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Five Wishes for Palestinian Football in 2017

With the new year upon us here are our five wishes for Palestinian Football in 2017...

1. Qualify for the 2019 Asian Cup

Before qualifying, Palestine will have to find out their opponents and things are still up in the air with regards to the draw. Kuwait has received yet another extension from the Asian Football Confederation to sort out their FIFA suspension and could yet be replaced. This past week, Guam withdrew citing financial difficulty and are set to be replaced by Nepal.

Qualifying in 2017 (read: before the last match day in March 2018) is paramount for Palestine and they will hope to avoid the pitfalls of cross continental travel and rivals pulling a Saudi Arabia. That said, qualifying with relative ease is a realistic target.

Palestine has a good chance of drawing a Pot 1 team in rebuilding mode (Jordan, Oman, Bahrain) or a team of equal to lesser ability (Philippines, Kyrgyzstan).

Based on their talent and play in the previous round Palestine should be confident of taking care of business and realizing their full potential. Anything short of qualifying for the finals in the UAE would be a failure.

Click below for the next four wishes....

2. Good cup campaigns for Shabab Al-Khaleel

Eleven points back of current leaders Hilal Al-Quds Shabab Al-Khaleel are all but out of contention for the league title having already fired their manager. Things have been more stable as of late with a statement 3-0 win over league contenders Thaqafi Tulkarem; but make no mistake there will be no title defence.

Instead continental football is where the focus will naturally shift. First up is the little regarded Arab Club Championship where Shabab will have to navigate two play-in rounds to qualify for the finals in Egypt next summer. They will have to do so without the ability to play Al-Ahed of Lebanon at home. Should they be successful, Fanja of Oman stand between them and a place in the group stage.

That said, the big prize is the AFC Cup. Fans of all Palestinian clubs will feel more than slighted after the allocation was cut from 1.5 spots to a mere .5.

Unlike previous entrants in the competition. Shabab Al-Khalil are completely stacked, they have two national team goalkeepers and their backline features the likes of Alexis Norambuena, Haitham Dheeb, and Ala'a Abu Saleh. Further up the pitch, Pablo Tamburrini pulls the strings in midfield and in attack- Ashraf Nu'man and Ahmad Abu Nahyeh will be counted on for goals.

Another Omani club- Al-Suwaiq stands between them and a place in Group A alongside Al-Jeish of Syria, Jordanian Cup Champions Al-Ahli, and Iraqi champs Al-Zawraa.

Only group winners (and a best runner up from one of the three West Zone groups) advance making progression a tall order for the Hebron based club. That said, bettering the haul of seven points by Shabab Al-Dhahrieh registered in last year's edition should be the bench mark. Ten points might be just enough to send Shabab Al-Khaleel to the knockout rounds.

3. Fix outstanding issues with WBPL

Contracts not honored, payments withheld, and constant scheduling changes have been part and parcel of the WBPL. Going forward, things should be done to guarantee players get paid on time, every time.

Contracts should mean something. In other leagues, contracts are guaranteed meaning if they're broken- the liable party usually has to pay out the contract or pay a agreed upon penalty.

A good contractual model encourages a knock-on effect of professionalism. One can only hope that the newly found Palestinian Footballer's Association headed up by former national teamer Rami Rabi can make strides to close the professional gap in Palestine.

4. Incorporate forwards into the national team structure

So much talent. So few caps. Matias Jadue, Yashir Pinto, Ahmad Abu Nahyeh, & Carlos Salom all have fewer than 10 caps and were only brought into the fold in mid-2015 or later. Add Mahmoud Eid to the mix (first cap: November 2015, total caps: 12) you can see a troubling pattern forming.

There is an undoubted array of talent but no concrete idea on how to incorporate it in to the team. Success in 2017 and beyond hinges on getting this formula right.

5. More transfers for promising players

For whatever reason, moves away from the WBPL aren't as common as they should be. An initial successful generation of players in the form of Ramzi Saleh, Abdelatif Bahdari, and Ashraf Nu'man but the domino effect has yet to take place.

Perhaps a poor Asian Cup in 2015 didn't help allay the fear of scouts as to the quality of the league but there are a bevy of players who should aim to play in bigger and better leagues.

Malaysia has been a popular destination (Jonathan Cantillana, Matias Jadue, Yashir Pinto) but that should not be the goal. Palestinians should instead aim to move to the Gulf or Egypt.

One player who has the right idea is Islam Batran. He may not have broken through with the senior national team but he parlayed good showings with the Olympic team into a deal with Egypt's Wadi Degla. Although he has only played in a handful of games, he has shown potential in every game he has appeared in.

Next in line should Abdallah Jaber who was close to a move to Arab Contractors in the summer. Other promising players who should seriously push for a move are Mohammed Darweesh, Mahmoud Wadi, Ahmad Abu Nahyeh, and Tamer Seyam.

If Palestine can impress in 2017 there just might be a couple more moves might be in line for Palestine's promising players.

Thoughts on Palestine's 3-0 win over Palestino

Palestine's national team played a somewhat impromptu friendly against CD Palestino earlier this month and when the dust settled Al-Fida'i emerged comfortable 3-0 winners.

Here are three quick takeaways from the national team's win...

Highlights

The Barakat Effect

It's undeniable that who leads the team is going to have an impact on gameplay and tactics. Abdel Nasser Barakat was a little maligned for cautious displays in qualifying but those tactics allowed Palestine to stay alive in qualifying until the final month of proceedings.

For all his shortcomings when Barakat goes conservative he doesn't go full on conservative. We saw a fully regressive approach in last month's friendlies versus Lebanon and Morocco when Noureddine Ould Ali was in charge and it was ugly.

Following November's friendlies, multiple national team players reached out to me and expressed frustration with the tactics used. Although no one wants to see discord in the national team squad it was good to hear that players have the confidence in themselves to take the game to an opponent.

Barakat and the national team's approach to the Palestino game was refreshing; players played with a new found sense of freedom and the results were emphatic. Changes were far from radical- the back line was pushed further up the pitch which created a positive knock-on effect throughout the entire team.

With less of a gap between midfield and defence, Mohammed Darweesh was more adept at doing his job. Mohammed Saleh who had a much maligned debut and sophomore appearances was quietly competent. In attack everything went to plan- Palestine were able to overload the wings of Palestino's 3-4-3 formation, score nearly at will, and neutralize Palestino's threat in front of goal.

Homegrown Talent

For the first time in a very long time, Palestine fielded a starting lineup and contingent of substitutes that were born in Palestine and play domestically. Visible progress is taking hold eight years on from consistent league play in the country and the WBPL can lay claim to some very promising talents. An initial generation featuring the likes of Ramzi Saleh, Abedlatif Bahdari, Ashraf Nu'man, and to a lesser extent Khader Yousef has slowly begun to give way to a new generation who could soon make their moves abroad.

Islam Batran is the first of that class to move and is holding his own in Egypt in a talented Wadi Degla side. Abdallah Jaber was close to joining him in Egypt and despite the snag that held up his move could be on his way to greener pastures. Next in line should be Tamer Seyam who quietly had himself a very nice 2016 for both club and country. Don't rule out moves for national team stalwarts Mohammed Darweesh and Ahmad Abu Nahyeh who have consistently produced the goods for the national team during qualifying.

Competition heats up

The push for places is definitely on in this squad. Perhaps the biggest downfall of previous iterations of the national team was the lack of depth. The absence of one player could alter the performance of the entire team. If Bahdari and Dheeb were present the defence was going to be solid, if one of them was missing it was a mystery as to how the team would preform, and if both were out it was a disaster waiting to happen.

In attack, the team was completely different with and without Ashraf Nu'man.

While depth at centerback is an issue yet to be solved. There are now numerous options throughout the team.

Rami Hamadi could wrestle the #1 shirt from Toufic Ali in 2017. The right back spot that was a sole proprietorship of Alexis Norambuena is now more of a joint venture. The emergence of Mohammed Yameen might result in Pablo Tamburrini seeing time on the bench.

In attack there is no shortage of options. Tamer Seyam took the game by the scruff of the neck against Palestino, setting up two goals and creating a plethora of chances. With Jonathan Cantillana's club situation up in the air, Seyam might have done enough to warrant consideration as a starter.

The return of Ashraf Nu'man from his brief international retirement gives the national team a player who can change the game on his own. His free kick to put Palestine up 2-0 was nothing short of world class and on his day he is one of the best players on the Asian continent.

Of course there's the dilemma of who to start up top. A new season in Malaysia will see Matías Jadue and Yashir Pinto Islame duke it out in the country's top tier. Carlos Salom will be playing in Copa Libertadores come 2017 and Mahmoud Eid, going into his first full season in the Allsvenskan, represents Palestine's best hope at seeing a national team player in one of Europe's top leagues. Domestic options in the form Ahmad Abu Nahyeh and Hamada Mar'aba should give Barakat the confidence to loosen the reins and let the team attack with purpose in 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifying.

Shabab Al-Khalil's potential AFC Cup group revealed

Shabab Al-Khalil is loaded with Palestinian NT players

This morning, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) conducted the draw for the 2017 AFC Cup. This edition marks the fourth consecutive participation for Palestinian clubs.

It was announced yesterday that Shabab Al-Khalil would play Al-Suwaiq in a two legged play-off for a spot in the group stages.

Those matches are slated for Monday, January 30th and Tuesday, February 7th.

Shabab Al-Dhahrieh were the maiden AFC Cup participant losing on penalties in 2013 to Kyrgyz side Aly Osh in a preliminary playoff.

The following year, Taraji Wadi Al-Nes were granted direct access to the competition while Hilal Al-Quds entered in the playoff stage. Once again, a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw undid a Palestinian team and Syria's Al-Jaish progressed to the group stages.

Taraji Wadi Al-Nes fared better going undefeated at home (5/9 points) including a famous scalp of Iraq's Al-Shorta.

2016 saw two Palestinian sides participate in the group stage for the first time and while Ahli Al-Khaleel and Shabab Al-Dhahrieh's campaigns were mired by the AFC's inability to hold clubs who refused to travel to Palestine to task.

To make matters worse, eleven members of Shabab Al-Dhahrieh's squad were denied entry to Lebanon to play Syrian side Al-Wahda. For its part, the AFC administratively awarded both matches to Shabab Al-Dhahrieh but only after Al-Wahda had advanced to the Round of 16 and lost 4-0 to Al-Ahed of Lebanon.

