Asian Cup 2015 highlights: Wang Dalei, Tim Cahill, Iran goals, brilliant crowds, Swindon’s stars

FROM a world famous ballboy, Timmy the terrific, brilliant Iran goals to the quickest Asian Cup goal ever: it’s been a busy opening seven days!

IT’S fair to say that the 2015 Asian Cup has provided a tonne of entertainment, with a football feast of 14 games over the last week since Australia kicked off with that 4-1 triumph over Kuwait in Melbourne.

From a local perspective, the wonderful form of the Socceroos has been dominating the storylines, column inches and internet traffic.

Elsewhere, the heavyweights have delivered so far but there are other narratives developing nicely, especially with China topping Group B, UAE living up to the hype, while on the minnow front, North Korea, dismal in their first game, scored their first Asian Cup finals goal in 23 years.

One week down, there’s been a lot more to talk about as well.

Here’s seven headlines from the opening week.

BEST GOAL?

CLICK HERE TO WATCH EVERY ASIAN CUP GOAL IN OUR GOAL CENTRE AND NOMINATE YOUR FAVOURITE.

Eight goals from the Socceroos has fans in Australia beaming with excitement, with Robbie Kruse’s finish off a Massimo Luongo ball, plus Tomi Juric’s finish courtesy of Mathew Leckie’s outside-of-the-boot cross, the two standouts.

But so far, you’d struggle to go past nominating an Iranian goal as strike of the tournament. Carlos Queiroz’s side remain as solid defensively as they were during the World Cup, but these moments of individual quality have lit up the tournament.

We’ll struggle to see a better individual strike than Ehsan Hajsafi’s effort against Bahrain, while Sardar Azmoun’s audacious turn in the box against Qatar, before poking home the winner, was very different, but just as exciting.

“It was a brilliant goal,” gushed Iran coach Carlos Queiroz, charged with ending a 39-year title drought. “It was a special movement of the centre-forward, a great turn at the level of some of the best centre-forwards I have worked with in my life.”

Yasuhito Endo opened Japan’s account with a lovely long range effort; Yaer Safa Kasim’s solo run against Jordan puts Iraq in the box seat to progress with Japan from Group D, while Igor Sergeev’s header off Server Djeparov’s cross was an impressive moment for the Uzbeks.

CHINA’S NEWEST STAR … AN AUSSIE BALLBOY!

This is THE story of the Asian Cup so far, as Brisbane ballboy Stephan White made global headlines – and became a hit in China – for successfully advising Wang Dalei which way to dive to save a penalty against Saudi Araba.

Why Dalei was relying on him, we’re not quite sure, but what a brilliant story!

CAHILL THE COOL KID

Another cracking viral moment that has sent the Asian Cup into the viral realm came via Tim Cahill – not due to another goal, or wearing the armband, but a bit of fatherly love to his son Shae.

Spotting his son up in the top tier of AAMI Park, the Socceroo picked him out from the ground, landing a ball on his chest with pinpoint precision.

MOST BIZARRE STORY: JORDAN DRUG TEST SAGA

Jordan’s FA has put in a formal protest to the AFC after Ahmad Hayel’s drug test drama and their under pressure coach, Ray Wilkins, has had a go at organisers after the botched test made the player reportedly vomit and feel dizzy, after he was made to drink “several litres of water” as a result of being unable to immediately provide a urine sample on Monday.

“Today we stood outside for 10 minutes because we had no accreditation,” shrugged the former Queens Park Rangers and Fulham manager. “The other night my player was struggling. What’s more important, accreditation or the guy? I’m sure you’ll agree the guy.”

MORE HERE

QUICKEST GOAL IN ASIAN CUP HISTORY

United Arab Emirates were mooted as one of the darkhorses pre-tournament and they’re doing nothing to quell those suggestions, with progress secured alongside Iran.

Along the way, Ali Mabkhout scored the Asian Cup’s fastest ever goal in the competition’s 61-year history, after 14 seconds on Thursday night against Bahrain.

The man who set up the goal, Omar Abdulrahman, is one of the players to watch this January, and he is hoping some A-League scouts are doing just that.

“I am very happy for this (attention) but my goal at the moment is to do our best for this competition,” he told reporters after the Bahrain win.

“But if the coach wants me to come to play in Australia I will not say no.”

WONDERFUL CROWDS

The colour, noise and visual of the crowds across the country have been a great advertisement for the tournament and football in Australia over the opening week. And with the big games yet to come, augers well for the tournament.

Al Sahlawi Mohammed of Saudi Arabia celebrates.

Newcaslte was packed 17,000 fans for their first game.

SWINDON TOWN TO CASH IN?

Massimo Luongo won’t have the limelight all to himself when he returns to Swindon Town, because his heroics have been echoed by club teammate Yaser Safa Kasim, the scorer of the classy winner for Iraq against Jordan.

Kasim has worn the armband for the League One club, and like Luongo, is a former Tottenham player who is likely to garner plenty of interest this January.

Whether they both leave in January, or stick around to vie for promotion to the Championship, they’ve both shown that Swindon certainly has an eye for talent.

Originally published as Asian Cup 2015 highlights: Wang Dalei, Tim Cahill, Iran goals, brilliant crowds, Swindon’s stars