3/27/2006
John Duerden, goal.com

Five coaches will lead out Asia’s five teams at this summer’s World Cup – five men who will take the credit when games are won and the flak when defeats come and decisions dissected.

Zico (Japan)

The legendary midfielder scored an amazing 66 goals in 88 games for the national team and has an indisputable place in the twentieth century hall of football fame. It remains to be seen if his coaching record will stand up to the same scrutiny – though such high standards will be impossible to follow.

Taking control of the national team of Japan was Zico’s first coaching job and it is to be his last if his announcement in November 2005 is to be believed – a statement that promised retirement in July 2006. That date comes too late for a number of critics in the Japanese media who have been ever eager to take potshots at such targets at his lack of experience and practice of giving Japanese players freedom on the pitch to make their own decisions – an unusual way of doing things in East Asia. Giving players responsibility and freedom may sound enlightened but opponents feel that it masks a lack of strategy.

Fiercely loyal to his players – too loyal say his opponents- the 53 year-old has been known as a lucky coach in his three plus years at the helm. Last minute goals and fortunate own goals will get a team so far but more is needed when the opponents are Brazil, Croatia and Australia. Time will tell if the former magician on the field has a few tricks left up his sleeve when on the bench.

Marcos Paqueta (Saudi Arabia)

The Saudi Arabian soccer authorities are notoriously trigger-happy and changed coach for the 15th time since 1994 last December. The latest victim was Gabriel Calderon who received his marching orders despite leading the Sons of the Desert through World Cup qualifying undefeated. Poor performances in December’s fairly unimportant West Asian Games and an unsatisfactory World Cup preparation plan were the reasons cited.

Given Riyadh’s history, successor Marcos Paqueta must be becoming a little nervous. Other coaches have been fired for better records than one win in seven games and the fact that the sole victory was against Yemen, isn’t going to melt any hearts in the middle-east.

Still, not even the Saudis would fire their coach with less than three months until the World Cup – would they?

Branko Ivankovic (Iran)

The bespectacled Croatian has been under fire in Tehran from a merciless press, one that contains no less than 16 sports newspapers. Qualification for the World Cup was comfortable but never inspiring and poor friendly results at the back-end of 2005 led to a few knives being sharpened.

In some ways, problems finding opponents to play against in the run-up to Germany may have been a blessing in disguised for Branko whose precarious position may not have survived continued defeats.

All will be forgotten when the talented Iranians take to the pitch in Nurmeberg on 11 June against Mexico but the coach, in his second spell at the helm, has much to do in Germany to silence his doubters in Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan and all over the country.

Dick Advocaat (South Korea)

Always likely to be a short-term appointment after the troubled post-2002 tenures of Humberto Coelho and Jo Bonfrere, the Dutchman has impressed so far since taking the reins in October 2005.

While Advocaat recently said that he may like to stay on after the global showpiece draws to a close but his heart looks set on a job in England's top flight. There is much to be done however before minds can turn to such things and the present shows that the team has returned to the aggression and pressure style of 2002. Advocaat wasted no time in bringing back Hiddink's old coaching staff , Pim Verbeek and Afshin Ghotbi and the former Netherlands coach may reflect that such recruitment was the best decision he made after being contacted in Dubai by the Korean Football Association last September.

An intensive preparation schedule has got the team sharp, bonded and ready to play but unfortunately, the Taeguk Warriors have to wait until June before being let loose on Togo, France and Switzerland.

Guus Hiddink (Australia)

While Zico was a legendary player, Hiddink is starting to approach that status as a coach. The Dutch master has taken two different nations to the semi-finals of the World Cup, his native Netherlands in 1998 and more famously, South Korea in 2002.

Since that crazy summer, the former Real Madrid coach has been, and still is, spending time making PSV Eindhoven a force again in Europe and guided Australia to a first World Cup appearance in 32 years.

Already, he is a hero down under and any kind of success in Germany could mean that Hiddink receives a second honorary citizenship. His tactical know-how is just what Australia, a team that already had enough passion and energy in the past, needs though the Socceroos are resigned to losing him in the summer.

Hiddink’s next destination has been the source of much speculation in the media. For a while, the smart money was on England, either the national team or prominent club teams like the Uniteds of Manchester and Newcastle. However, rumors of Russian interest, initially rubbished by the Dutchman, are gaining credence by the day.