Should Shabab Al-Khalil progress they will be placed in Group A alongside Iraqi League Champions Al-Zawraa, Jordanian Cup Champions Al-Ahli, and Syrian Champions Al-Jaish.

A rejig of the competition's format means that only four teams will progress from the three Western groups (as opposed to six).

Shabab Al-Khalil to face Al-Suwaiq for spot in AFC Cup

Al-Suwaiq: Oman Pro League Runners-up in 2015/16

The Asian Football Confederation has revealed, following a draw, that Shabab Al-Khalil will face Omani side Al-Suwaiq in the AFC Cup playoff stage.

Shabab Al-Khalil will host the first leg of the encounter on January 30th, 2017. The return is slated for Al-Seeb Stadium, the following Tuesday, February 7th.

In last year's edition, Omani clubs Fanja and Oruba travelled to Palestine meaning we are unlikely to see Shabab's home game moved to a neutral venue.

Al-Ahli and Al-Dhahrieh went undefeated against Omani opposition during that tournament. Securing 3-3 and 1-1 draws away while emerging victorious by scores of 2-1 and 2-0, respectively.

The winner of the match will progress to the group stages of the 2017 AFC Cup. The draw for the group stage is set for December 13th.

Al-Suwaiq have had a horrid time this season collecting a meager 13 points in the first half of the season from 13 games. At the time of writing they are hovering just two points above the automatic relegation places and a whopping 13 points back of leaders Al-Shabab Club.

For them to replicate their 48 point haul from last season they would have collect 35 of the 39 points on offer in the second leg of the season.

For their part, Shabab AL-Khalil have also gotten off to a wobbly start this season. After lifting silverware in the form of the Yasser Arafat Cup (a poisoned chalice of sorts as no team has won the preseason tourney and league in the same year), Shabab fired their coaching staff, and benched their star goalkeeper Toufic Ali.

Things have picked for Shabab since. A 3-0 win over leaders Thaqafi Tulkarem seemed to signal an end to their problems in front of goal.

More information on the 2017 AFC Cup draw can be found here.

Hasil dan Klasermen Sementara Torabika Soccer Championship (TSC) atau ISC A 2016 Pekan/ Round ke-33, 15 Desember 2016

Berikut ini Klasermen Sementara Torabika Soccer Championship (TSC) 2016 atau ISC A 2016 Pekan/ Round ke-33 dan Hasil Lengkap Pertandingan Pekan/ Round ke-29 sampai ke-33, yang sudah dimainkan pada 18 November 2016 sampai 15 Desember 2016.

HASIL PERTANDINGAN:

Pekan/ Round 29:

[18 November 2016]
Pusamania Borneo 3-1 Persela

[19 November 2016]
Persiba 1-4 Persipura
Barito Putera 0-1 Arema
Persib 1-0 Semen Padang

[20 November 2016]
Perseru 0-0 Sriwijaya
PS.TNI 2-4 Bali United
Madura United 1-0 Persija

[21 November 2016]
Bhayangkara Surabaya 0-1 PSM
Mitra Kukar 2-1 Gresik United

Pekan/ Round 30:

[25 November 2016]
Arema 2-1 PS.TNI

[26 November 2016]
Persipura 2-0 Madura United
Semen Padang 1-0 Persiba
Persela 2-1 Persib

[27 November 2016]
PSM 2-1 Mitra Kukar
Pusamania Borneo 6-1 Perseru
Gresik United 0-1 Bali United
Persija 1-1 Bhayangkara Surabaya

[28 November 2016]
Sriwijaya 2-2 Barito Putera

Pekan/ Round 31:

[30 November 2016]
Persib 6-2 Perseru
Persiba 3-3 Persela

[1 Desember 2016]
Madura United 2-1 Semen Padang
Barito Putera 1-0 Pusamania Borneo

[2 Desember 2016]
Persipura 2-1 Bhayangkara Surabaya
Mitra Kukar 2-0 Persija

[3 Desember 2016]
Bali United 2-2 Arema
Gresik United 1-3 PSM

[pertandingan dijadwal ulang]
PS.TNI - Sriwijaya

Pekan/ Round 32:

[4 Desember 2016]
Persela 2-1 Madura United
Barito Putera 1-1 Persib

[Desember 2016]
Pusamania Borneo 6-1 PS.TNI

[6 Desember 2016]
Bali United 0-2 PSM
Perseru 3-0 Persiba
Bhayangkara Surabaya 2-2 Semen Padang

[7 Desember 2016]
Mitra Kukar 1-2 Persipura
Persija 0-1 Gresik United

[8 Desember 2016]
Arema 3-2 Sriwijaya

Pekan/ Round 33:

[9 Desember 2016]
Bhayangkara Surabaya 3-0 Persela
Persib 4-0 PS.TNI

[10 Desember 2016]
Madura United 7-1 Perseru
PSM 0-1 Persija

[11 Desember 2016]
Gresik United 0-3 Persipura
Sriwijaya 2-1 Bali United
Pusamania Borneo 2-2 Arema

[12 Desember 2016]
Persiba 1-1 Barito Putera
Semen Padang 3-2 Mitra Kukar

Pertandingan tunda pekan ke-18:

[13 Desember 2016]
PS. TNI 1-1 Bhayangkara Surabaya

[14 Desember 2016]
Persib 1-0 Pusamania Borneo

Pertandingan tunda pekan ke-31:

[15 Desember 2016]
PS. TNI 2-5 Sriwijaya

Klasermen Sementara Torabika Soccer Championship (TSC) 2016/ ISC A 2016, sampai

Pekan/ Round ke-33:

1. PERSIPURA JAYAPURA 33 19 8 6 49 25 +24 65
2. AREMA CRONUS 33 18 9 6 46 22 +24 63
3. MADURA UNITED 33 18 7 8 56 39 +17 61
4. BHAYANGKARA FC 33 15 9 9 50 33 +17 54
5. PERSIB BANDUNG 33 15 9 9 45 33 +12 54
6. PSM MAKASSAR 33 16 6 11 50 42 +8 54
7. SRIWIJAYA FC 33 14 11 8 59 37 +22 53
8. PUSAMANIA BORNEO FC 33 14 8 11 60 38 +22 50
9. MITRA KUTAI KARTANEGARA 33 13 10 10 47 42 +5 49
10. SEMEN PADANG 33 14 7 12 44 34 +10 49
11. PERSERU SERUI 33 12 7 14 37 51 -14 43
12. BALI UNITED 33 10 9 14 35 51 -16 39
13. PERSIJA JAKARTA 33 8 10 15 24 41 -17 34
14. PERSIBA BALIKPAPAN 33 8 8 17 36 52 -16 32
15. PERSELA LAMONGAN 33 8 8 17 39 59 -20 32
16. BARITO PUTERA 33 7 9 17 39 50 -11 30
17. PERSEGRES GRESIK UNITED 33 7 8 18 30 61 -31 29
18. PS TNI 33 7 5 21 37 73 -36 26

JADWAL PERTANDINGAN TERAKHIR:

Pekan/ Round 34:

[16 Desember 2016]
Persela vs Mitra Kukar

[17 Desember 2016]
Semen Padang vs Gresik United
PS.TNI vs Persiba
Bali United vs Persija

[18 Desember 2016]
Perseru vs Bhayangkara Surabaya
Persipura vs PSM
Sriwijaya vs Pusamania Borneo
Arema vs Persib
Barito Putera vs Madura United

Palestine loses automatic spot in AFC Cup

The AFC Competitions Committee has revealed allocations for upcoming Asian competitions in 2017 and 2018. The Member Associations ranking take into account results of the national team (30%) and club teams in Asian competitions (70%). For the latest period (2014-16), Palestine's results (somehow inexplicably) saw them drop from the 25th to the 28th spot.

The Competitions Committee determined that the next ranking would only take club results into account.

Palestine was ranked 7th out of 7 MAs in West Asia. In sixth place was Oman whose two clubs- Fanja and Oruba lost and drew against Ahli and Dhahrieh last year.

The timing of the announcement means Ahli Al-Khaleel will miss out on participating via the playoff spot and defending WBPL champion, Shabab Al-Khaleel will no longer be entered in the group stage.

Instead, Shabab Al-Khaleel will participate in a home and away playoff on February 7th. No announcement has been made as to the identity of the opponent or venue(s) for the game.

Klasemen Akhir Babak Grup dan Hasil Liga Europa UEFA 2016-2017 (UEFA Europa League, Group Stage), Pertandingan Pekan ke-6 (Matchday 6) 8 Desember 2016

Berikut ini Klasemen Akhir dan Hasil Babak Grup Liga Europa UEFA 2016-2017 (UEFA Europa League, Group Stage), setelah Pertandingan Pekan ke-6 (Matchday 6) yang dimainkan pada Kamis, 8 Desember 2016.

Klasemen Akhir Grup A:

1. Fenerbahçe 6 4 1 1 8 6 +2 13
2. Manchester United 6 4 0 2 12 4 +8 12
3. Feyenoord 6 2 1 3 3 7 -4 7
4. Zorya Luhansk 6 0 2 4 2 8 -6 2

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+1).
Feyenoord 0-1 Fenerbahçe.
Pencetak gol Fenerbahçe: Sow 22'.
Stadion: De Kuip, Rotterdam.

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+1).
Zorya Luhansk 0-2 Manchester United.
Pencetak gol Manchester United: Mkhitaryan 48', Ibrahimović 88'.
Stadion: Chornomorets Stadium, Odessa.

Klasemen Akhir Grup B:

1. APOEL 6 4 0 2 8 6 +2 12
2. Olympiacos 6 2 2 2 7 6 +1 8
3. Young Boys 6 2 2 2 7 4 +3 8
4. Astana 6 1 2 3 5 11 -6 5

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+1).
Young Boys 3-0 Astana.
Pencetak gol Young Boys: Frey 63', Hoarau 66', Schick 71'.
Stadion: Stade de Suisse, Bern.

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+1).
APOEL 2-0 Olympiacos.
Pencetak gol APOEL: da Costa 19'(og), de Camargo 83'.
Stadion: GSP Stadium, Nicosia.

