So Harry's brilliant, but what about that defence.

Australia smashed Singapore, ranked 146th in the world I might add, 3-0.

Harry Kewell is back. Mark Viduka scored twice. With the golden boys of Australian football firing we can win in Asia. Can't we?

What do you mean the defence is vulnerable. Brett Emerton trying to remember his Feyenoord days from five years ago, Luke Wilkshire a right midfielder turned left back and Paddy Kisnorbo a player still learning at this level.

Singapore should have been two up at half time. Not my thoughts, Arnies.

And if they were 2-0 up, Harry or no Harry we'd have lost.

Chasing the game in the heat willl be no fun for spectators never mind the players.

But forget the defence, goals win games. And Viduka will score in Asia. After all it isn't the World Cup. Brazil Italy and Croatia are a tougher nut to crack than Thailand Oman and Iraq. Aren't they?

They'd better be, because I want to see Australia reach the final and win. Australia to win in their first Asian Cup.

How Johhny Warren would love this day.

So if Harry and Dukes remain fit and score a potload, we'll win. And they'll have to because there is no way that defence can remain goal free on last night's showing.

Come on Australia, let's forget the defence and give it to Harry!

Read a more considered analysis in Monday's Canberra Times.

AFC Asian Cup 2011: Why not Australia?

Qatar are the only nation to have formally submitted their bid to host the 2011 Asian Cup.

Of the original trio that expressed interest in hosting the event, India withdrew from proceedings and Iran missed the final deadline to submit their proposals to the Asian Football Confederation.

It is not all done and dusted however as the Gulf State must show that it can meet all the requirements necessary.

If the AFC is not satisfied then the whole process will restart.

The final decision will be taken on July 28, a day before the final of the 2007 version takes place in Jakarta.

Come on Aussie come on come on.

Get your bid in now! I guess given our finances and the state of our organisation at the moment this tournament has come to early.

Four hosts is crazy

As a fan or journalist going to the Asia Cup the problems are now clear.

Four country hosts is mad.

Imagine if the tournament was held in one or even two countries. The atmosphere create by the various travelling fans would be wonderful for World relations.

This way it is severely diluted. Although the Qataris have overcome this problem by hiring 10,000 Vietnamese fans to support Qatar!

How do you plan for the second stage. The increasing costs of moving between countries is prohibitive for many football fans in Asia.

Media have to contend with three or four countries' regulations and systems.

You couldn't make it up really.

Want to fly in for the quarter-final. Good luck. Australia could be in Malaysia or Thailand, with the final in Indonesia.

Stop laughing. Somebody actually got paid to plan this tournament, and now they've probably been promoted.

Meanwhile the rest of us will be trying to figure out which country we are in underneath the various smog filled skies!

Fox Sport never looked better!

Thailand beaten.

Australian AFC Asian Cup co-hosts Thailand went down 3-1 to the Netherlands at the Rajamangala Stadium on Wednesday as the classy Dutch proved too experienced for the three-time ASEAN champions.

Australia is in the same group as Thailand. The Socceroos play Thailand in their last group game, a game the Aussie are expected to win.

If the Aussies win the group they get stay a little longer in Thailand

Nakamura understands the Aussies!

Japanese and Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura will understand everything the Australian team says on the pitch should the two sides meet in this year's Asian Cup.

Celtic manager Strachan said: "Nakamura understands everything you say, he just finds it hard to hold a conversation, which anyone who tries to learn a foreign language understands.
"It might be difficult for him in social terms but with regards football terminology, it's been so easy it's not true.
"You only need to tell him once to do something and that's imperative as a coach.
"He picks instructions up right away and he has a photographic memory in terms of football.
"No matter what position you try to tell him to play, he picks it up no problem. You need intelligence to do that.
"So he deserves everything he has got this season and it shows that you can be skilful but also work as hard as everyone else.
"He's played every league game this year and people talk about having rests and breaks but you don't if you look after yourself and train properly."

Maybe so, but his teammates didn't seem to understand too much in the last meeting between the two sides. 1-0 with ten minutes to go in a World Cup game. The message in any language is, you don't lose from their, never mind 3-1.