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Goal.com's Asian Best XI for August: Japan's Shinji Kagawa, and China's Wang Yongpo lead the continent's best
Sep 3, 2012 1:00:00 PM
Goal.com's vast team of experts throughout Asia casts a studious eye over the best performers from the world's biggest continent from a fine summer month of football
Goal.com has revamped the Asian Player and Team of the Month feature to give you, the reader, an opportunity to express your opinion. Thanks to our worldwide team, we were able to put together a squad of the best Asian footballers throughout August in a 4-3-3 formation.However, to best determine who is the best Asian player over the past four weeks, we are calling on you to join in the poll and vote.
Asian Best XI for August
Formation: 4-3-3
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Goalkeeper - Kawin Thamasatchanan SCG Muang Thong United With his undefeated club coasting on the way to an expected Thai Premier League title, Thamasatchanan has carried much of the burden with a never-ending string of fantastic saves. In August, he particularly stood out with monster efforts in Muang Thong's dramatic draws against Buriram United (1-1) and Chonburi FC (2-2).
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Right-back - Alaa Al Shbli Syria While the Syrians had a disappointing Nehru Cup outing, Al Shbli has been in phenomenal form, scoring three goals and assisting the Red Eagles' only other goal. It's a statistic any player could be proud of, but is considerably extraordinary for a wing-back. Al Shbli has attacked with vigour all tournament and while his team bowed out, he can be proud of his performances. |
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Centre-half - Marcus Tulio Tanaka Nagoya Grampus Tanaka should arguably be on the front line rather than the back. Suffering from a shortage of attackers, manager Dragan Stojkovic played the veteran centre-back as a striker in their August 4 match against Vissel Kobe. The 31-year-old was more than happy to demonstrate his attacking prowess, scoring an unprecedented four goals in his team's 5-1 triumph. |
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Centre-half - Kwak Hee-Ju Suwon Bluewings FC Seoul hoped to halt their five-match losing streak in the national derby when they hosted Suwon Bluewings on August 18. But the visitors triumphed by a 2-0 result, in no small part thanks to the defensive efforts of Kwak Hee-Joo. Seoul were the better team on the day, but the Bluewings captain's play allowed his team to keep a clean sheet. |
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Left-back - Syed Nabi India Often overshadowed by Sunil Chhetri, Nabi has held his own in the Nehru Cup with terrific play down the wing. Dynamic in his link-ups with Miranda, he's also proven himself to be a vital asset on defence. Nabi has not had a single poor showing in the tournament, giving away nothing on the side and often covering for his centre-back team-mates. |
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Midfield - Mathew Leckie FSV Frankfurt Leckie scored two goals in four games for his new side to get them off to a strong start to the 2. Bundesliga campaign. On loan this season from Borussia Monchengladbach, the 21-year-old's scores against Hertha BSC and SG Sonnenhof handed his side the lead on both occasions, but his month ended on a low note after sustaining an injury. |
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Midfield - Wang Yongpo Shangdong Luneng After being selected for the bench in July's Asian Best XI, Wang earned a place in the lineup with his impressive production in August. Known as 'the Chinese Rooney', Wang scored four goals in the Chinese Super League for Shandong Luneng, on top of converting the game-winning penalty that saw his side advance to the semi-finals of the Chinese FA Cup. |
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Midfield - Hwang Jin-Sung Pohang Steelers and South Korea The 28-year-old had an eventful August, making his international debut in South Korea's 2-1 win against Zambia. Hwang also scored in three separate matches for Pohang, who ended the month with five wins and just one loss to finish the regular season in fifth place. The ten-year veteran is a strong candidate to see more international call-ups in the coming months. |
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Striker - Mahmoud Shelbaieh Al Wehdat Shelbaieh began his season with Al Wehdat on a high note, with two brilliant Jordan Cup goals against Al Arabi and Al Yarmouk. The Jordan international then went on to score a dramatic last-minute goal against Al Ramatha to give his team a win to start off their Premier League campaign. |
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Striker - Shinji Kagawa Manchester United and Japan Though his performance in Japan's 1-1 draw against Venezuela was largely forgettable, the former Dortmund man thoroughly impressed in his first two matches with Manchester United, recording his first Premier League goal in their first home win against Fulham. Kagawa is more than holding is own against star team-mates such as Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. |
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Striker - Akihiro Sato Gamba Osaka In his first J1 season, Sato has emerged as one of the league's most entertaining strikers. Four of his 11 league goals for Gamba this season came in August, including a memorable pair against derby rivals Cerezo to salvage a draw. The Osaka club has struggled mightily this year, but pulled themselves out of the drop zone with three wins and a draw this month largely thanks to Sato's creativity on the attack. |
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Manager - Kim Bong-Gil Incheon United Mired at the bottom of the table, Kim helped Incheon United rise to ninth place with a club-first five straight victories. They were unable to break into the top half of the table in time for the upcoming K-League play-offs, but the impressive August will give Kim's side plenty of confidence heading into the relegation play-off. |
SUBSTITUTES
| Goalkeeper | Defender |
Defender |
Midfielder |
 Farizal Marlias (Negeri Sembilan) |
 Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata) |
 Naif Al-Qadhi (Al Shabab) |
 Ha Dae-Sung (FC Seoul) |
| Midfielder | Striker | Striker |
 Andy Nagelein (Hong Kong Rangers) |
 Sunil Chhetri (India) |
 Jalal Rafkhaei (Iran) |
The Goal.com team have had their say, and now it's your chance to vote for who you think should be the Asian Player of the Month!
Do you agree with our Best XI picks? Would you rather swap a player from the bench?
Let us know in our comments!
Do you agree with our Best XI picks? Would you rather swap a player from the bench?
Let us know in our comments!
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