Klasemen Akhir Grup C:

1. Saint-Étienne 6 3 3 0 8 5 +3 12
2. Anderlecht 6 3 2 1 16 8 +8 11
3. Mainz 05 6 2 3 1 8 10 -2 9
4. Gabala 6 0 0 6 5 14 -9 0

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+1).
Mainz 05 2-0 Gabala.
Pencetak gol Mainz 05: Hack 30', De Blasis 40'.
Stadion: Opel Arena, Mainz.

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+1).
Anderlecht 2-3 Saint-Étienne.
Pencetak gol Anderlecht: Chipciu 21', Stanciu 31'.
Pencetak gol Saint-Étienne: Søderlund 62', 67', Monnet-Paquet 74'.
Stadion: Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Anderlecht.

Klasemen Akhir Grup D:

1. Zenit Saint Petersburg 6 5 0 1 17 8 +9 15
2. AZ 6 2 2 2 6 10 -4 8
3. Maccabi Tel Aviv 6 2 1 3 7 9 -2 7
4. Dundalk 6 1 1 4 5 8 -3 4

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+1).
AZ 3-2 Zenit Saint Petersburg.
Pencetak gol AZ: Rienstra 7', Haps 43', Tanković 68'.
Pencetak gol Zenit Saint Petersburg: Giuliano 58', Wuytens 80'(og).
Stadion: AFAS Stadion, Alkmaar.

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+1).
Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-1 Dundalk.
Pencetak gol Maccabi Tel Aviv: Ben Haim II 21'(pen), Micha 38'.
Pencetak gol Dundalk: Dasa 27'(og).
Stadion: Netanya Stadium, Netanya.

Klasemen Akhir Grup E:

1. Roma 6 3 3 0 16 7 +9 12
2. Astra Giurgiu 6 2 2 2 7 10 -3 8
3. Viktoria Plzeň 6 1 3 2 7 10 -3 6
4. Austria Wien 6 1 2 3 11 14 -3 5

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+1).
Viktoria Plzeň 3-2 Austria Wien.
Pencetak gol Viktoria Plzeň: Hořava 44', Ďuriš 72', 84'.
Pencetak gol Austria Wien: Holzhauser 19'(pen), Rotpuller 40'.
Stadion: Doosan Arena, Plzeň.

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+1).
Astra Giurgiu 0-0 Roma.
Stadion: Arena Națională, Bucharest.

Klasemen Akhir Grup F:

1. Genk 6 4 0 2 13 9 +4 12
2. Athletic Bilbao 6 3 1 2 10 11 -1 10
3. Rapid Wien 6 1 3 2 7 8 -1 6
4. Sassuolo 6 1 2 3 9 11 -2 5

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+1).
Rapid Wien 1-1 Athletic Bilbao.
Pencetak gol Rapid Wien: Joelinton 72'.
Pencetak gol Athletic Bilbao: Saborit 84'.
Stadion: Allianz Stadion, Vienna.

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+1), pertandingan ditunda dan dijadwal ulang menjadi:
9 Desember 2016, 12:30 (UTC+1).
Sassuolo 0-2 Genk.
Pencetak gol Genk: Heynen 58', Trossard 80'.
Stadion: Mapei Stadium - Città del Tricolore, Reggo Emilia.

Klasemen Akhir Grup G:

1. Ajax 6 4 2 0 11 6 +5 14
2. Celta Vigo 6 2 3 1 10 7 +3 9
3. Standard Liège 6 1 4 1 8 6 +2 7
4. Panathinaikos 6 0 1 5 3 13 -10 1

8 Desember 2016, 21:05 (UTC+1).
Standard Liège 1-1 Ajax.
Pencetak gol Standard Liège: Raman 85'.
Pencetak gol Ajax: El Ghazi 27'.
Stadion: Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège.

8 Desember 2016, 21:05 (UTC+1).
Panathinaikos 0-2 Celta Vigo.
Pencetak gol Celta Vigo: Guidetti 4', Orellana 76'(pen).
Stadion: Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, Athens.

Klasemen Akhir Grup H:

1. Shakhtar Donetsk 6 6 0 0 21 5 +16 18
2. Gent 6 2 2 2 9 13 -4 8
3. Braga 6 1 3 2 9 11 -2 6
4. Konyaspor 6 0 1 5 2 12 -10 1

8 Desember 2016, 17:00 (UTC+1).
Konyaspor 0-1 Gent.
Pencetak gol Gent: Coulibaly 90+4'.
Stadion: Torku Arena, Konya.

8 Desember 2016, 17:00 (UTC+1).
Braga 2-4 Shakhtar Donetsk.
Pencetak gol Braga: Stojiljković 43', Vukčević 89'.
Pencetak gol Shakhtar Donetsk: Kryvtsov 22', 62', Taison 39', 66'.
Stadion: Estádio Municipal, Braga.

Klasemen Akhir Grup I:

1. Schalke 04 6 5 0 1 9 3 +6 15
2. Krasnodar 6 2 1 3 8 8 0 7
3. Red Bull Salzburg 6 2 1 3 6 6 0 7
4. Nice 6 2 0 4 5 11 -6 6

8 Desember 2016, 21:05 (UTC+1).
Red Bull Salzburg 2-0 Schalke 04.
Pencetak gol Red Bull Salzburg: Schlager 22', Radošević 90+4'.
Stadion: Red Bull Arena, Wals-Siezenheim.

8 Desember 2016, 21:05 (UTC+1).
Nice 2-1 Krasnodar.
Pencetak gol Nice: Bosetti 64'(pen), Le Marchand 77'.
Pencetak gol Krasnodar: Smolov 52'.
Stadion: Allianz Riviera, Nice.

Klasemen Akhir Grup J:

1. Fiorentina 6 4 1 1 15 6 +9 13
2. PAOK 6 3 1 2 7 6 +1 10
3. Qarabağ 6 2 1 3 7 12 -5 7
4. Slovan Liberec 6 1 1 4 7 12 -5 4

8 Desember 2016, 17:00 (UTC+1).
Qarabağ 1-2 Fiorentina.
Pencetak gol Qarabağ: Reynaldo 73'.
Pencetak gol Fiorentina: Vecino 60', Chiesa 76'.
Stadion: Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku.

8 Desember 2016, 17:00 (UTC+1).
PAOK 2-0 Slovan Liberec.
Pencetak gol Slovan Liberec: Rodrigues 29', Pelkas 67'.
Stadion: Toumba Stadium, Thessaloniki.

Klasemen Akhir Grup K:

1. Sparta Prague 6 4 0 2 8 6 +2 12
2. Hapoel Be'er Sheva 6 2 2 2 6 6 0 8
3. Southampton 6 2 2 2 6 4 +2 8
4. Internazionale 6 2 0 4 7 11 -4 6

8 Desember 2016, 21:05 (UTC+1).
Internazionale 2-1 Sparta Prague.
Pencetak gol Internazionale: Éder 23', 90'.
Pencetak gol Sparta Prague: Mareček 54'.
Stadion: San Siro, Milan.

8 Desember 2016, 21:05 (UTC+1).
Southampton 1-1 Hapoel Be'er Sheva.
Pencetak gol Southampton: Van Dijk 90+1'.
Pencetak gol Hapoel Be'er Sheva: Buzaglo 79'.
Stadion: St Mary's Stadium, Southampton.

Klasemen Akhir Grup L:

1. Osmanlıspor 6 3 1 2 10 7 +3 10
2. Villarreal 6 2 3 1 9 8 +1 9
3. Zürich 6 1 3 2 5 7 -2 6
4. Steaua București 6 1 3 2 5 7 -2 6

8 Desember 2016, 17:00 (UTC+1).
Osmanlıspor 2-0 Zürich.
Pencetak gol Osmanlıspor: Delarge 73', Kılıçaslan 89'.
Stadion: Osmanlı Stadyumu, Ankara.

8 Desember 2016, 17:00 (UTC+1).
Villarreal 2-1 Steaua București.
Pencetak gol Villarreal: Sansone 16', Trigueros 88'.
Pencetak gol Steaua București: Achim 55'.
Stadion: El Madrigal, Villarreal.

Hasil Lengkap Pertandingaan Semi Final Piala Suzuki AFF 2016 (AFF Suzuki Cup/ AFF Championship)

Berikut ini Hasil Lengkap Pertandingaan Fase Knockout/ Semi Final Piala Suzuki AFF 2016 (AFF Suzuki Cup/ AFF Championship), yang menggunakan sistem kandang-tandang (home and away) dan digelar pada 3-8 Desember 2016.

FASE KNOCKOUT (Knockout Stage):

SEMI FINAL (Semifinals):

Hasil Pertandingan Pertama (First Leg):

3 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+7).
Indonesia 2-1 Vietnam.
Pencetak gol Indonesia: Hansamu 7', Boaz 50'(pen).
Pencetak gol Vietnam: Quyết 17'(pen).
Stadion: Pakansari Stadium, Bogor.

4 Desember 201618:30 (UTC+6:30).
Myanmar 0-2 Thailand.
Pencetak gol Thailand: Teerasil 23', 55'.
Stadion: Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon.

Hasil Pertandingan Kedua (Second Leg):

7 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+7:00).
Vietnam 2–2 Indonesia, (babak tambahan waktu).
Pencetak gol Vietnam: Thanh 83', Tuấn 90+4'.
Pencetak gol Indonesia: Lilipaly 54', Lestusen 97'(pen).
Stadion: Mỹ Đình National Stadium, Hanoi.

Indonesia menang dengan aggregate 4-3.

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+7:00).
Thailand 4-0 Myanmar.
Pencetak gol Thailand: Sarawut 33', Theerathon 65'(pen), Siroch 75', Chanathip 83'.
Stadion: Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok.

Thailand menang dengan aggregate 6-0.

Jadwal Pertandingan Final:

Pertandingan Pertama (First Leg):

14 Desember 2016.
Indonesia vs Thailand.
Stadion: Pakansari Stadium, Bogor.

Pertandingan Kedua (Second Leg):

17 Desember 2016.
Thailand vs Indonesia.
Stadion: Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok.

Klasemen Akhir Babak Grup dan Hasil Liga Champions UEFA 2016-2017 (UEFA Champions League, Group Stage), Pertandingan Pekan ke-6 (Matchday 6) 6-7 Desember 2016

Berikut ini Klasemen Akhir dan Hasil Babak Grup Liga Champions UEFA 2016-2017 (UEFA Champions League, Group Stage), setelah Pertandingan Pekan ke-6 (Matchday 6) yang dimainkan pada Selasa-Rabu, 6-7 Desember 2016.

