Brisbane Roar have gone down 3-0 away to the Kashima Antlers in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday night

A spirited Brisbane Roar have suffered a 3-0 defeat away to Japanese outfit Kashima Antlers on Matchday 3 of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday night.

A well taken volley by 20-year-old striker Yuma Suzuki on the cusp of half time gave the home side the advantage, with two goals in three minutes in the second stanza confirming the Group E result.

Despite the final margin the Roar were far from disgraced with Brett Holman miscuing a chance to open the scoring and defender Avraam Papadopoulos producing a couple of silky shots at goal getting forward.

Having gone behind just before the break Brisbane dominated proceedings for a good 20 minute period at the start of the second half but they couldn’t fashion a clinical finish.

Instead they were overrun in the closing stages by the reigning J-League champions, leaving them with one point in the group ahead of next month’s return leg on home soil.

GOALS

1-0 Kashima Antlers: Yuma Suzuki, 43’ Yukitoshi Ito powered past Corey Brown down the right flank before whipping in a cross to the front post where Suzuki was lurking to volley it home.

2-0 Kashima Antlers: Jamie Young (OG), 76’ Brisbane failed to clear their lines from a corner with goalkeeper Jamie Young unable to control a scuffed effort from defender Naomichi Ueda, fumbling the ball into his own net. 3-0

3-0 Kashima Antlers: Yasushi Endo, 79’ The winger was played into space on the right flank where he took a touch before cutting inside onto his favoured left foot and stroking the ball past Young and inside the far post.

Re-live all the action on Twitter @brisbaneroar, @TheAFCCL, #KASvBRI

FULL TIME | A disappointing end to the match as @atlrs_english take the three points in our #ACL2017 away leg #KASvBRI pic.twitter.com/Aqv42mZN3W

— Brisbane Roar (@brisbaneroar) March 14, 2017

Football Federation Australia

Ange Postecoglou: Riley McGree could play in crucial WC qualifiers

In the ultimate show of faith, Ange Postecoglou has picked Riley McGree in his 23-man squad for two crucial upcoming World Cup qualifiers and says the teenager could even see some game time.

The Adelaide 18-year-old was the shock inclusion in Postecoglou’s 23-man squad for this month’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Iraq (March 24) and UAE (March 28).

McGree has emerged as a star of the future with the Reds this season and Postecoglou admits he’s a fan of how the youngster has gone about his business this season.

Ange on Riley 

“We haven’t had in the A-League too many teenagers even getting a run these days. I thought he looked exciting from the moment he broke into the team.

“I really like the way he’s adjusted to playing in an unfamiliar position against some pretty good opponents. He’s played Champions League (ACL) and A-League.

“He’s just someone I want to have a look at.

“This is the best time for me to have a look at him in this environment.

“Our next game’s not until June and the A-League would have well and truly finished by then.”

 

Ange on Riley playing against Iraq or UAE?

“If he does well at training, he could play. If he looks like he’s adjusted well in training and looks bright, we won’t be afraid to throw him in, either.”

Youngsters on notice

While the inclusion of McGree is a surprise given the midfielder has played just 13 matches in the A-League, Postecoglou insists he’s happy to give younger players an opportunity in the Green and Gold.

“I’ve never felt like I’ve needed to sit on these things.  I’ve always felt if there’s somebody there that’s got something I want to have a look at, I’ll bring them in.

“I’m not going to wait. I think in the past we’ve just waiting too long, particularly with some of our younger players.

“We’ll give him an opportunity and see how he adapts to the environment. If it proves to be a good move, he could be an exciting one for us in years to come.”

 

Next for Riley? 

McGree is set to be in action in the ACL on Wednesday night with Adelaide at home to Jeju United before  backing up in the Hyundai A-League on Sunday against Brisbane Roar before joining up with the national team in Tehran.

The Caltex Socceroos tackle UAE in a crucial World Cup Qualifier in Sydney on March 28.  Click here for tickets.

Football Federation Australia

Harry Kewell and Gilberto bring FIFA Confederations Cup to Sydney

Socceroo legend Harry Kewell and Brazilian World Cup and Confederations Cup winner Gilberto Silva will bring the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup trophy to Sydney later this week with the prestigious tournament less than 100 days away.

The pair will be in Sydney for two days on Thursday afternoon and Friday to promote the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup as the Socceroos prepare to take on World Champions Germany, Chile and Cameroon in Russia, starting on 19 June.

