China coach hopes to avoid Socceroos
They have been the surprise packets of the Asian Cup so far but China coach Alain Perrin’s confidence in his team does not extend as far as a potential meeting with the Socceroos.
China sealed top spot in Group B with a stunning 2-1 comeback victory over Uzbekistan on Wednesday night in Brisbane and will meet the loser of Saturday night’s clash between Australia and South Korea in the tournament’s next stage.
Perrin’s preference is to avoid the Socceroos for as long as possible after watching them put a total of eight goals past Kuwait and Oman in scintillating fashion.
“They are impressive, very impressive in the first two games,” he said.
“We will see, but I think it’s better if we don’t play against Australia.
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“But we are in quarter-final so it’s good for us, and we have to prove against a strong team what we can do.”
China’s second straight upset has put them through to the knockout stages of the Asian Cup for the first time since they hosted the tournament back in 2004.
“It is good for confidence but you saw the game, we need to continue to improve because in the quarter-final, we need to play better,” Perrin said.
Both the Australia-South Korea match that will decide Group A and the quarter-final involving China will be played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
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Perrin’s men have soaked up the Queensland humidity twice already and won on both occasions in front of largely pro-China crowds.
“We know the stadium and everything. We are happy to come back here,” the coach said.
But Perrin also said the stadium’s controversial surface had “not really” improved since their 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, when he said it was undeserving of such a prestigious tournament.
China heads to Canberra for a dead rubber against North Korea on Sunday, and Perrin said he may take the opportunity to rest players given there will be nothing on the line but momentum.
“It’s an option, because now we are qualified,” he said.
“We will see. It depends, we have to think about the next game.
“For a coach, even if we give rest (to players), we want to win the next game.”
– AAP
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