Klasemen Akhir Grup A:

1. Arsenal 6 4 2 0 18 6 +12 14
2. Paris Saint-Germain 6 3 3 0 13 7 +6 12
3. Ludogorets Razgrad 6 0 3 3 6 15 -9 3
4. Basel 6 0 2 4 3 12 -9 2

6 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Paris Saint-Germain 2-2 Ludogorets Razgrad.
Pencetak gol Paris Saint-Germain: Cavani 61', Di María 90+2'.
Pencetak gol Ludogorets Razgrad: Misidjan 15', Wanderson 69'.
Stadion: Parc des Princes, Paris.

6 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Basel 1-4 Arsenal.
Pencetak gol Basel: Doumbia 78'.
Pencetak gol Arsenal: Pérez 8', 16', 47', Iwobi 53'.
Stadion: St. Jakob-Park, Basel.

Klasemen Akhir Grup B:

1. Napoli 6 3 2 1 11 8 +3 11
2. Benfica 6 2 2 2 10 10 0 8
3. Beşiktaş 6 1 4 1 9 14 -5 7
4. Dynamo Kyiv 6 1 2 3 8 6 +2 5

6 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Dynamo Kyiv 6-0 Beşiktaş.
Pencetak gol Dynamo Kyiv: Besyedin 9', Yarmolenko 30'(pen), Buyalskyi 32', González

45+3', Sydorchuk 60', Moraes 77'.
Stadion: Olympic Stadium, Kiev.

6 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Benfica 1-2 Napoli.
Pencetak gol Benfica: Jiménez 87'.
Pencetak gol Napoli: Callejón 60', Mertens 79'.
Stadion: Estádio da Luz, Lisbon.

Klasemen Akhir Grup C:

1. Barcelona 6 5 0 1 20 4 +16 15
2. Manchester City 6 2 3 1 12 10 +2 9
3. Borussia Mönchengladbach 6 1 2 3 5 12 -7 5
4. Celtic 6 0 3 3 5 16 -11 3

6 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Barcelona 4-0 Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Pencetak gol Barcelona: Messi 16', Turan 50', 53', 67'.
Stadion: Camp Nou, Barcelona.

6 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Manchester City 1-1 Celtic.
Pencetak gol Manchester City: Iheanacho 8'.
Pencetak gol Celtic: Roberts 4'.
Stadion: City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester.

Klasemen Akhir Grup D:

1. Atlético Madrid 6 5 0 1 7 2 +5 15
2. Bayern Munchen 6 4 0 2 14 6 +8 12
3. Rostov 6 1 2 3 6 12 -6 5
4. PSV Eindhoven 6 0 2 4 4 11 -7 2

6 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Bayern Munchen 1-0 Atlético Madrid.
Pencetak gol Bayern Munchen: Lewandowski 28'.
Stadion: Allianz Arena, Munich.

6 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
PSV Eindhoven0-0 Rostov.
Stadion: Philips Stadion, Eindhoven.

Klasemen Akhir Grup E:

1. Monaco 6 3 2 1 9 7 +2 11
2. Bayer Leverkusen 6 2 4 0 8 4 +4 10
3. Tottenham Hotspur 6 2 1 3 6 6 0 7
4. CSKA Moscow 6 0 3 3 5 11 -6 3

7 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 Monaco.
Pencetak gol Bayer Leverkusen: Yurchenko 30', Brandt 48', De Sanctis 82'(og).
Stadion: BayArena, Leverkusen.

7 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 CSKA Moscow.
Pencetak gol Tottenham Hotspur: Alli 38', Kane 45+1', Akinfeev 77'(og).
Pencetak gol CSKA Moscow: Dzagoev 33'.
Stadion: Wembley Stadium, London.

Klasemen Akhir Grup F:

1. Borussia Dortmund 6 4 2 0 21 9 +12 14
2. Real Madrid 6 3 3 0 16 10 +6 12
3. Legia Warsaw 6 1 1 4 9 24 -15 4
4. Sporting CP 6 1 0 5 5 8 -3 3

7 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Real Madrid 2-2 Borussia Dortmund.
Pencetak gol Real Madrid: Benzema 28', 53'.
Pencetak gol Borussia Dortmund: Aubameyang 60', Reus 88'.
Stadion: Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid.

7 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Legia Warsaw 1-0 Sporting CP.
Pencetak gol Legia Warsaw: Guilherme 30'.
Stadion: Polish Army Stadium, Warsaw.

Klasemen Akhir Grup G:

1. Leicester City 6 4 1 1 7 6 +1 13
2. Porto 6 3 2 1 9 3 +6 11
3. Copenhagen 6 2 3 1 7 2 +5 9
4. Club Brugge 6 0 0 6 2 14 -12 0

7 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Club Brugge 0-2 Copenhagen.
Pencetak gol Copenhagen: Mechele 8'(og), Jørgensen 15'.
Stadion: Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges.

7 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Porto 5-0 Leicester City.
Pencetak gol Porto: Silva 6', 64'(pen), Corona 26', Brahimi 44', Jota 77'.
Stadion: Estádio do Dragão, Porto.

Klasemen Akhir Grup H:

1. Juventus 6 4 2 0 11 2 +9 14
2. Sevilla 6 3 2 1 7 3 +4 11
3. Lyon 6 2 2 2 5 3 +2 8
4. Dinamo Zagreb 6 0 0 6 0 15 -15 0

7 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Lyon 0-0 Sevilla.
Stadion: Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Décines-Charpieu.

7 Desember 2016, 20:45 (UTC+1).
Juventus 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb.
Pencetak gol Juventus: Higuaín 52', Rugani 73'.
Stadion: Juventus Stadium, Turin.

Palestine's Depth Chart (Forwards)

Mahmoud Eid is the only holdover from the 2015 Asian Cup

Heading into 2017, what does Palestine's core look like? AND how close are we to fielding a team that can not only qualify for UAE 2019 but do some serious damage?

The answers to these questions aren't clearer after the last set of friendlies. While it was nice to see two friendlies booked for the same window; certain circles will be lamenting the lack of rotation.

Fans have their opinions and so do we but in this article we'll look at how the staff rates the players in the pool.

Palestine famously qualified for the 2015 Asian Cup without an out-and-out striker but two years on there are a number of new, talented players in the pool.

Below is the definitive ranking of national team forwards:

1. Yashir Pinto Islame

25 years old, 3 (2)

2. Carlos Salom

29 years old, 1 (1)

3. Mahmoud Eid

23 years old, 12 (1)

4. Ahmed Abu Nahyeh

25 years old 7 (5)

5. Matías Jadue

24 years old, 6 (1)

6. Hamada Mar'aba

22 years old, 0 (0)

7. Rodrigo Gattas

25 years old, 0 (0)

8. Ahmed Maher

25 years old 12 (5)

Let me preface this by saying ranking the forwards in the pool was no easy task. There is a small sample size or a flawed sample size for every player capped in the last two years. When ranking players- especially strikers- you need to take into consideration a variety of factors- including club form.

Palestine is fortunate to have options but sometimes that results in a lack of direction. A national team manager needs to settle on a formation and a group of players. Fostering consistency means fewer mixups on the pitch, which in turn, leads to results.

Salom in action for Union Española in Chile

Carlos Salom may have only played one game for Palestine but he's been electric during this Chilean Apertura campaign 7 goals in 14 games and another four in five cup matches means he's averaging a goal every 148 minutes. His work off the ball is equally impressive getting service to the Apertura's leading scorer Diego Churín.

Salom showcased his ability to terrorize defences against Tajikistan. He was guilty of holding the ball for too long at times but Salom could be the most electric player to wear the Palestine jersey since Ashraf Nu'man.

His understandable refusal to travel to Lebanon from Chile on anything less than a Business Class ticket is understandable. The FA needs to have a policy in place that gives our players the best treatment possible. Expecting a player to be good to go after 20 hours of travel in economy is preposterous.

Fans have been frustrated with Mahmoud Eid's lack of goals with the national team which is an unfair criticism given the fact that he has been played in games where Palestine had very little attacking intent. Eid scored in his second match against Vietnam but then was fielded in all three Asian Cup matches and two warm up games where Palestine scored a total of one goal. What fans tend to forget is that when Eid isn't scoring he contributes in other ways.

Eid is a fantastic crosser of the ball his set piece ability led to Ihbeisheh's goal at the Asian Cup and Palestine's first 2018 World Cup qualifying goal.

In his one year absence from the team Mahmoud Eid didn't sulk instead he kept racking up the goals. Earning a move to Atvidaberg in the Superettan where he continued to score (8 goals, 3 assists in 16 matches) and eventually moving to the top tier in midseason with Kalmar FF. In 10 appearances he managed three starts and notched two goals. Those are solid numbers and when the Allsvenskan starts again in March he should be well poised to do even better.

Yashir Pinto Islame has been solid in his three caps. He is yet another player in the side who managed to score on his national team debut and he won a penalty in gritty fashion in the second friendly against Tajikistan. His form over the past year in Chile's Primera B and Malaysia's second tier is nothing to scoff at (11 goals for Curicó in 20, four in five for Melaka).

Jadue scored on his debut but is scoreless in the last five.

Matías Jadue was the forerunner in making the move to Malaysia's second tier. His gamble paid off, as he has found a home and was instrumental in PKNS's promotion and impressive cup runs (a total of 19 goals in all competitions).

It will be interesting to see how they adapt in the Malaysian Super League after leading their respective sides to promotion. Both Yashir and Jadue have been dogged by the reputations of the leagues they play so they'll need to keep scoring in order to push for starting spots with the national team.

Jadue has been lethal for PKNS in Malaysia and one can only hope that that confidence carries over to the national team.

The only domestically based player to merit starting consideration up top is Ahmad Abu Nahyeh. Abu Nahyeh's goals have been crucial- he was the inspiration in a 6-0 demolition of Malaysia and before that he kept Palestine's qualifying hopes alive; coming off the bench to nab an equalizer against Timor Leste.

That said, his form for Shabab Al-Khalil has dipped and he has only scored one league goal since making a big fuss about his wages.

Rodrigo Gattas has been included in the squad since his summer move to Hilal Al-Quds at the expense of his teammate Ahmad Diyab. Gattas has one WBPL goal to Diyab's five.

