For many thus far it’s offered predictability, on occasion reinforcing the wide disparities in quality across Asia, yet it should be pointed out there is still everything to play for, with this Thursday\u2019s fixtures in particular promising plenty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The AFC\u2019s rigid scheduling, dependant on your initial draw seeding has already demonstrated it\u2019s disadvantages, with October\u2019s wildly skewed batterings showing up the continent\u2019s football on a magnitude we\u2019d all like to avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet with the bad, invariably we have a slate of fixtures to really get behind. In theory this is the round where the top two (in terms of expectation rather than current standings) square off in what will likely cement the course of qualification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some real titanic battles are set to take flight; Vietnam vs UAE, Iraq vs Iran, Syria vs China, Jordan vs Australia, Uzbekistan vs Saudi Arabia; ties that jump off the page as perfect adverts for Asian football, and demonstrate what the continent can really offer in terms of excitement, intrigue and drama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With so much to play for however inevitably there will be casualties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While in the main the favourites have cruised through their early fixtures, West Asia in particular feels a little battered and bruised after a number of sides dropped crucial points in the last window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No strangers to pressure, expectations have continued to rocket in the region, and with such a do-or-die round of games set to play out this week, the inevitable outcome will likely see one of those in the hottest of hot seats face a cruel axe before the year is out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Carlos Queiroz exited Iran upon their Asian Cup semi-final defeat to Japan at the turn of the year, the plaudits rained in, on an exemplary period for the national team, which delivered so much in both on and off-the-field, leaving a structure on the cusp of something special with a new World Cup cycle ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyone, even the likes of Pep Guardiola, would\u2019ve been under intense scrutiny following the heroics of the great Portuguese sage, however for an already ill-considered Marc Wilmots to enter the post, it isn\u2019t a surprise that Team Melli<\/em> fans set off on a skeptical footing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His tenure so far has seen a distinct change in emphasis, moving away from rigidity and conservatism, to an expansive and positive approach which looks to focus on their real strength; a young, talented strikeforce starting to make a real dent in European domestic football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While on paper that sounds like an appealing change, Queiroz had honed the modern identity of Iranian football that proved so immensely successful, and any change to that is understandably guarded against, so fans have rarely taken to this new approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite a solid victory away in Hong Kong, and an emphatic 14-0 crushing of Cambodia at the Azadi, October\u2019s defeat to Bahrain has heaped immense pressure on the Belgian coach ahead of their must win encounter with Iraq later this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n