With the Asian Cup starting on Friday, our reporters give their predictions on how they think this year's tournament will go:
– 2015 AFC Asian Cup Group A & B: Team-by-team guide
– 2015 AFC Asian Cup Group C & D: Team-by-team guide
Andy Lewis, News Editor
Dark horse: Uzbekistan. Struggle for goals but possess better technical quality and tactical awareness than the majority of teams.
Flop: Saudi Arabia. Just too fractious.
Top goalscorer: Son Heung-min. Will provide the firepower for the Koreans.
Best player: Keisuke Honda. Knows what it takes to perform on the big stage.
Martyn Thomas, Reporter
Champions: Japan. Possess a squad full of talent and tournament know-how, that a fairly comfortable route to the final is a bonus.
Dark horse: Qatar. Will be full of confidence following their Gulf Cup win.
Flop: UAE. A fit Omar Abdulrahman changes everything, but an early flight home beckons if they replicate Gulf Cup displays.
Top goalscorer: Nasser Al Shamrani. The current Asian Player of the Year is in the form of his life.
Best player: Shinji Kagawa. Event provides chance to remind everyone of his powers.
Matt Monaghan, Reporter
Champions: Saudi Arabia. Warm-up results have been wretched, but Al Ahli boss Cosmin Olaroiu is a born winner.
Dark horse: Jordan. Came within a play-off of World Cup 2014..
Flop: Australia. Hosts have not replaced past stars and won one of 11 games in 2014.
Top goalscorer: Keisuke Honda. Will fill boots in kind Group D, with champions Japan set to compete until the death.
Best player: Nasser Al Shamrani. If the volatile Asian Footballer of the Year can behave himself, will light up entire competition.
Barny Read, Web reporter
Champions: Japan. It’s hard to look past the tournament’s most successful team.
Dark horse: Qatar. The 2014 Gulf Cup winners could well surprise a few on the continent.
Flop: Australia. Woeful at times over the last 12 months, the Socceroos created some stunning moments at the World Cup but are too inept up to to make an impact.
Top goalscorer: Keisuke Honda.
Best player: Ali Mabkhout. If his Gulf Cup heroics are anything to go by he has the chance to show the world his class.
John Duerden, Asian football expert
Champions: Japan. Have issues but also the strength in depth and the talent to overcome them.
Dark horse: Uzbekistan. Perhaps lack a little firepower but looks to be strong elsewhere on the pitch.
Flop: Jordan. Two quarter finals in last three tournaments and solid 2014 qualification campaign but this time could be tough.
Top goalscorer: Tim Cahill. Australia may worry about relying too much on their star for goals but he does score rather a lot of important ones.
Best player: Son Heung-min. The South Korean is in good form in the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League. On his day, unstoppable.
Mark Lomas, Sport360.com managing editor
Champions: Japan. Packed with Europebased talents, including Shinji Kagawa, Keisuke Honda and Maya Yoshida. The Blue Samurais are a cut above.
Dark horse: Palestine. Nothing expected on debut but motivated to succeed by ongoing domestic turmoil.
Flop: Australia. Home advantage should inspire but lack of quality and woeful recent form doesn’t bode well. Tim Cahill a lone relic of better times.
Top goalscorer: Reza Ghoochannejhad. Iranian has rediscovered his shooting boots on loan at Al Kuwait.