Hamada Mar'aba has a good track record of goal scoring have notched 17 WBPL goals last year. He has six to his name already and is on course for his second golden boot in as many years, he could be a player to watch in 2017.

Ahmed Maher has worked hard to earn his way back into the national team. There's some confusion as to where he should play but he has been an effective striker for a surprising Shabab Al-Dhahrieh side. His five goals has the Oryxes in the thick of the title race and he'll be hoping for his first call up since June 2015.

ANALYSIS

Palestine have been goal-shy against competent opposition in the Barakat era. Some of that is by design as it was quite clear that Palestine needed to shore up defensively following a disastrous showing at the Asian Cup. Three blowout wins against Timor Leste and Malaysia excepted, Palestine have scored three goals from open play in nine games. Even if you toss in the penalties and free kicks Palestine have only seven goals in nine games.

The challenge going forward is to find the right pairing in attack. Palestine have a litany of options but it's important to note the differences between them. Matías Jadue is great in the air, and can provide good holdup play but if he's to play then the 4-4-1-1 will need to be altered to a 4-2-3-1.

Mini-Pinilla: Yashir in action against Timor-Leste

There will be pressure on the full-backs and inverted wingers to provide him with service.

Given Palestine's revolving door at right back that change might never materialize.

The consensus is that Yashir Pinto Islame and Mahmoud Eid are in the same mold as Matías Jadue. This isn't the case at all- both players are faster and more mobile. Eid's crossing make him a viable option as an inverted winger in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation.

Islame is particularly adept at making late runs into the box which adds a different dimension to his game. This element means the quick transition game that Barakat implemented whilst in charge of the Olympic side is more viable with Islame than Jadue.

Carlos Salom is a complete departure from the aforementioned forwards as his speed can unsettle and unbalance a defence. That said, to be truly effective he'll need a partner to play off of. Elements of how effective he could be were on display particularly in the first 20 minutes against Tajikistan.

Ahmad Abu Nahyeh is similar to Carlos Salom but his decision making lets him down. He should have a future with the national team given his five goals in seven appearances. but perhaps he is at his most effective as a super sub running at a tired defence.

The challenge for the coaching staff is to find a style that incorporates the different types of forwards in the pool effectively. It also has to account that it is unlikely all five will be available for any given match. If they are, then three will have to be content with sitting on the bench.

Should Barakat want to build around Salom he'll have to mend fences immediately. If that's the case then we will probably see a pairing of Jadue/Islame/Eid & Salom/Abu Nahyeh in the 4-4-1-1.

Things become more complicated in Salom's absence. As mentioned previously, a WBPL striker with one goal to his name has no business starting for the national team. At the time of writing we don't quite know how Islame dovetails with Jadue or Eid as they haven't played together.

Jadue and Eid featured from the start against Malaysia and Timor Leste but to be truly effective they'll need other pieces to complement them. It will require a player in the hole in the shape of Batran or Awad to control the pace of a slower build up.

Whatever the decision from the staff is, Palestine will need to push further up the pitch against their opponents in Asian Cup qualifying. Palestine has an enviable strike force and no other team in qualifying has two established former Chilean youth internationals, a striker scoring for fun in a top South American league, AND a prodigious talent playing in the top tier in Europe.

It would be all for naught if Palestine continue to play too deep, their center backs aren't adept at playing the ball out of the back with long range passes and a hoof and hope approach is unlikely to yield many results.

Palestine's Depth Chart (Midfield)

Imad Zatara (L) one of many fighting for a position in Palestine's midfield.

Heading into 2017, what does Palestine's core look like? AND how close are we to fielding a team that can not only qualify for UAE 2019 but do some serious damage?

The answers to these questions aren't clearer after the last set of friendlies. While it was nice to see two friendlies booked for the same window; certain circles will be lamenting the lack of rotation.

Fans have their opinions and so do we but in this article we'll look at how the staff rates the players in the pool.

Below is the definitive ranking of national team midfielders:

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS

1. Mohammed Darweesh
9 caps, 25 years old
2. Pablo Tamburrini
9 caps, 25 years old
3. Shadi Shaban
2 caps, 24 years old
4. Mohammed Yameen
2 caps, 24 years old
5. Oday Kharoub
1 cap, 23 years old
6. Khader Yousef
63 caps, 32 years old

Tamburrini has been a constant fixture of Barakat's sides.

Palestine completely overhauled this group after the 2015 Asian Cup and with good reason. The only bright spot from the middle of the pitch came when a half-fit Hesham Salhe nearly opened the scoring vs. Jordan with a thunderous strike. The rest of what Khader Yousef, Murad Ismail, and the aforementioned Salhe produced was largely unforgettable. The group was wanting defensively and had difficulty retaining possession and developing a sustained attack. Fast forward two years and the contingent is led by a completely different cast of characters.

The first name on this list should be no surprise. Mohammed Darweesh is the most positionally disciplined midfielder in the pool and he loves breaking up play and hovering in front of the backline. Yes he can be guilty of the rash tackle and has a penchant for collecting yellow cards but Palestine absolutely needs this type of player especially against stronger opponents. I bet Emirati players thought playing against Palestine would be a cakewalk and Darweesh's physicality set the tone for both encounters.

Palestine lack a passer in this group but the best of that bunch is Pablo Tamburrini. The Chilean born player can be depended on for tidiness in possession.

Palestine has sat deep against stronger opponents and have lacked the kind of midfielder who could switch play with accurate long range passing. This is something that has to be corrected and can be done so if Palestine pushes everything about 10-15 meters further up the pitch.

Palestino's forgotten man: Shadi Shaban

Shadi Shaban has a lot of support amongst followers of the WBPL and his loan move to CD Palestino is indicative of the Acre native's raw talent. His lack of play with the Chilean side is also indicative of his shortcomings. Shaban is a box-to-box midfielder but he has a habit of trying to do too much on his own. Thaqafi Tulkarem's Mohammed Yameen is much in the same mold and it remains to be seen whether Tamburrini's discipline will be sacrificed for something a little bit more dynamic.

Oday Kharoub has been a consistent WBPL performer and has put in some nice performances with the Olympic team. He's a more attacking option than the aforementioned names and doubts remain whether he can adapt to the speed of the international game.

Which brings us to Khader Yousef who is the second most capped outfield player in Palestine's history. His last cap came in March as a substitute against Timor Leste where he proceeded to pass almost exclusively to his cousin Ashraf Nu'man. At 32 and with Barakat's preference towards younger players it's difficult to see Khader Yousef in future squads let alone starting XIs.

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS

1. Jonathan Cantillana
8 caps, 24 years old
2. Tamer Seyam
18 caps, 24 years old
3. Sameh Mar'aba
11 caps, 23 years old
4. Jaka Ihbeisheh
11 caps, 30 years old
5. Islam Batran
2 caps, 22 years old
6. Ahmad Awad
2 caps, 23 years old
7. Imad Zatara
27 caps, 32 years old
8. Abdelhamid Abuhabib
33 caps, 27 years old

Nose for goal: Jonathan has four goals in eight appearances for Palestine

A confusing pecking order. Jonathan Cantillana plies his trade in the Malaysian second division but a string of well timed goals with the national team have seen him become the go-to option in Palestine's midfield. A loan move to Ahli Al-Khalil last year further ensconced him in the side as he has developed a good understanding with left back Abdallah Jaber.

The option of who starts on the right flank has been more of a rotating door. Featuring Tamer Seyam, Sameh Mar'aba (especially as more established forwards have become available), and Jaka Ihbeisheh. The coaching staff has repeatedly favored WBPL players over their internationally based counterparts. It seems rather counter intuitive especially when the likes of Islam Batran have been fantastic in limited playing time.

Awad (c) in fine form for Dalkurd FF

Ahmad Awad will be bitterly disappointed to only get 10 minutes in the friendlies against Lebanon and Morocco B. The Dalkurd maestro led his club to the Swedish second tier last season and was more than up to the task in a side that nearly clinched back-to-back promotions.

Awad's six goals and two assists should afford him more of a chance to prove himself in the national team but as a central player he might not be at his most effective on the wings.

Imad Zatara's 12-month exclusion might not abate due to the player's age but he has achieved a good deal of success with Mesaimeer in the Qatar Gas League.

Abuhabib is once again leading the WBPL in scoring and he is unlike any player on the list. Abuhabib has things you cannot teach other footballers his vision allows him to pick spots for himself and set up his teammates. That said, Abuhabib is a paper tiger he has the ability to tear apart the weakest teams in Asia but his lack of fitness and physicality means he is ill-equipped to deal with established sides.

CONCLUSION

Should Abdel Nasser Barakat continue with his favored 4-4-1-1 formation then expect to see the same two faces in the middle of the park. The partnership of Darweesh and Tamburrini is tried and tested and both players are young enough to be around for the next two Asian Cups. The challenge for the coaching staff is to find viable alternatives as Darweesh is sure to fall afoul of a yellow card or two along the way.

On form, Tamburrini is part of a Shabab Al-Khaleel side that is a whopping 11 points back of the current WBPL leaders. This might open the door for a player like Mohammed Yameen, who has been excellent for Thaqafi Tulkarem, to state his claim.

Thus far, however Shabab's players haven't felt the fallout of their club's rudderless season.

True Grit: Jaka Ihbeisheh

On the wings things are no clearer. Jonathan isn't really a winger per se and Jaka Ihbeisheh might see more and more time as a right back.

The go-to options over the last 18 months have been Seyam and Mar'aba. The latter's production- a sterling display against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur excepted- has been wanting centrally and out wide.

The reality of the situation is that Palestine only has two pure wingers in the pool- Imad Zatara and Jaka Ihbeisheh. Moreover, these are the only two players with enough experience and discipline to balance defensive and attacking duties.

The challenge in 2017 will be to further incorporate Islam Batran and Ahmed Awad in order to the national team. These two players are better decision makers on the ball and are receiving better coaching at Wadi Degla and Dalkurd FF, respectively. That said, the two players have no competitive starts between them and as central players their place might be further up the pitch in the 4-4-1-1 formation.

Klasemen Akhir dan Hasil Lengkap Pertandingan Liga Vietnam 2016 (V-League)

Berikut ini Klasemen Akhir dan Hasil Lengkap Pertandingan Liga Vietnam/ V-League 2016, yang dimainkan sejak 20 Februari 2016 dan berakhir pada 18 September 2016.

