Summary: Once again it is time to dial up another supershow that covers all the important talking points and trends from the rising force that is Asia and its football and joining in to have this discussion is top correspondent John Duerden who gives us the up close and clear look at the many facets of the Wild Wild East. At the core of the discussion is the high number of summer tours that have kicked off in Asia this summer as many of the top European football brands have descended, but may be running into a high water mark in terms of flexing their commercial muscle and sense of entitlement in this exploding marketplace, a football mad region that adores its favorite clubs in England and beyond, but yet almost tolerating Western impressions that Asia only offers a cash cow to clubs desperate to cash in. Clearly there is demand for tickets and exposure to top flight footballers each and every summer, but the promoters on the ground may be doing more harm than good and it might just be time that the AFC begins to establish rules and best practices before damage is done. Also in this episode we examine the East Asia Cup and how national identity and talent levels were reinforced throughout the tournament and what regional powers Japan and South Korea must now address to maximize their appearances in the World Cup a year from now. We also discuss the imminent arrival of Japanese midfield superstar Keisuke Honda who appears headed to AC Milan where his skill and mindset will be of immediate use to a club searching for more creativity in attack, how Guangzhou Evergrande might just be the strongest team in Asia as Marcelo Lippi seems set out to win the Chinese Super League and the AFC Champions League as a prelude to assuming control of the Chinese national team and then we close on a look at the top East Asian club leagues including Japan and Korea before rounding out our discussion into the election of a new AFC president and the near term objectives he will have in his first term.
