with a central player sitting on top

SYDNEY - Australia won its first Asian Cup title by beating South Korea 2-1 after extra time Saturday in the final at Sydneys Olympic Stadium.Substitute James Troisi tapped home the winner after Kim Jin-hyeon could only parry striker Tomi Jurics low cross just before the midway point of extra time to give Australia its maiden continental title after it joined the Asian confederation in 2006.Earlier, a superb long-range strike by Massimo Luongo just before halftime had put Australia ahead before South Koreas standout player Son Hyeung-min equalized deep into second-half injury time to deny the hosts victory in regulation time.Its a proud moment for our country, said Australia coach Ange Postecoglou. To be champions you got to display a whole range of qualities and today was about courage, belief and conviction. The players had that in abundance.We got tested. We copped one in the last minute. It would have broken a lot of teams.South Korea, which had not conceded a goal until the final, has now lost its past four finals and has not won the tournament since 1960.We dont have the cup but the way we played today we are also champions of a lot of hearts, said South Korea coach Uli Stielike. I think the best result from such a match would have been a draw and we take the cup for two years each, but I know it cant be like this and we have to accept that.Australias rampant attack had notched a tournament-leading 12 goals in five games coming into the final but was largely muted in the first half as South Korea quickly settled and frequently found its way into the final attacking third.However, Australia inflicted the first blow with Luongos stunning strike within seconds of halftime. It was the 22-year-old Swindon Town midfielders second goal of the Asian Cup, to go with four assists. He was named player of the tournament after the final.South Koreas Son was the standout player on the field and, despite missing difficult chances earlier in the match, made no mistake in the final minute when he blasted past Mat Ryan to send the match to extra time.Australia looked fresher in the extra period and the match turned again on an exceptional piece of individual skill in the 105th minute.Juric, who came on for Tim Cahill in the 63rd, back-heeled the ball between Kin Jin-sus legs on the goal line and sent in a low cross which the goalkeeper could only block into the path of Troisi, who put the ball into the empty net to erase Australias disappointment of losing the final four years ago to Japan in Qatar.We knew that we would be strong in extra time, said Postecoglou. We knew we probably had them on fitness.Earlier in the game, Australia struggled to handle the pace of the South Korean wide players with both Ivan Franjic and Jason Davidson especially caught out in the early stages, with Son looking particularly threatening as he cut in from the flanks.Australia captain Mile Jedinak produced his teams first shot but his free kick from a central position just cleared the crossbar with Kim beaten in the 8th.Son, who scored both goals in South Koreas 2-0 extra-time win over Uzbekistan, almost opened the scoring with an exquisite volley in the 36th, which rocketed just over the angle of the post and crossbar with Ryan on the ground.After being under concerted pressure for most of the first half, Australia seized the momentum with a moment of individual brilliance by Luongo.In the final minute of the half, Luongo received Trent Sainsburys forward pass, turned sharply and unleashed a powerful low shot from 25 yards (meters) that beat Kim and passed just inside the left post to spark wild celebrations among the 76,385 crowd.I definitely enjoyed that one, Luongo said.South Korea started the second half better with Son again looking dangerous.Just past the hour Postecoglu withdrew Cahill, who suffered an ankle injury in the first half, for Juric. Cahill received a standing ovation as Australias greatest ever goalscorer — with 39 goals from 82 games — left the field in what may be his final appearance for the national team.Australia suffered further injury blows less than 10 minutes later with Robbie Kruse stretchered off the field with what appeared a serious leg injury for the Bayer Leverkusen winger.Franjic then departed through injury to leave Australia without substitutes for the final 20 minutes.With the final moments ebbing away, South Korea launched a long ball toward Australias penalty box which eventually fell to Son who held off Sainsbury to fire a shot past Ryan to force extra time.Juric then helped set up Troisi to finally settle it for the hosts.Conceding a goal just before halftime and then just before halftime in extra time, this killed our mentality a little bit, said Stielike.Despite a day less to prepare, Australias defence stood firm to cap an impressive breakthrough tournament for the host country.At the official presentation after the final, FIFA President Sepp Blatters arrival was booed by home fans, still upset with the 2022 World Cup bidding process that saw Australia lose out to Qatar.The 78-year-old Blatter is running for a fifth term as president despite increasing pressure, particularly from Europe, to step aside amid FIFAs tarnished reputation after years of scandals and criticism. Phillip Lindsay Jersey . -- Canada played to expectation up until halftime. John Elway Jersey . Head coach Corey Chamblin announced on Monday that Avon Cobourne had been hired as the defending Grey Cup champions new running backs coach. http://www.officialdenverbroncospro.com/...broncos-jersey/. Aaron Hill and Cliff Pennington hit home runs in the first inning for the Diamondbacks, who beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 on Friday night. Tom Jackson Jersey . Adding playoff teams. Monitoring instant replay from league headquarters. Possibly creating a set of guidelines to prevent locker-room bullying. Bradley Chubb Jersey . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (4) – He had a strong game Sunday; was very good in tight with big saves on Crosby, Malkin and Neal in-crease.Nineteen points in 11 matches played. Tops in the Eastern Conference, second-best in all of MLS, an average of 1.73 points per game. Currently sitting in a playoff spot. Not a bad start, is it? Welcome to the new world of Toronto FC. Toronto FC entered the World Cup break with a combative 1-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, upping their record to 6-4-1. There is nothing cosmic about Toronto FCs newfound positive fortunes. The recipe has been simple: commitment to defensive workrate, sound team structure with a true game-breaker in front of goal. Its been that cliché, yet poignant never-say-die kind of stuff. Just how the team wants it. The first half Saturday was arguably the best 45 minutes played on the season. Toronto FC went toe-to-toe with San Joses physical play. The movement, the use of space, the passing and shape were prominent, but it was team commitment standing out the most: 50/50 battles. Getting stuck in. Getting forward and pushing onwards. The