Asian Cup 2015: Dates, Schedule, Teams, Live Stream and Predictions
The 2015 Asian Cup will get underway this Friday, with hosts Australia preparing to entertain Kuwait in the competition's Melbourne opener.
Japan make their way to Australia as the tournament's defending champions, but with more Asian nations emerging as potential contenders year after year, the giants know they face a test in tying up back-to-back triumphs.
Ahead of the competition's kick-off, we provide a full breakdown of when and where to catch the action, including prediction of how the tournament will play out this month.
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| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
| Australia | Uzbekistan | Iran | Japan |
| South Korea | Saudi Arabia | United Arab Emirates | Jordan |
| Oman | China PR | Qatar | Iraq |
| Kuwait | North Korea | Bahrain | Palestine |
| Fixture | Date | Time |
| Australia vs. Kuwait | January 9 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| South Korea vs. Oman | January 10 | 5 a.m. GMT/12 a.m. ET |
| Kuwait vs. South Korea | January 13 | 7 a.m. GMT/2 a.m. ET |
| Oman vs. Australia | January 13 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| Australia vs. South Korea | January 17 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| Oman vs. Kuwait | January 17 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| Uzbekistan vs. North Korea | January 10 | 7 a.m. GMT/2 a.m. ET |
| Saudi Arabia vs. China | January 10 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| North Korea vs. Saudi Arabia | January 14 | 7 a.m. GMT/2 a.m. ET |
| China vs. Uzbekistan | January 14 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| Uzbekistan vs. Saudi Arabia | January 18 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| China vs. North Korea | January 18 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| UAE vs. Qatar | January 11 | 7 a.m. GMT/2 a.m. ET |
| Iran vs. Bahrain | January 11 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| Bahrain vs. UAE | January 15 | 7 a.m. GMT/2 a.m. ET |
| Qatar vs. Iran | January 15 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| Iran vs. UAE | January 19 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| Qatar vs. Bahrain | January 19 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| Japan vs. Palestine | January 12 | 7 a.m. GMT/2 a.m. ET |
| Jordan vs. Iraq | January 12 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| Palestine vs. Jordan | January 16 | 7 a.m. GMT/2 a.m. ET |
| Iraq vs. Japan | January 16 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| Japan vs. Jordan | January 20 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| Iraq vs. Palestine | January 20 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET |
| Fixture | Opponents | Date | Time | Venue |
| Quarter-Final 1 | Winner Group A vs. Runner-Up Group B | January 22 | 7:30 a.m. GMT/2:30 a.m. ET | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne |
| Quarter-Final 2 | Winner Group B vs. Runner-Up Group A | January 22 | 10:30 a.m. GMT/5:30 a.m. ET | Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane |
| Quarter-Final 3 | Winner Group C vs. Runner-Up Group D | January 23 | 6:30 a.m. GMT/1:30 a.m. ET | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
| Quarter-Final 4 | Winner Group D vs. Runner-Up Group C | January 23 | 9:30 a.m. GMT/4:30 a.m. ET | Stadium Australia, Sydney |
| Semi Final 1 | Winner Quarter-Final 1 vs. Winner Quarter-Final 3 | January 26 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET | Stadium Australia, Sydney |
| Semi Final 2 | Winner Quarter-Final 2 vs. Winner Quarter-Final 4 | January 27 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET | Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle |
| Third-Place Playoff | Semi-Final Losers | January 30 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET | Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle |
| Final | Semi-Final Winners | January 31 | 9 a.m. GMT/4 a.m. ET | Stadium Australia, Sydney |
Fox Sports Play will provide a streaming service for all Australia's matches to Australasian audiences, along with any matches the Socceroos play should they advance past the group phase.
For British audiences, Eurosport have exclusive broadcasting rights for this year's Asian Cup fixtures and will stream group matches via Eurosport Player, while Goal.com partner LIVESPORT will stream every fixture for a subscription fee.
Predictions
Korean Rivals Poised for Quarter-Final Clash
After making it to the semi-finals of the last two Asian Cup tournaments South Korea are hoping for a boost in fortune this year, but being placed alongside hosts Australia in Group A throws a spanner in the works.
The Socceroos will be tough competition in front of a home audience and could well leave Uli Stielike's side eyeing a runners-up place, setting them on course for a quarter-final meeting against neighbours North Korea.
The frosty tensions between the two countries don't often get the chance to meet in football matters, but North Korea have a winnable Group B to contend in alongside Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and China.
If the two were to meet, it's Stielike's men who would undoubtedly be held as favourites, though, with ESPN FC's John Duerden investigating the team's urge to win their first Asian Cup since 1960:
It would be difficult to call this tie a "derby" given that the feud between the two nations runs much deeper than just football, but a quarter-final meeting looks likely, depending on how Australia fare in Group A.
Japan Maintain Finals Streak but Fall Short
Defending champions Japan will always be viewed as a major contender coming into any Asian Cup, and the expectations aren't any dimmer now that the Blue Samurai head Down Under with a trophy to retain.
Japan have won three of the last four titles, only managing to take fourth place in 2007, meaning it's been 19 years since we last saw the team fail to make the semi-finals.
However, key defender Atsuto Uchida is absent from the team's ranks after picking up injury, per Dennis Passa of The Associated Press, and Javier Aguirre is still relatively new to his management role:
After a lacklustre campaign at last summer's World Cup, Japan will hope a continental confidence boost can put them back in good spirits, but it's still unclear as to how Aguirre is adjusting.
The giants of Asian football will make it past Jordan, Iraq and Palestine in Group D and most likely beat the United Arab Emirates in the quarters, but meeting a more elite foe at the semis may prove a task too far.
Australia Emerge Triumphant on Home Soil
Ultimately, the home team have an incredibly good shot of advancing to the final and winning the entire tournament this month as all of Australia gets behind their representatives.
The Group A clash against South Korea will indicate just where Ange Postecoglou's side are in their development, having enjoyed brighter spells at the 2014 World Cup, albeit finishing bottom of their pool.
Some gutsy performances against Chile and the Netherlands had captain Mile Jedinak at their core, and South American writer Dan Colasimone picks the Crystal Palace anchor out as a vital component in Australia's campaign:
Group C favourites Iran promise to be Australia's most difficult obstacle in making their way to a Sydney final on January 31. However, this team has the quality and advantage needed to win their maiden Asian Cup four years after making their first-ever final.
