Coach Metsu says beaten Qatar ‘forgot everything’

Reuters/Doha

Uzbekistan supporters cheer their team during the opening match of the Asian Cup against Qatar at the Khalifa International Stadium yesterday. The Uzbeks won 2-0

Disappointed Qatar coach Bruno Metsu said his team forgot everything they had worked for when they slumped to a 2-0 loss to Uzbekistan yesterday which left their Asian Cup hopes in tatters.

"The players wanted to give their best but they forgot everything. Today was a very, very bad day,” Metsu told reporters.

The 56-year-old Frenchman, who led his Senegal team to victory over world champions France on the opening day of the 2002 World Cup finals in Seoul, said the occasion had affected his side.

"The pressure is huge but sometimes it is very difficult to play the opening game. We wanted to play well of course. We trained very hard and very strongly for this first day and sometimes the opposite arrives.”

Qatar will have a tricky task to obtain second place and qualify from Group A with matches against higher-ranked China and Kuwait to come.

The defeat did not sit well with the Qatari fans at the Khalifa Stadium, many of whom left at least 20 minutes before the final whistle.

The sombre atmosphere throughout the contest was in marked contrast to the opening firework ceremony which had the crowd on their feet.

"I’m very sorry for Qatar people, as big celebration and to lose,” a reserved Uzbekistan coach Vadim Abramov said.

Meanwhile, Uzbek captain Server Djeparov, who scored the second goal, believes his side can go on to win the tournament. Uzbekistan’s opening goal in the Group A match was scored by Odil Akhmedov.

Djeparov, who plays his club football in South Korea for FC Seoul, said that the victory had been a great way to open the tournament. "But it is only one game and three points. We can be happy now, but it means nothing if we do not follow it up.

"I have said before and I will say it again, I think we have a very good side and can win this tournament.”

For the host it was a disappointing start to the tournament as they will have a mountain to climb if they want to advance to the quarter-finals from Group A, that includes China and Kuwait.

Djeparov said the first had been a wonderful goal. "Everybody saw just how good it was and it set us on the way to victory.”

     Park relishes ‘special’ Asian Cup

South Korean and Manchester United star Park Ji-Sung says he is relishing a "special” Asian Cup in what will almost certainly be his final regional championships.

If the Koreans are to win their first Asian Cup since 1960 they will need Park, one of the biggest names on show in Doha, to be at his very best.

"It will be a very special Asian Cup for me,” said captain Park, 29.

"I do not have much time left in the international game. This makes me want to win the Asian Cup more than ever before.” The South Koreans are among the favourites, but will need to first safely negotiate their way through Group C, where they will likely battle Australia for top spot.

"They play a European style of football but we have many players who are based in Europe so we are not afraid of them,” said Park, looking forward to the mouth-watering showdown with the Socceroos on January 14.

South Korea begin their championship assault on Monday against Bahrain, followed by Australia four days later and India on January 18.

Coach Cho Kwang-Rae admitted it was high time South Korea won the Asian Cup again.

"I believe in all our 23 players,” he said. "We all did our best to prepare for this competition in UAE (training camp). There is a lot of pressure on us because we didn’t win this tournament in 51 years. This is also a big chance for us to win it.” But the 2002 World Cup semi-finalists will have to do without key striker Park Chu-Young.

Park, who played up front as the sole striker during last year’s World Cup, hurt his knee while celebrating an injury-time winner for his French club Monaco against FC Sochaux on December 23.