Japan wary of UAE threat ahead of Asian Cup quarter-final clash

David Cooper - Writer 07:56 22/01/2015
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  • Red alert: UAE star Amer Abdulrahman and his team-mates have impressed last-eight opponents Japan

    Japan’s big names are expecting their toughest test yet when they face the UAE in the Asian Cup quar­ter-finals in Sydney tomorrow.

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    The reigning champions and five-time champions of Asia are firm favourites with most observers, but Mahdi Ali’s men have already shown Down Under they boast the talent to trouble any team.

    That is certainly the view of two of Japan’s key players – AC Milan’s Keisuke Honda and Borussia Dort­mund’s Shinji Kagawa – who both expect the UAE to prove difficult opponents.

    “The UAE are playing very well,” warned Honda, who scored his third goal of the tournament in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Jordan.

    “I don’t think they will fear Japan at all. Hopefully we can continue creating as many chances as we have been. Moving forward in the competition, anything can happen in football.”

    Japan have firepower of their own in the form of Shinji Kagawa, Keisuke Honda and Okazaki.

    Kagawa, meanwhile, grabbed his first goal of the competition as the Blue Samurai clinched top spot in Group D with a 100 per cent record.

    He said: “A very tough game is waiting for us so we should prepare well to get the victory in that game. The most important thing (against Jordan) is that the team won, not about me scoring.

    “We have far tougher games com­ing up which we can’t afford to lose, so the focus has to be about the team.”

    The UAE suffered heartbreak in the final minute of their group cam­paign as an injury-time goal from Iran’s Reza Ghoochannejhad cost them top spot in the section and set up their last eight clash with Javier Aguirre’s side.

    However, Whites’ coach Mahdi Ali was unmoved by the prospect, saying his side were ready to face any team in the tournament.

    He said: We wanted to win the group because it would have given us more motivation for the second round. We don’t have a problem playing Japan or any other team.”

    One factor which has worked in the UAE’s favour is that they will have enjoyed an extra day of rest than their opponents.

    It’s something not lost on star forward Honda who hit out at hav­ing to play a quarter-final so soon after the end of the group stage.

    “Two days is too short a recovery time,” said the 28-year-old, who was fined earlier in tournament for criticising the standard of referee­ing.

    “I don’t agree with such a tough schedule. It’s too much and it’s a concern.”

    The Japanese have so far fielded three unchaged teams and are un­likely to make changes on Friday.

    The UAE will be without left-back Walid Abbas who picked up his second yellow card of the tour­nament in the defeat to Iran.

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