Kewell played 58 internationals for the Socceroos (scoring 17 goals) and amongst his career highlights played in the 1997 Confederations Cup Final against Brazil after scoring the winner in the 1-0 semi final victory against Uruguay.

It is still Australia’s best ever performance at the Confederations Cup.

Silva, who spent six season with Arsenal from 2002-2008, comes to Sydney as a FIFA World Cup winner (2002) and two-time FIFA Confederations Cup winner (2005 and 2009) with Brazil in an international career that spanned 10 years, where he played 93 internationals in a team that scaled the heights of international football.

The pair went head-to-head at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, when Brazil defeated Australia 2-0 in a group stage match in Munich as both teams progressed through to the knockout stage.

The countries competing in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup are:

· Australia           2015 AFC Asian Cup Champions (AFC – Asia)

· Chile                   2015 Copa America winners (COMNEBOL – South America)

· Germany           2014 FIFA World Cup Champions

· Mexico               2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup winners (CONCACAF – Central America)

· New Zealand     2016 OFC Nations Cup winners (OFC – Oceania)

· Portugal             EURO 2016 winners (UEFA – Europe)

· Russia                Host Nation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup

· Cameroon         Winners of the CAF African Cup of Nations (Africa – CAF

Football Federation Australia

Ange Postecoglou says Mustafa Amini’s maturity is the reason for his selection in his latest Caltex Socceroos squad

After bursting onto the scene as a teenager in 2010 with Central Coast Mariners and signed by Jurgen Klopp a year later, Mustafa Amini has long been touted as a Caltex Socceroos star of the future.

Musti’s European adventure

The playmaker earned a dream move to German giants Borussia Dortmund in 2011 and looked set to become an integral figure for the national team.
But the move didn’t quite work out with Amini leaving the club in 2015 having been only on the fringes of Dortmund’s stellar first team squad under Jurgen Klopp.

He headed to Denmark looking to kick-start his career with Randers and now AGF, and while it’s taken longer than many expected, the popular midfielder is finally starting to realise his potential.

Ange on Musti’s rise to the Caltex Socceroos

A breakout season in the Danish Superliga has helped Amini recapture some of his best form and earned the Sydney-born midfielder a place in Ange Postecoglou’s 23-man Socceroos squad for upcoming World Cup Qualifiers against Iraq and UAE.

“Musti’s been on the fringes for a few camps. He’s kind of missed out at the last minute. We’ve obviously got a fair bit of depth in the midfield areas,” Postecoglou told reporters on Tuesday.

 

“I’ve been watching him particularly since they’ve [AGF] come back from their winter break and he’s assuming a pretty important role in his team. He’s showing a real maturity.

“There’s never been any doubt that Musti’s a talented young guy. Again this camp gives us a real good chance to see him and measure him up.”

Socceroos’ midfield depth

With skipper Mile Jedinak, in-form trio Aaron Mooy, Massimo Luongo and Jackson Irvine, along with the experienced Mark Milligan, Australia’s midfield is blessed with an abundance of depth.

And while Amini and 18-year-old rookie Riley McGree may find it difficult to see game time, Postecoglou has made it clear he’s willing to give youngsters a chance if they’re performing.

“It’s [midfield) an area where we are strong. If you look at the form of Jedinak, Mooy, Luongo, Jackson Irvine, James Jeggo, those kind of guys, you look at their form particularly over the weekend, we’re looking fairly strong in that area,” Postecoglou said.

“Musti coming in and measured against those guys it’ll give us a good indication of where he’s at. “

The Socceroos will begin to assemble in camp on Sunday in Tehran, Iran, and are likely to have two sessions as a squad ahead of Friday’s (AEDT) clash with Iraq at the Shahid Dastgerdi Stadium in the Iranian capital.

The Caltex Socceroos tackle UAE in a crucial World Cup Qualifier in Sydney on March 28.   Click here for tickets.

 

Source : Football Federation Australia

Caltex Socceroo’s Matthew Ryan successful return to Belgium continues

Caltex Socceroos keeper Mat Ryan has continued his impressive run of form overnight, helping FC Genk to a big win in the Belgian Pro League.

Ryan – on loan from Spanish La Liga outfit Valencia – kept a clean sheet as FC Genk surged to a 4-0 victory over Westerlo at the Het Kuipje.

