ANALYSIS
Tokyo target historic title
It only marked the halfway point in the season, but when FC Tokyo came from behind to beat Yokohama F.Marinos 4-2 on 29 June it looked like a statement was being made. Despite conceding first […]
ANALYSIS
ANALYSIS
How Al Hilal became Kings of Asia
Nineteen years after their last success, Al Hilal are once against champions of Asia. But how did they get the job done? Rhysh Roshan Rai was at both legs in Riyadh and Saitama and shares […]
ANALYSIS
Que Ngoc Hai leading from the back
Finally the region – and beyond – is starting to wake up to the talents that Vietnamese football possesses and this recognition is long overdue. Much of the attention though seems focused on the sublime […]
ANALYSIS
Behind the Numbers: Could Sri Lanka stay goalless?
Five qualifiers in and one whole(-ish) round behind them, Sri Lanka are still sitting on a frustrating and unprecedented zero goals scored. How come, and do they have what it takes to eventually break through? […]
ANALYSIS
Indonesia – Asia’s most confused and confusing side
The prospect of four Southeast Asian sides squaring off in hard-fought battles and conspiring to topple the UAE in Group G was arguably always too good to be true. A foursome turning into a threesome […]
ANALYSIS
Coaches under pressure as qualifying heats up
The slow burner that is World Cup qualification draws to a close for the calendar year this week, as we hit the halfway stage of the Round 2 group stage. For many thus far it’s […]
ANALYSIS
Take II: Red vs Blue in epic ACL finale
It’s often said the sequel is never as good as the original, but this year’s AFC Champions League final will hopefully buck that trend. The original, in 2017, saw two of Asia’s biggest and best […]
ANALYSIS
Will the real Urawa Reds please stand up
If you only watch Urawa play in continental competition you could be forgiven for thinking that they’re amongst the best Asian club teams going round – confident, with control and occasional verve in attack and […]
AFC CUP
A slice of history awaits 4.25 SC in AFC Cup final
One way or another today’s AFC Cup final will prove to be a historic occasion for Asian football; two debutants from two nations who have yet to experience continental success contesting the confederation’s second-tier crown […]
ANALYSIS
How Chiang Rai defied the odds to take the title
One of the most dramatic final days in Thai League history took place on Sunday, and Gian Chansrichawla explains how Chiang Rai United finally broke the duopoly of Buriram United and Muangthong United to win […]