Asian Cup 2015: China defeat Saudi Arabia, coach slams Suncorp Stadium playing surface

CHINA coach Alain Perrin slammed the state of the Suncorp Stadium playing surface after his side’s 1-0 Asian Cup Group B win over Saudi Arabia.

Wang Dalei of China shouts at referee Alireza Faghani (R) of Iran during the first round Asian Cup football match between China and Saudi Arabia at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on January 10, 2015. AFP PHOTO / PATRICK HAMILTON ---IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE---

CHINA coach Alain Perrin slammed the state of the Suncorp Stadium playing surface after his side’s 1-0 Asian Cup Group B win over Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.

While delighted with the victory, which came via a 79th-minute free-kick from Yu Hai that deflected off Saudi player Nawaf Alabid past goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah, Perrin was unhappy with the pitch.

There were concerns about the surface’s condition when Brisbane Roar played Sydney FC in an A-League clash on December 30.

Parts of the pitch were re-laid at the start of the week, but there was not enough time for the surface to settle.

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China coach Alain Perrin called the Suncorp playing surface “very, very, very, very bad”.

There are fears that the ground will only get worse over the next week and a half, a period in which Suncorp Stadium will host another six Asian Cup matches.

“It doesn’t deserve the competition this pitch,” said Perrin, whose China team plays again at the Brisbane venue on Wednesday night against fellow Group B leaders Uzbekistan.

“(It’s) very, very, very, very bad. I’m very surprised.

“(The) training ground is much better than (the) competition pitch.”

The Chinese team is training at Perry Park and the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre while based in Brisbane.

Perrin described China’s upcoming clash against Uzbekistan as a “final”, with the Chinese team having failed to progress past the group stage in the past two Asian Cups.

“If we win, we qualify (for the knockout stages),” he said.

“We have to work to prepare for the game. To get a draw is a good result for us now.

“We will do our best against Uzbekistan … it will be tough.”

Saudi Arabia meet North Korea, 1-0 losers on Saturday to Uzbekistan, in Melbourne on Wednesday night in what Saudi coach Cosmin Olaroiu suggested was a must-win clash.

“We have to win the next two games,” Olaroiu said.

“We can do it and I hope that we will. I hope the players have the same determination (as they showed against China).”

China goalkeeper Wang Dalei rages at the referee after Saudi Arabia were awarded a penalty.

The Saudis will again be without star attacker Nasser Al-Shamrani, who has been ruled out of the tournament with an abdominal injury.

The Green Falcons dearly missed Al-Shamrani, the Asian Football Confederation player of the year, against China.

The Saudis lacked a killer instinct in front of goal, even failing to convert from the penalty spot in the 60th minute when Ren Hang fouled Naif Hazazi.

In the absence of regular penalty taker Al-Shamrani, Hazazi dusted himself off to take the spot kick.

But his ordinary effort was saved by Chinese goalkeeper Wang Dalei.

“Dalei made a big save from the penalty kick … and after we have the chance to score from the free-kick, so that’s football,” Perrin said.

Originally published as Asian Cup 2015: China defeat Saudi Arabia, coach slams Suncorp Stadium playing surface