Goals to Mbwana Samatta, Thomas Buffel, Omar Colley and Ruslan Malinovskiy helped Albert Stuivenberg’s side move to within a point of sixth-placed Sporting Charleroi.

In positive signs ahead of the Caltex Socceroos’ upcoming World Cup Qualifiers, since moving on loan in January, Ryan has started in six matches in the league for Genk and kept an impressive three clean sheets.

The shot-stopper also saved a crucial penalty in Genk’s 5-2 win over Gent in their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 first-leg tie last week.

Genk host their Belgian rivals in the return leg on Friday (AEDT) with Ryan out to help his side secure their first-ever appearance in the quarter finals of the European competition.

Meanwhile, former Adelaide United midfielder James Jeggo got through a full 90 minutes as his Sturm Graz outfit earned a hard-fought 2-1 win over Rapid Wien in the Austrian Bundesliga overnight.

Jeggo picked up a yellow card early in the second stanza as his side closed to within two points of third-placed Graz and eight adrift of league-leaders Salzburg.

In Holland, Jason Davidson played a full game but could do little as FC Groningen fell to a 3-1 loss away to Roda JC.

The Caltex Socceroos tackle UAE in a crucial World Cup Qualifier in Sydney on March 28. Click here for tickets

 

Source : Football Federation Australia

New South Korean carrier KAIR Airlines orders eight A320s

Airline to begin low cost international operations in 2018

Toulouse, 13th March 2017- South Korean start-up carrier KAIR Airlines has announced that it has selected the A320 Family to launch its new low cost operation, with a firm order for eight A320ceo. The new airline will be based in Cheongju in central South Korea and will focus primarily on services to international destinations in North East Asia.

“We see enormous potential for the development of a low cost model linking central South Korea with destinations in China, Taiwan and Japan”, said Byung Ho Kang, KAIR Airlines Representative Director and Chairman. “KAIR Airlines will focus on point-to-point services at low fares while offering passengers a modern and fun product offering. Brand new A320 aircraft will be perfect for our business model and customers, combining the lowest operating costs with the widest cabin in the single aisle segment.”

“We have been impressed by the business model developed by KAIR Airlines,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “We are confident that the efficiencies offered by the A320 will contribute to a successful launch by KAIR Airlines, bringing more choice for passengers flying in the North East Asian region. The selection of the A320 by KAIR Airlines underscores once again the position of the Airbus single aisle product line as the preferred choice for low cost airlines in Asia.”

The A320 Family is the world’s best-selling single aisle product line. To date, the Family has won over 13,000 orders and more than 7,400 aircraft have been delivered to some 400 customers and operators worldwide.

With one aircraft in four sizes (A318, A319, A320, and A321), the A320 Family seats from 100 to 240 passengers. The Family features the widest cabin in the single aisle market with 18” wide seats in Economy as standard.

Airbus Website

Boeing and CDB Aviation Lease Finance Announce Order for 30 737 MAX 8 airplanes

Both sides eye new height in the partnership

DUBLIN, March 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and CDB Aviation Lease Finance (CDB Aviation) announced an order today for 30 737 MAX 8 airplanes. The order, valued at $3.3 billion at current list prices, was previously unidentified on Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries website.

Both sides agreed to take this opportunity to broaden communication and strengthen cooperation in various fields, bringing the partnership to a new level.

“Our commitment to our customers is to provide them with the most efficient and reliable products,” said Peter Chang, President and Chief Executive Officer of CDB Aviation. “The 30 Boeing 737 MAXs in our portfolio provide the competitive advantages of fuel efficiency, reliability and passenger experience they are looking for in the single-aisle airplane.”

Based in Dublin, Ireland, CDB Aviation operates as a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co LTD (CDB Leasing) (HKEX stock code:1606). With registered capital of $US50 million and a fleet of over 200 aircraft, CDB Aviation has over 10 years’ experience in the business and is one of the largest and most influential Chinese-owned aviation leasing companies.

“We are very pleased to expand our partnership with CDB Aviation with this announcement,” said Rick Anderson, vice president of Northeast Asia Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “As we work together with the new management team at CDB Aviation to address the opportunities presented in a rapidly growing market for commercial airplanes, we look forward to strengthening and growing our partnership in the very near future.”

