Tim Cahill has been linked in recent weeks to more clubs thanRobert Allenby, the latest being a transfer to a United Arab Emirates outfit. At 35, Cahill shows no sign of slowing, but the length of his next contract will be an interesting insight into where his mind is. Don't be surprised if his final professional stint ended up being in the A-League, as the face of NRL club Cronulla Sharks' possible venture into the domestic football league. The Sutherland Shire is a stone's throw away from where Cahill grew up, with much of his family still residing in the St George area. Meanwhile, state-owned UAE newspaper The National reported Cahill is in talks with Abu Dhabi-based club Al Wahda FC for a move after the Asian Cup, which would end his stint with American side New York Red Bulls. The National quotes Al Wahda sources stating a deal has been agreed, with formalities to be concluded after the Asian Cup. Cahill has another year to run on his contract with the Major League Soccer club, which he joined from English Premier League side Everton in 2012. It was reported earlier this week that a Chinese club was looking to make a big-money play for the Socceroos star.
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Victory rush
The South Korean faithful wasted little time snapping up tickets for the Asian Cup final just hours after their 2-0 win against Iraq on Monday night. About 50,000 tickets had been sold before the semi-final clash, but after Kim Young-gwon's 50th-minute match winner, the fans flooded ticket websites. About 5000 extra tickets were sold moments after the game.
Mission accomplished
While the South Korean fans were overjoyed with the team's success, coach Uli Stielike said the side had achieved their goals by making their first final since 1988. "When we left Korea, we were ranked third in Asia and I said we wanted to have a better result [than our ranking indicated we would]," Stielike said. "That better result came [on Monday] . I won't think about pressure any more, anything that comes now is a bonus. "We will try to win the cup, no doubt, but team did what they had to do. They took one big step forward." South Korea have lost their past three Asian Cup finals appearances (1988, 1980 and 1972). They won the first tournament in 1956 and again four years later. Only Iran, Saudi Arabia (both three) and Japan (four) have won more tournaments.
Room at the top
There could be changes at the top of the world game, with Dutch football chief Michael van Praag indicating that he will stand against FIFA president Sepp Blatter in May's election. Other potential candidates hoping to take on Blatter are Jerome Champagne, a former FIFA executive, ex-France international David Ginola, and Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, Asian Football Confederation vice-president. Van Praag, in a statement released by the Dutch football federation, declared himself "very concerned about FIFA, and everyone is aware of that". "It's time that the body is normalised and that it once again focuses on football." Blatter has come under intense scrutiny for his handling of recent World Cup bids.
