AUSTRALIA 4-0 KUWAIT

Kuwait City: Graham Arnold’s reign as the new Australia head coach got off to a perfect start with the Socceroos defeating Kuwait 4-0 in a friendly on Monday.

The Socceroos scored twice in each half to cap an encouraging performance in their first hit-out since the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.

An own goal gave the Socceroos a deserved lead, before Apostolos Giannou, Tom Rogic and Awer Mabil – on his international debut - all got on the scoresheet.

Japan, riding a wave since making the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Round of 16, defeated Costa Rica 3-0 last month and flexed their muscles against Panamaas they registered a similar score on Friday with Takumi Minamino and Junya Ito finding the net on both occasions.

World No 5 Uruguay will pose a stiffer challenge but Hajime Moriyasu’s Samurai Blue are unlikely to be fazed as they buildup to what they hope will be a fifth AFC Asian Cup.

Speaking after the match which India could have won in the dying seconds when Farukh Choudhary was denied by China PR goalkeeper Yan Junling at the Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, Constantine said he was pleased with the performance.

“We have shown in the last four years that we are a very difficult team to beat. We may not have the quality which some of the other teams in Asia have. But I stand for my team physically and competitively against any team in Asia. The boys were outstanding today.

Four years after Korea Republic had pipped Japan to the bronze medal at the AFC Asian Cup 2007, beating them 6-5 on penalties in the third-place decider, the eternal rivals locked horns again.

This time, a place in the final was at stake. Doha, which had hosted the first-ever AFC Asian Cup encounter between the two sides back in 1988, was the venue once more.

Korea Republic, 55th in the latest FIFA rankings, beat No 5 Uruguay 2-1 in a packed Seoul World Cup Stadium for the Taeguk Warriors' first win against the South American side, having previously only drawn one of their seven matches against them.

Bento said although his players did well, they looked to be rushing in the closing stages of the match which was part of Korea Republic's preparations for the AFC Asian Cup 2019 UAE.

"We played a good quality game," Bento said. "It's a precious win because we got this result against a great team. We know that Uruguay are a very organised team with experienced players."

The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Executive Committee approved the recommendation to align the AFC’s national teams competitions with the latest amendments to the Laws of the Game (LOTG) announced by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

The AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said: “The entire Continent is eagerly awaiting Asia’s most prestigious tournament and it is, therefore, essential that the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 adopts the latest regulations as we strive to stage a truly unforgettable spectacle.

“I am confident the new regulations will add to the excitement of Asia’s flagship national team competition and further strengthen the AFC’s ambitions to be the world’s leading Confederation.”

In the past few weeks you have been voting for the best forwards and midfielders, and now it's time to turn our attention to defenders.

So, here are eight candidates for the spots at the backline. Review the nominees and then choose your favourite defenders for this all-star XI in the poll below.