China vs Singapore September 6, 2013

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Singapore’s clash against China tomorrow might be billed only as a friendly, but the tie holds significant importance for both teams.

While the East Asia country has lined up friendly matches against Singapore and Malaysia in preparation for their AFC 2015 Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia next month, the Lions are looking to bounce back from their recent defeat in the same qualifiers against Oman as part of their rebuilding process under new coach Bernd Stange.

The Chinese come into this tie fresh off their impressive performances in the EAFF East Asian Cup in South Korea in July, where they finished in second place behind winners Japan. They went through the whole tournament undefeated as they held traditional Asian powerhouses Japan (3-3) and South Korea (0-0), while beating giants Australia (4-3).

Caretaker coach Fu Bo, who is temporarily taking over the China national team after the sacking of Jose Antonio Camacho in June, has rung in the changes with the side. He has rested Guangzhou Evergrande’s talismanic striker Lin Gao and PSV Eindhoven defender Sun Xiang due to their club commitments in the Asian Champions League, while giving national Under-20 captain Jin Jingdao his first senior team call-up. Fu has also recalled Zheng Zheng, Feng Xiaoting and Zhao Xuri after dropping them for the recent EAFF Asian Cup in the wake of the 5-1 humiliation against Thailand in June.

The Lions can draw inspiration from Thailand’s recent 5-1 mauling of China, but there is no denying there is a gulf in class between the two teams. China are ranked 95th in the Fifa standings, 60 places above Singapore's 155th. Furthermore, China have convincingly beaten them 2-1 at Kunming Tuodong and 4-0 at the Jalan Besar Stadium in the last two encounters during the World Cup qualification match in 2011.

Getting a result might not be the main objective then, but anything less than an encouraging performance from Singapore would raise questions against Stange’s methods and cast further doubts on his managerial ability.

South Korea vs Haiti September 6, 2013

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South Korea will look to end its four-match winless slide in men's football when it hosts Haiti on Friday.

The kickoff is at 8 p.m. at Incheon Football Stadium, just west of Seoul. It will be South Korea's first of two friendlies this month, with Croatia waiting on deck as the opponent next Tuesday.

Head coach Hong Myung-bo, who took over the national team in June, is seeking his maiden victory, with his squad having managed three draws and one loss in his first four contests.

South Korea is currently ranked 56th in the world and Haiti is 74th.

For the first time as the national team bench boss, Hong will have the services of Europe-based stars. Forward Son Heung-min of Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and forward Ji Dong-won of Sunderland in the English Premier League are among eight players under contract with European clubs that will be at Hong's disposal for the match.

They were unavailable for three matches at the East Asian Cup in July and for the friendly against Peru on Aug. 14 because they were getting ready for new seasons in their respective leagues.

These overseas-based players will be counted on to provide an offensive punch for South Korea, which has scored just once in the four games under Hong. The team has been sorely lacking a finisher around the net, and the likes of Son and Ji, and the versatile midfielder Koo Ja-cheol of VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, will try to fill the void.

At the pre-match press conference held at Incheon Football Stadium on Thursday, Hong said he didn't want to place an extra burden on his players.

"I haven't asked our offensive players to do anything special," the head coach said. "My biggest concern ahead of this match is the pressure our players must be feeling. We have players who are capable of scoring, and I hope they can play up to their abilities."

   Hong also said even though Haiti is ranked below South Korea, his players should not take their opponent lightly.

"Haiti has some big-bodied players with good stamina, and they can steal passes in tight space to set up breakaway chances," Hong observed. "We will try to play compact football to beat Haiti tomorrow."

South Korea has been steady on defense with a young and athletic group of players based in domestic and Japanese leagues. Joining them this time is left fullback Park Joo-ho, who is off to a strong start in his first Bundesliga season with Mainz 05 after leaving FC Basel in Switzerland.

An unexpected competition for playing time has been brewing in the goalkeeper position. Jung Sung-ryong, a veteran of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, was relegated to the bench in South Korea's previous international match against Peru on Aug. 14. Kim Seung-gyu, making his international debut, made some spectacular saves to preserve a scoreless draw, and he should remain a threat to Jung's job security.