Klasemen Akhir Liga Vietnam/ V-League 2016:

1. Hà Nội T&T (Hà Nội) 26 16 2 8 45-28 50
2. Hải Phòng (Hải Phòng) 26 15 5 6 47-32 50
3. Saigon Hanoi Bank.Đà Nẵng 26 15 4 7 49-33 49
4. Than Quảng Ninh (Cửa Ông) 26 13 5 8 39-31 44
5. QNK.Quảng Nam (Quảng Nam) 26 11 9 6 44-32 42
6. FLC.Thanh Hóa (Thanh Hóa) 26 12 6 8 51-42 42
7. Sài Gòn (Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh) 26 9 9 8 34-32 36
8. Sanna Khánh Hòa (Nha Trang) 26 10 6 10 34-30 36
9. Sông Lam Nghệ An (Vinh) 26 9 7 10 34-36 34
10. Becamex Bình Dương (Thủ Dầu Một) 26 9 7 10 39-37 34
11. XSKT.Cần Thơ (Cần Thơ) 26 10 4 12 37-36 34
12. Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (Pleiku) 26 9 3 14 39-50 30
13. Long An (Tân An) 26 5 4 17 34-62 19
14. Đồng Tháp (Cao Lãnh) 26 1 5 20 22-67 8

Hasil Lengkap Pertandingan Liga Vietnam/ V-League 2016:

Pekan/ Round 1:

[20 Februari 2016]
B.Bình Dương 2-0 XSKT.Cần Thơ
FLC.Thanh Hóa 3-0 Hà Nội T&T
SHB.Đà Nẵng 2-1 Đồng Tháp

[21 Februari 2016]
Hà Nội 0-5 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
Long An 1-0 QNK.Quảng Nam
Sông Lam Nghệ An 0-2 Hải Phòng
Than Quảng Ninh 1-2 Sanna Khánh Hòa

Pekan/ Round 2:

[27 Februari 2016]
Sanna Khánh Hòa 0-2 FLC.Thanh Hóa
Hà Nội T&T 0-1 Than Quảng Ninh
XSKT.Cần Thơ 2-0 Sông Lam Nghệ An

[28 Februari 2016]
Đồng Tháp 0-1 Hà Nội
Hải Phòng 5-0 Long An
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 1-2 SHB.Đà Nẵng

[18 Mei 2016]
QNK.Quảng Nam 2-1 B.Bình Dương

Pekan/ Round 3:

[5 Maret 2016]
Hải Phòng 1-0 XSKT.Cần Thơ
SHB.Đà Nẵng 1-0 Sanna Khánh Hòa
Sông Lam Nghệ An 3-3 QNK.Quảng Nam

[6 Maret 2016]
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 0-0 Than Quảng Ninh
Long An 1-1 B.Bình Dương
Hà Nội T&T 1-1 Hà Nội

[18 Mei 2016]
FLC.Thanh Hóa 4-0 Đồng Tháp

Pekan/ Round 4:

[10 Maret 2016]
B.Bình Dương 1-2 Sông Lam Nghệ An

[12 Maret 2016]
QNK.Quảng Nam 0-1 Hải Phòng
Sanna Khánh Hòa 1-0 Hà Nội T&T
Than Quảng Ninh 2-4 FLC.Thanh Hóa

[13 Maret 2016]
Đồng Tháp 2-1 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
Hà Nội 3-0 SHB.Đà Nẵng
XSKT.Cần Thơ 2-1 Long An

Catatan: Pada April 2016, Hà Nội pindah ke Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh dan berganti nama menjadi Sài Gòn.

Pekan/ Round 5:

[10 April 2016]
Hà Nội T&T 1-2 B.Bình Dương
Hải Phòng 4-2 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
QNK.Quảng Nam 2-0 FLC.Thanh Hóa
Sanna Khánh Hòa 2-0 Long An
SHB.Đà Nẵng 1-0 Than Quảng Ninh
Sông Lam Nghệ An 1-0 Sài Gòn
XSKT.Cần Thơ 4-1 Đồng Tháp

Pekan/ Round 6:

[15 April 2016]
B.Bình Dương 3-1 Sanna Khánh Hòa

[16 April 2016]
Đồng Tháp 0-1 Hải Phòng
Long An 2-5 Hà Nội T&T
Than Quảng Ninh 3-1 Sông Lam Nghệ An

[17 April 2016]
FLC.Thanh Hóa 3-1 SHB.Đà Nẵng
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 2-1 XSKT.Cần Thơ
Sài Gòn 0-0 QNK.Quảng Nam

Pekan/ Round 7:

[23 April 2016]
Hải Phòng 2-1 Than Quảng Ninh
QNK.Quảng Nam 1-1 Sanna Khánh Hòa
XSKT.Cần Thơ 5-2 FLC.Thanh Hóa

[24 April 2016]
Đồng Tháp 2-5 Hà Nội T&T
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 0-0 Sông Lam Nghệ An
Sài Gòn 3-1 Long An

[25 April 2016]
SHB.Đà Nẵng 1-1 B.Bình Dương

Pekan/ Round 8:

[30 April 2016]
Hải Phòng 0-0 B.Bình Dương
Sanna Khánh Hòa 0-2 Sài Gòn
Than Quảng Ninh 4-0 Đồng Tháp

[1 Mei 2016]
FLC.Thanh Hóa 2-1 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
Hà Nội T&T 2-1 SHB.Đà Nẵng
Sông Lam Nghệ An 1-1 Long An
XSKT.Cần Thơ 0-1 QNK.Quảng Nam

Pekan/ Round 9:

[7 Mei 2016]
Long An 2-1 Đồng Tháp
QNK.Quảng Nam 1-1 SHB.Đà Nẵng
Sanna Khánh Hòa 2-0 XSKT.Cần Thơ
Than Quảng Ninh 1-0 Sài Gòn

[8 Mei 2016]
B.Bình Dương 5-0 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
FLC.Thanh Hóa 2-2 Sông Lam Nghệ An
Hà Nội T&T 2-1 Hải Phòng

Pekan/ Round 10:

[13 Mei 2016]
Đồng Tháp 1-2 B.Bình Dương
QNK.Quảng Nam 1-1 Than Quảng Ninh

[14 Mei 2016]
Sài Gòn 3-1 FLC.Thanh Hóa
SHB.Đà Nẵng 1-1 Sông Lam Nghệ An

[15 Mei 2016]
Hải Phòng 2-0 Sanna Khánh Hòa
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 3-2 Long An
XSKT.Cần Thơ 3-0 Hà Nội T&T

Pekan/ Round 11:

[21 Mei 2016]
Long An 1-3 SHB.Đà Nẵng
Sanna Khánh Hòa 4-1 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
Than Quảng Ninh 2-1 XSKT.Cần Thơ

[22 Mei 2016]
B.Bình Dương 1-1 Sài Gòn
FLC.Thanh Hóa 0-1 Hải Phòng
Hà Nội T&T 3-0 QNK.Quảng Nam
Sông Lam Nghệ An 3-0 Đồng Tháp

Pekan/ Round 12:

[19 Juni 2016]
FLC.Thanh Hóa 2-1 Long An
Hà Nội T&T 3-0 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
Hải Phòng 1-1 Sài Gòn
QNK.Quảng Nam 2-0 Đồng Tháp
Sanna Khánh Hòa 2-2 Sông Lam Nghệ An
Than Quảng Ninh 2-1 B.Bình Dương
XSKT.Cần Thơ 1-2 SHB.Đà Nẵng

Pekan/ Round 13:

[25 Juni 2016]
B.Bình Dương 0-3 FLC.Thanh Hóa
Đồng Tháp 1-1 Sanna Khánh Hòa
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 1-4 QNK.Quảng Nam
Long An 1-2 Than Quảng Ninh
Sài Gòn 0-1 XSKT.Cần Thơ
SHB.Đà Nẵng 2-0 Hải Phòng
Sông Lam Nghệ An 1-3 Hà Nội T&T

Pekan/ Round 14:

[3 Juli 2016]
Hà Nội T&T 1-1 Long An
Hải Phòng 3-2 Đồng Tháp
QNK.Quảng Nam 3-3 Sài Gòn
Sanna Khánh Hòa 1-1 B.Bình Dương
SHB.Đà Nẵng 2-1 FLC.Thanh Hóa
Sông Lam Nghệ An 4-0 Than Quảng Ninh
XSKT.Cần Thơ 2-1 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai

Pekan/ Round 15:

[9 Juli 2016]
B.Bình Dương 4-5 Hà Nội T&T
Long An 2-1 Sanna Khánh Hòa
Than Quảng Ninh 3-2 SHB.Đà Nẵng

[10 Juli 2016]
Đồng Tháp 1-2 XSKT.Cần Thơ
FLC.Thanh Hóa 4-4 QNK.Quảng Nam
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 1-1 Hải Phòng
Sài Gòn 1-0 Sông Lam Nghệ An

Pekan/ Round 16:

[16 Juli 2016]
B.Bình Dương 1-0 Than Quảng Ninh
Đồng Tháp 1-1 QNK.Quảng Nam
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 1-0 Hà Nội T&T
Long An 0-1 FLC.Thanh Hóa

[17 Juli 2016]
Sài Gòn 3-3 Hải Phòng
SHB.Đà Nẵng 2-2 XSKT.Cần Thơ
Sông Lam Nghệ An 1-2 Sanna Khánh Hòa

Pekan/ Round 17:

[23 Juli 2016]
Sanna Khánh Hòa 1-1 Đồng Tháp
XSKT.Cần Thơ 0-1 Sài Gòn

[24 Juli 2016]
FLC.Thanh Hóa 2-2 B.Bình Dương
Hà Nội T&T 1-0 Sông Lam Nghệ An
Hải Phòng 0-3 SHB.Đà Nẵng
QNK.Quảng Nam 2-0 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
Than Quảng Ninh 2-1 Long An

Pekan/ Round 18:

[29 Juli 2016]
Hà Nội T&T 2-0 Đồng Tháp
Sông Lam Nghệ An 1-0 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai

[30 Juli 2016]
B.Bình Dương 0-1 SHB.Đà Nẵng
FLC.Thanh Hóa 3-2 XSKT.Cần Thơ
Sanna Khánh Hòa 0-1 QNK.Quảng Nam

