AFC QF matches: A clash between two distinctive styles

Bangalore, Nov 5 (UNI) A clash between two distinctive styles of football -- the Japanese and the Arabian -- is in the offing when Japan meet Saudi Arabia and North Korea fight Iraq in the quarterfinal matches in the Bangalore leg of the AFC Asian Youth Football Championship tomorrow.

All the four teams showed glimpses of their fine skills, earning two wins each in three matches in the group stage that concluded on Friday.

While the lanky North Korean boys impressed with sheer speed and bemused their opponents with their touch and run tactics, Japan excelled with their tactics of wearing down the opposition with their fine ball skill.

On the other hand, the Saudis pleased the crowd with some solid performances and dominated over their rivals in all the three league matches. Iraqi lads, despite so much disturbance back home, put up a heartwarming display of skillful football that was amply displayed in the decimation of both Malaysia and Vietnam in the group stage.

In the tough Group D, North Koreans looked impressive when they decimated strong Iran 5-0. However they went down tamely to Japan 2-0 earlier. The Japanese too had a surprise reverse when they lost to Iran in the last league tie. However, in Group C, the Saudis played flamboyant football throughout that helped them blank both Vietnam and Malaysia, before being held by the Iraqis.

The players to watch for in the two clashes would be Iraq's star striker Ala Khshen, who had been the highest scorer in the Bangalore leg with four goals, K Kum Il of North Korea, Tsukasa Umesaki, who had made his debut in the Japanese senior team, and Aqeel AlQarni of Saudi Arabia.

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