destination of choice. Of mixed Italian/Indonesian heritage, Luongo is being likened to his compatriot Mark Bresciano, who forged a strong career in the Serie A before settling in at Al-Gharafa.

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