[31 Juli 2016]
Long An 1-0 Sài Gòn
Than Quảng Ninh 3-1 Hải Phòng

Pekan/ Round 19:

[6 Agustus 2016]
Long An 1-2 Sông Lam Nghệ An

[7 Agustus 2016]
B.Bình Dương 1-3 Hải Phòng
Đồng Tháp 1-1 Than Quảng Ninh
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 3-1 FLC.Thanh Hóa
QNK.Quảng Nam 0-0 XSKT.Cần Thơ
Sài Gòn 1-1 Sanna Khánh Hòa
SHB.Đà Nẵng 1-2 Hà Nội T&T

Pekan/ Round 20:

[12 Agustus 2016]
Sài Gòn 0-0 Than Quảng Ninh

[13 Agustus 2016]
Đồng Tháp 1-3 Long An
Hải Phòng 2-1 Hà Nội T&T
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 3-1 B.Bình Dương
SHB.Đà Nẵng 3-4 QNK.Quảng Nam
Sông Lam Nghệ An 1-0 FLC.Thanh Hóa
XSKT.Cần Thơ 0-1 Sanna Khánh Hòa

Pekan/ Round 21:

[17 Agustus 2016]
B.Bình Dương 3-0 Đồng Tháp
FLC.Thanh Hóa 2-2 Sài Gòn
Hà Nội T&T 0-1 XSKT.Cần Thơ
Long An 1-3 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
Sanna Khánh Hòa 3-0 Hải Phòng
Sông Lam Nghệ An 0-2 SHB.Đà Nẵng
Than Quảng Ninh 2-0 QNK.Quảng Nam

Pekan/ Round 22:

[21 Agustus 2016]
Đồng Tháp 2-2 Sông Lam Nghệ An
Hải Phòng 1-1 FLC.Thanh Hóa
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 2-1 Sanna Khánh Hòa
QNK.Quảng Nam 0-1 Hà Nội T&T
Sài Gòn 0-2 B.Bình Dương
SHB.Đà Nẵng 4-1 Long An
XSKT.Cần Thơ 0-2 Than Quảng Ninh

Pekan/ Round 23:

[27 Agustus 2016]
Đồng Tháp 2-4 FLC.Thanh Hóa
Sài Gòn 0-3 Hà Nội T&T
Sanna Khánh Hòa 3-1 SHB.Đà Nẵng

[28 Agustus 2016]
B.Bình Dương 3-2 Long An
QNK.Quảng Nam 2-0 Sông Lam Nghệ An
Than Quảng Ninh 3-1 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
XSKT.Cần Thơ 3-2 Hải Phòng

Pekan/ Round 24:

[4 September 2016]
FLC.Thanh Hóa 2-2 Than Quảng Ninh
Hà Nội T&T 1-0 Sanna Khánh Hòa
Hải Phòng 2-1 QNK.Quảng Nam
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 5-2 Đồng Tháp
Long An 3-3 XSKT.Cần Thơ
SHB.Đà Nẵng 3-1 Sài Gòn
Sông Lam Nghệ An 2-0 B.Bình Dương

Pekan/ Round 25:

[11 September 2016]
B.Bình Dương 1-3 QNK.Quảng Nam
FLC.Thanh Hóa 2-1 Sanna Khánh Hòa
Long An 2-5 Hải Phòng
Sài Gòn 4-0 Đồng Tháp
SHB.Đà Nẵng 3-1 Hoàng Anh Gia Lai
Sông Lam Nghệ An 4-2 XSKT.Cần Thơ
Than Quảng Ninh 0-1 Hà Nội T&T

Pekan/ Round 26:

[18 September 2016]
Đồng Tháp 0-4 SHB.Đà Nẵng
Hà Nội T&T 2-0 FLC.Thanh Hóa
Hải Phòng 3-0 Sông Lam Nghệ An
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai 1-3 Sài Gòn
QNK.Quảng Nam 6-2 Long An
Sanna Khánh Hòa 3-1 Than Quảng Ninh
XSKT.Cần Thơ 0-0 B.Bình Dương

Klasemen Akhir Liga Vietnam/ V-League 2016:

1. Hà Nội T&T (Hà Nội)                             26 16 2 8 45-28 50     [2 1 0 1 3-3 3] Champions
2. Hải Phòng (Hải Phòng)                        26 15 5 6 47-32 50     [2 1 0 1 3-3 3]
3. Saigon Hanoi Bank.Đà Nẵng                26 15 4 7 49-33 49
4. Than Quảng Ninh (Cửa Ông)                 26 13 5 8 39-31 44
5. QNK.Quảng Nam (Quảng Nam)            26 11 9 6 44-32 42     [2 1 1 0 6-4 4]
6. FLC.Thanh Hóa (Thanh Hóa)                 26 12 6 8 51-42 42      [2 0 1 1 4-6 1] [*]
7. Sài Gòn (Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh)         26 9 9 8 34-32 36       [2 1 1 0 3-1 4] [P]
8. Sanna Khánh Hòa (Nha Trang)              26 10 6 10 34-30 36    [2 0 1 1 1-3 1]
9. Sông Lam Nghệ An (Vinh)                    26 9 7 10 34-36 34     [4 3 0 1 8-5 9]
10. Becamex Bình Dương (Thủ Dầu Một) 26 9 7 10 39-37 34     [4 1 1 2 3-4 4] [C]
11. XSKT.Cần Thơ (Cần Thơ)                    26 10 4 12 37-36 34   [4 1 1 2 4-6 4]
12. Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (Pleiku)                  26 9 3 14 39-50 30
13. Long An (Tân An)                                26 5 4 17 34-62 19     Relegation Playoff
14. Đồng Tháp (Cao Lãnh)                         26 1 5 20 22-67 8      Relegated

[*] Hà Nội were relocated to Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh and renamed
Sài Gòn after having played 4 matches.

Hasil Pertandingaan Pertama (First Leg) Semi Final Piala Suzuki AFF 2016 (AFF Suzuki Cup/ AFF Championship)

Berikut ini Hasil Pertandingaan Fase Knockout Piala Suzuki AFF 2016 (AFF Suzuki Cup/ AFF Championship), yang menggunakan sistem kandang-tandang (home and away) dan digelar pada 3-8 Desember 2016 (Semifinals) dan 14-17 Desember 2016 (Final).

FASE KNOCKOUT (Knockout Stage):

SEMI FINAL (Semifinals):

Hasil Pertandingan Pertama (First Leg):

3 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+7).
Indonesia 2-1 Vietnam.
Pencetak gol Indonesia: Hansamu 7', Boaz 50'(pen).
Pencetak gol Vietnam: Quyết 17'(pen).
Stadion: Pakansari Stadium, Bogor.

4 Desember 201618:30 (UTC+6:30).
Myanmar 0-2 Thailand.
Pencetak gol Thailand: Teerasil 23', 55'.
Stadion: Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon.

Jadwal Pertandingan Kedua (Second Leg):

7 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+7).
Vietnam vs Indonesia.
Stadion: Mỹ Đình National Stadium, Hanoi.

8 Desember 2016, 19:00 (UTC+7).
Thailand vs Myanmar.
Stadion: Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok.

Palestine's Depth Chart (Goalkeepers & Defenders)

Palestine's Starting XI (vs. Malaysia June 16th, 2015)

Is now the time for a goalkeeper switch?

1. Toufic Ali
26 Years Old, 28 Caps.
2. Rami Hamadi
25 Years Old, 0 Caps.
Others: Ghanem Mahajneh, Azmi Shweiki

Like it or not, Toufic Ali is Palestine's number one. The Shabab Al-Khaleel man has built up years of experience as a back up with the national team and it will probably take a major blunder in a national team shirt to cause a change.

Rami Hamadi had a great performance in his first senior national team game against Morocco B has fans clamoring for him to be the starter. He has planted the seed of doubt but will need more opportunities (vis-a-vis OFFICIAL matches) to really make his case. That said, the more success he has with Thaqafi the more difficult it becomes to ignore his claim for the starting position. At the time of writing, Hamadi has five clean sheets and has only conceded twice in seven games.

The two other keepers most commonly included in national team squads are Mahajneh and Shweiki but it would take a minor miracle to see either start for the national team.

CENTREBACK

Dheeb: Class is in session

1. Abdelatif Bahdari
32 Years Old, 41 Caps
2. Haitham Dheeb
30 Years Old, 23 Caps
3. Alaa Abu Saleh
29 Years Old, 3 Caps
4. Tamer Salah
30 Years Old, 12 Caps
5. Mohammed Abu Khamis
25 Years Old, 1 Cap

If there was any doubt that the Bahdari was going to lose his place his 180 minutes against Lebanon and Morocco B put those doubts to rest.

Haitham Dheeb may have not played a part in the last three games but Dheeb is the perfect foil to Bahdari- this partnership was formed in 2014 during the Challenge Cup and Palestine has looked impenetrable anytime these two have been on the pitch. The Majd Al-Krum native has been a mountainous presence for Palestine and in his last 10 competitive appearances for Palestine he notched nine starts, nine clean sheets, and a 5-4-1 record. The only goals conceded on his watch came in the 2-0 loss to UAE in 2018 World Cup qualifying.

Alaa Abu Saleh is a new face in the group but has done enough to establish himself as the go-to option when either captain is unavailable. His performances partnering Dheeb, Bahdari, and Salah over the last month have been encouraging. His versatility (can be deployed as a right back) makes him a shoo-in for any squad.

Tamer Salah has been a part of the national set up since late 2014. While his lack of speed cannot be denied he isn't as bad as some have made him out to be and is perhaps unfairly singled out for the abysmal performances at the 2015 Asian Cup. That said, the fact that he's fourth on the depth chart speaks volumes to the dearth of options available.

Mohammed Abu Khamis got his first cap in an emergency situation when Tamer Salah limped off injured vs. Malaysia. He's the shortest player of the five CBs and also the youngest. Has struggled (perhaps for those reasons?) to get playing time in friendlies. Has extensive AFC Cup experience having started six games for Taraji Wadi Al-Nes in the 2015 edition.

LEFT BACK

Jaber: Automatic Starter

1. Abdallah Jaber
23 Years Old, 25 Caps
2. Fadi Salbees
23 Years Old, 2 Caps

There are a couple of guarantees in life. Death, Taxes, and Abdallah Jaber at LB. Has started all 25 of his caps, has never collected a yellow card, and was substituted off (with only minutes to go) for the first time in his national team career against Tajikistan in September.