The 737 MAX family has been designed to offer customers exceptional performance, flexibility and efficiency, with lower per-seat costs and an extended range that will open up new destinations in the single-aisle market. The 737 MAX will be 14 percent more fuel-efficient than today’s most efficient Next-Generation 737s – and 20 percent better than the original Next-Generation 737s when they first entered service. With broad market acceptance, the 737 MAX has more than 3,600 orders to date from 83 customers worldwide.

Contact:
Yukui Wang
Boeing China Communications
+86 10 5925 5505
yukui.wang@boeing.com

 

SOURCE : Boeing Website

Hyundai A-League clubs’ Asian Champions League preview day 3

Western Sydney Wanderers’ Nico Martinez, Adelaide United’s Riley McGree and Brisbane Roar’s Jamie Maclaren.

The AFC Champions League enters MD 3 in the group stage. The three Hyundai A-League teams need to get some points on the board but that will be far from easy.

Kashima Antlers vs Brisbane Roar

Tuesday night 

After the 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Ulsan Horangi in Korea Republic, things are not about to get any easier for John Aloisi and his men as they face another long trip north.

Kashima is the most successful Japanese team of all time and won its eighth J.League title in 2016 before going on to enjoy the FIFA Club World Cup in December.

Kashima progressed all the way to the final and then gave a good account of itself against Real Madrid.

Results so far in 2017 have been mixed. There was a solid 2-0 win over Ulsan Horangi at home and then a defeat to Muangthong United of Thailand in the group.

In the J.League, there is a feeling that Kashima has yet to really get going with the team from Ibaraki looking solid rather than spectacular.

New goalkeeper Kwon Sun-tae, signed from Asian champs Jeonbuk Motors of South Korea, has picked the ball out of the net just once in three games.

The central defensive partnership of Gen Shoji and Naomichi Uedais as good as it gets in Asia and with veteran midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara still appearing in midfield, there is plenty of experience in the line-up.

Mu Kanazaki, a star of the Club World Cup, adds some spark further up the pitch too.

Adelaide United v Jeju United

Wednesday night 

Jeju is going well this season and, in a second ever appearance in the competition, wants a debut in the knockout stage.

The islanders, who finished third last season, have won both of their games in the K-League so far this campaign and are coming off the back of a comfortable 3-0 win over Ulsan at the weekend.

Lee Chang-min was on the scoresheet once again to add to the spectacular goal he got against Gamba Osaka in the second round of matches in the AFC Champions League.

That long-range effort helped United to a 4-1 triumph in Japan that got the continental campaign back on track. It was a fine performance and result at the home of the 2008 champion.

That was after the one blemish of the year so far, the 1-0 home loss to Jiangsu Suning in extremely windy conditions. The Chinese team took the three points thanks to a last minute strike from Ramires.

It was a game a dominant Jeju should have won but the team just could not find a goal, hitting the woodwork twice.

Jeju is full of confidence but knows the trip to Adelaide will be tough.

Coach Cho Sung-hwan mentioned squad rotation after the win over Ulsan and there may be a couple of players rested.

That could give Australian defender Aleksander Jovanovic a first start of the season.

FC Seoul v Western Sydney Wanderers

Wednesday night

This is a crucial encounter between two teams that have lost both of their games so far in the group. Another defeat will almost certainly end any hopes of progressing to the knockout stage.

This is not exactly a journey to the unknown for Tony Popovic and his men.

The Australians knocked the Koreans out at the semi-final stage in 2014 on their way to the title. They were back in 2015 in the group stage for a dour goalless draw.

Last year Seoul, finalist in 2013, shed its defensive skin and went goal crazy and reached the last four once again.

Since that defeat, at the hands of fellow Koreans and champion Jeonbuk Motors, Seoul has lost prolific striker Adriano to China.

Results so far in Asia have been poor.

There was a 1-0 loss at home to Shanghai SIPG on the opening day. The reds and blacks had plenty of possession against the Chinese but lost to a spectacular strike from Brazilian striker Hulk.

Then there was a 5-2 loss to Urawa Reds a week later that could have been worse as it was 5-1 at half-time. It was however, a dire defensive performance

It is still early days in the league but the team picked up a first win of the season on Saturday, a 1-0 victory at Gangwon FC, who play at the Ski-jumping stadium that will be used at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

Old warhorse Dejan Damjanovic got the goal to show that the Montenegrin marksman still has what it takes.

 

 

Source : Football Federation Australia