simple stuff. A winning attitude is being developed and dedication to the crest has never stood out so much. We sometimes focus too much on tactics, formations and Xs and Os. There are many reasons teams win or lose. Its oftentimes the basic intangibles that first need to be established before the more complicated follow. Thus far, the basics have been the difference between points and no points. This is the first step and its a big one. The bar will continue to be raised. Team approach will be tested. It will be up to the manager and individual quality to take this team from being good to potentially great. The appetite lived up to standing. The main course begins post-World Cup. Here are my five thoughts on Toronto FC at the World Cup break: 1. Trader Tim – General manager Tim Bezbatchenko has been a busy man in his first eight-plus months on the job. An off-season overhaul was required and mission accomplished, but it was evident the team was still a work in progress to start the year. Too thin at some positions and too weak at others. The ensuing in-season adjustments have followed and have come with purpose and all look to be solid moves. Gale Agbossoumonde, Issey-Nakajima-Farran, Alvaro Rey and allocation money go out, with Luke Moore, Collen Warner and Dominic Oduro coming in. With the acquired players come great salary, but more substance. These are all considerable moves and represent potential starters in exchange for players either battling for roles or ones who have fallen out of favour. Moore has two goals in four games and has paired well with Jermain Defoe up front. He holds up the ball and is a supplementary goal-scoring threat that was desperately needed. Warner filled a significant gap at defensive midfield. It is clear head coach Ryan Nelsen prefers a diamond in the midfield, with a central player sitting on top of the back four. Warner is the man tasked with the job and his true importance will come to light once Michael Bradley returns from the World Cup. He deservedly won Man of the Match Saturday, rarely out of position and confident on the ball. Oduro has just arrived, but adds more pace to an already dangerous counter-attack. Hes a proven MLS commodity and a useful player, adaptable to play either up front or wide right, particularly in a 4-3-3 if required. It may be early, but from the outset all three trades seem like a win for Bezbatchenko. The rookie GM deserves significant credit for these moves in addition to off-season trades for Jackson and always-impressive Justin Morrow. Bez knows the league and has massively upgraded the depth of the roster. No ego. No meddling agents. Just business. This Tim deserves credit. 2. Big money, big results – Defoe with seven goals in eight games. Check. Michael Bradley as on-field general, influential leader with a game-winning goal under his belt, looking to be among the top players already in MLS. Check. You get what you pay for. The early returns reinforce Toronto purchased absolute quality. No player may ever justify a $7 million per year salary in MLS, not even David Beckham, but if youre trying to reach for the stars, then get there.dddddddddddd Any misplaced cynicism about either signing is gone. These two make Toronto FC an instant MLS Cup threat, no question. The waiting game on the third Designated Player, Gilberto, continues. He has more games missed through injury (two) than goals scored (none). Its been a tough transition for the Brazilian: new city, new country, new language and new life. Never mind the fact hes playing in a new league and with new expectations. Flat-out, Gilberto has been disappointing, but weve seen flashes. The hope is the flashes turn into moments that turn into games. One has to wonder how much patience will be given. DP spots are gold, especially for a club like Toronto FC that can pay for quality. 3. Points earned – It cannot be said the team has hit absolute stride. It has been ugly at times with Toronto FC grinding out results. They have only out-possessed opponents twice on the season and more consistent build-up is essential. Distribution needs work, as does movement off the ball. The learning curve has been made more difficult through injury in the team and a wonky schedule. Chalk up an early season 3-0 loss at Real Salt Lake in the ugly category, while a 2-1 home loss to New England disappointing. Other than that, a difficult schedule has played out favourably and late goals have come, more often scored than conceded. Late tallies against Columbus (twice), New York, and Sporting Kansas City have either won or secured points. Its these kinds of performances that bode well long term. Its characteristic of winning teams to win while not at their best. Progress. 4. Nellies team – We are witnessing the maturation of a head coach. Nelsen was in a difficult position last year, coming straight off the field as player, late into the fray, into a completely new context as a first-time coach with a subpar team. It was as tough an introduction to coaching as one can imagine. Nelsen survived the off-season purge and was given requisite tools to succeed for his sophomore adventure. He may still have critics, but patience is needed. Week by week, Nelsens in-game management has grown. His substitution patterns have been spot-on and his read for the game is becoming more apparent. It was a calculated gamble by the previous regime to hand over the reigns to a man with no experience, but a natural leader and well liked within the game. Its paying off. Nelsen was essential to the recruitment of the likes of Defoe, Julio Cesar, Steven Caldwell and Bradley Orr. And its no secret his players love to play for him. Nelsen doesnt apologize for his team, but he sticks up for them, stands by them and doesnt throw any player under the bus. The culture created is a positive one and the benefits are being reaped. 5. Areas for Improvement – It must be kept in mind the team is still a work in progress and there are clear areas in need of improvement and/or upgrades. Deficiencies in ball possession and passing have already been documented, as have the struggles of Gilberto. Doneil Henry needs to find stability in his game with more consistent one-v-one defending, decision-making and positioning. With Henry, its worth having patience, as he is a budding stud centre-back. Improvement on the wings is also required. This may come through trade or transfer. The team often plays too narrowly with Jonathan Osorio more comfortable playing inside than on the left side. Tactically, after early season relentless high pressure, the team has become too comfortable sitting too far back in defence. There needs to be a balance here, and it hasnt been found yet. Most importantly for TFC, they must get Defoe the ball. It needs to be much better and more frequent. Defoes been relegated to being too much of a chaser. Service at his feet is mandatory to ultimately get the most out of their prized striker. Toronto FC is off until a June 27th trip to New York to take on the Red Bulls (4-5-6). 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