Fadi Salbees is known to fans for his attacking flair but he is the only other player in the pool to have started a game at the position (vs. Lebanon August 2015).

RIGHT BACK

Right back at you: Alexis (R) and Jaka

1. Alexis Norambuena
32 Years Old, 12 Caps
2. Jaka Ihbeisheh
30 Years Old, 11 Caps
3. Mohammed Saleh
23 Years Old, 2 Caps
4. Mus'ab Al-Battat
22 Year Old, 12 Caps
5. Muamen Agbaria
23 Years Old, 2 Caps

When push comes to shove. You are going to want a veteran presence in the back and that is why Alexis Norambuena and Jaka Ihbeisheh's names are top of the list. The younger options- Saleh and Al-Battat are prone to too many defensive lapses. Alexis along with Bahdari is the oldest player in the pool but he is a known quantity that hasn't committed any errors whilst playing for the national team. He might be part of a discombobulated Shabab Al-Khaleel team but his track record will most likely earn him a reprieve.

Jaka Ihbeisheh is more of an attacking player and he will certainly merit consideration further up the pitch but his discipline makes him a viable option as a right back.

CONCLUSION

Palestine's team is young but the youth is concentrated further up the pitch. In the back, it's all about experience. Should Palestine meet the target of qualifying for the 2019 Asian Cup only one projected outfield starter (Abdallah Jaber) would be under 30. Two years ahead of the finals, there hasn't been a drop off in form amongst the veteran players and for Palestine to be successful that will need to continue.

That said, there needs to be a onus on grooming the next generation that will compete for 2022 World Cup qualification- especially if the turnaround between the Asian Cup Finals and qualifying remains a mere five months.

In the short term, there is a lack of depth in both full back positions. If Abdallah Jaber goes down the next man up will most likely be playing out of position. The same goes for the right back position. The situation is mitigated by the fact that Palestine possess a Swiss Army Knife type player in Jaka Ihbeisheh but injury or suspension could expose the cracks in what has been a solid unit over the past 18 months.

Coming Soon:
Palestine's Depth Chart (Midfielders & Forwards)

Jadwal Lengkap Semi Final Piala Suzuki AFF 2016 ( AFF Suzuki Cup/ AFF Championship)

Berikut ini Jadwal Lengkap Pertandingaan Fase Knockout Piala Suzuki AFF 2016 ( AFF Suzuki Cup/ AFF Championship), yang menggunakan sistem kandang-tandang (home and away) dan digelar pada 3-17 Desember 2016.

FASE KNOCKOUT (Knockout Stage):

Semi Final:

Pertandingan Pertama (First Leg):
3 Desember 2016.
Runner-up Group A vs Winner Group B.
4 Desember 2016.
Runner-up Group B vs Winner Group A.

Pertandingan Kedua (Second Leg):
7 Desember 2016.
Winner Group B vs Runner-up Group A.
8 Desember 2016.
Winner Group A vs Runner-up Group B.

Pertandingan Final:

Pertandingan Pertama (First Leg):
14 Desember 2016.
SF1 Winner vs SF2 Winner.
Pertandingan Kedua (Second Leg):
17 Desember 2016.
SF2 Winner vs SF1 Winner.

JADWAL SEMI FINAL:

Pertandingan Pertama (First Leg):

3 Desember 2016.
Indonesia vs Vietnam.
Stadion: Pakansari Stadium, Cibinong.

4 Desember 2016.
Myanmar vs Thailand
Stadion: Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon.

Pertandingan Kedua (Second Leg):

7 Desember 2016.
Vietnam vs Indonesia
Stadion: Mỹ Đình National Stadium, Hanoi.

8 Desember 2016.
Thailand vs Myanmar
Stadion: Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok.

Klasermen Sementara Torabika Soccer Championship (TSC)/ ISC A 2016 dan Hasil Pertandingan Pekan ke-29, 18-21 November 2016

Berikut ini Klasermen Sementara Torabika Soccer Championship (TSC) 2016 atau ISC A 2016 dan Hasil Lengkap Pertandingan pekan/ round ke-29, yang sudah dimainkan pada 18-21 November 2016.

Hasil Pertandingan:

Pekan/Round 29:

[18 November 2016]
Pusamania Borneo 3-1 Persela

[19 November 2016]
Persiba 1-4 Persipura
Barito Putera 0-1 Arema
Persib 1-0 Semen Padang

[20 November 2016]
Perseru 0-0 Sriwijaya
PS.TNI 2-4 Bali United
Madura United 1-0 Persija

[21 November 2016]
Bhayangkara Surabaya 0-1 PSM
Mitra Kukar 2-1 Gresik United

Klasermen Sementara Torabika Soccer Championship (TSC) 2016/ ISC A 2016, sampai Pekan/ Round ke-29:

1. Arema Cronus (Malang) 29 16 7 6 37-15 55
2. Madura United FC (Pamekasan) 29 16 7 6 46-33 55
3. Persipura (Jayapura) 29 15 8 6 40-23 53
4. Bhayangkara Surabaya United 28 14 6 8 42-27 48
5. Sriwijaya FC (Palembang) 29 12 10 7 48-29 46
6. Mitra Kukar (Kutai Kartanegara) 29 12 10 7 41-35 46
7. PSM (Makassar) 29 13 6 10 43-39 45
8. Persib (Bandung)28 12 8 8 32-28 44
9. Pusamania Borneo FC (Samarinda) 28 12 7 9 46-32 43
10. Semen Padang 29 12 6 11 37-28 42
11. Perseru (Serui) 29 11 7 11 30-32 40
12. Bali United FC (Gianyar) 29 9 8 12 31-45 35
13. Persiba (Balikpapan) 29 8 6 15 32-44 30
14. Persija (Jakarta) 29 7 9 13 22-37 30
15. Persegres Gresik United 29 6 8 15 28-54 26
16. Persela (Lamongan) 29 6 7 16 32-51 25
17. PS.TNI (Bandung)28 7 4 17 32-55 25
18. PS Barito Putera (Banjarmasin) 29 6 6 17 34-46 24

Klasemen Akhir dan Hasil Lengkap Babak Grup Piala Suzuki AFF 2016 ( AFF Suzuki Cup/ AFF Championship), 19-26 November 2016

Berikut ini Klasemen Akhir dan Hasil Lengkap Pertandingan Babak Grup Piala Suzuki AFF 2016 ( AFF Suzuki Cup/ AFF Championship), yang digelar di Filipina dan Myanmar pada 19-26 November 2016.

BABAK GRUP (Group Stage):

Klasemen Akhir Grup A:

1. (*) Thailand 3 3 0 0 6 2 +4 9
2. (*) Indonesia 3 1 1 1 6 7 -1 4
3. Filipina 3 0 2 1 2 3 -1 2
4. Singapura 3 0 1 2 1 3 -2 1

Hasil Pertandingan:

19 November 2016, 16:30 (UTC+8:00).
Thailand 4-2 Indonesia.
Pencetak gol Thailand: Peerapat 5', Teerasil 36', 79', 90+4'.
Pencetak gol Indonesia: Boaz 53', Lerby 56'.
Stadion: Philippine Sports Stadium, Bocaue.

19 November 2016, 20:00 (UTC+8:00).
Filipina 0-0 Singapura.
Stadion: Philippine Sports Stadium, Bocaue.

22 November 2016, 16:30 (UTC+8:00).
Thailand 1-0 Singapura.
Pencetak gol Thailand: Sarawut 89'.
Stadion: Philippine Sports, Bocaue.

22 November 2016, 20:00 (UTC+8:00).
Indonesia 2–2 Filipina.
Pencetak gol Indonesia: Fachrudin 7', Boaz 68'.
Pencetak gol Filipina: Bahadoran 31', P. Younghusband 82'.
Stadion: Philippine Sports, Bocaue.

25 November 2016, 20:00 (UTC+8:00).
Singapura 1-2 Indonesia.
Pencetak gol Singapura: Khairul 27'.
Pencetak gol Indonesia: Andik 62', Lilipaly 85'.
Stadion: Rizal Memorial, Manila.

25 November 2016, 20:00 (UTC+8:00).
Filipina 0-1 Thailand.
Pencetak gol Thailand: Sarawut 81'.
Stadion: Philippine Sports, Bocaue.

Klasemen Akhir Grup B:

1. (*) Vietnam 3 3 0 0 5 2 +3 9
2. (*) Myanmar 3 2 0 1 5 3 +2 6
3. Malaysia 3 1 0 2 3 4 -1 3
4. Kamboja 3 0 0 3 4 8 -4 0

Hasil Pertandingan:

20 November 2016, 15:00 (UTC+6:30).
Malaysia 3-2 Kamboja.
Pencetak gol Malaysia: Syazwan 37', Amri 69', 80'.
Pencetak gol Kamboja: Vathanaka 8', 59'.
Stadion: Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon.

20 November 2016, 18:00 (UTC+6:30).
Myanmar 1-2 Vietnam.
Pencetak gol Myanmar: Aung Thu 73'.
Pencetak gol Vietnam: Quyết 24',Vinh 80'.
Stadion: Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon.

23 November 2016, 15:00 (UTC+6:30).
Malaysia 0-1 Vietnam.
Pencetak gol Vietnam: Hoàng 80'.
Stadion: Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon.

23 November 2016, 18:00 (UTC+6:30).
Kamboja 1-3 Myanmar.
Pencetak gol Kamboja: Suhana 14'.
Pencetak gol Myanmar: Zaw Min Tun 36', 40', Aung Thu 56'.
Stadion: Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon.

26 November 2016, 18:00 (UTC+6:30).
Vietnam 2-1 Kamboja.
Pencetak gol Vietnam: Vinh 20', Tola 50'(og).
Pencetak gol Kamboja: Polroth 65'.
Stadion: Wunna Theikdi, Naypyidaw.

26 November 2016, 18:00 (UTC+6:30).
Myanmar 1-0 Malaysia.
Pencetak gol Myanmar: David Htan 89'.
Stadion: Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon.

1. Qualify for the 2019 Asian Cup

2. Good cup campaigns for Shabab Al-Khaleel

3. Fix outstanding issues with WBPL

4. Incorporate forwards into the national team structure

5. More transfers for promising players

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