2007 4 Nations Cup
The 2007 4 Nations Cup was held in Leksand, Sweden from November 7 to November 11, 2007. All games were played at the Ejendals Arena. The teams involved were Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland.


2007 4 Nations Cup
Canada defeated the USA 2-0 in the gold medal game.


2007 A Lyga
The Lithuanian A Lyga 2007 was the 18th season of top-tier football in Lithuania. The season started on 7 April 2007 and ended on 10 November 2007. 10 teams participated with FBK Kaunas winning the championship.


2007 A-League Grand Final
The 2007 A-League Grand Final took place at Telstra Dome in Melbourne, Australia, on 18 February 2007. The match was contested by premiers Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United, who had to play over half the game with ten men after their captain Ross Aloisi was sent off after 34 minutes. After the game, Adelaide coach John Kosmina heavily criticized the refereeing of the match and this, coupled with other issues, saw him forced to resign by the Adelaide board.


2007 A-League Grand Final
Melbourne prevailed 6–0 in the joint largest win in A-League history, and the greatest ever deficit in any Australian soccer Grand Final, including the old NSL. The match also set the largest sporting attendance at Docklands Stadium of 55,436 people. Archie Thompson scored five goals, only the sixth A-League hat-trick, and the most goals by an individual in any A-League match. This performance earned him the Joe Marston Medal.


2007 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
The 2007 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup competition was held in July and August in the lead-up to the start of the A-League 2007-08 season. The opening round started on 14 July 2007. The competition featured a group stage, with three regular rounds, followed by a two-week finals playoff.


2007 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
In previous years, the Pre-Season Cup was used to enhance the A-League's profiles by playing pre-season games in regional centres. In 2007 venues included Sunshine Coast, Launceston, Canberra, Port Macquarie, Darwin, Orange and Geelong.


2007 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
The group stage had a bonus point system. One point was awarded for 2 goals in a match, two points for 3 and three points for 4 or more goals in a match.


2007 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
If two or more teams were level on points accumulated, the following criteria would be applied, in order, until one of the teams was determined as the higher ranked:


2007 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
The finals series was held over two weekends – 3 to 5 August, and 10 to 12 August.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Dawnseeker2000 (talk | contribs) at 04:13, 29 November 2020 (Script-assisted fixes: per CS1 and MOS:ITALICS). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict
The 2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United conflict occurred on 4 April 2007 at the Stadio Olimpico during the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League quarter-final match between Roma and Manchester United. In the conflict, missiles were thrown over a perspex barrier separating the two sets of supporters, which prompted the Italian riot police to enter and attempt to subdue the hostile crowd. The incident has been controversial, as the police and team supporters on both sides view the causes of and reactions to the melee differently.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Incidents in Rome
Before the match began, riot police positioned themselves only on the Manchester United side of the perspex barrier between the fans. After Roma scored their first goal, their fans were allegedly throwing missiles over the barrier into the Manchester United fans. After this, reports claim that a section of Manchester United fans pushed around the Stadio Olimpico ground stewards; as a result of this the riot police moved in to gain control of the United crowd.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Incidents in Rome
The following police action has resulted in Manchester United accusing the Italian police of "hand[ing] out indiscriminate beatings to United supporters" and encouraged witnesses to contact them. Many Manchester United supporters and the Independent Manchester United Supporters Association have also claimed the police response was disproportionate and indiscriminate, and that they had targeted the Manchester United supporters. Eleven Manchester United supporters and two Roma supporters were taken to hospital following the violence. UEFA have launched an investigation and Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker has said that answers were needed into whether or not Italian police had been brutal.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Incidents in Rome
Amnesty International has also backed calls for an inquiry. Achille Serra, head of Rome Police, said the police action was a 'justified response', and said there would be no inquiry unless there were evidence of any alleged police brutality. Italian Football Federation President Giancarlo Abete has also defended the policemen on duty at the ground. Psychologist Clifford Stott attended the match and was critical of the Italian police, adding "One way of looking at it is that the Italian fans use violence against English fans to provoke the police to have a go at them." Footage filmed by United supporters was used as evidence of unfair treatment, including a recording of one female fan being attacked without provocation. This film later resulted in an apology to the fan involved from Roma players.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Incidents in Rome
Before the match, Manchester United issued warnings to its supporters that they could be attacked, highlighting areas that should be avoided in the city, where hardcore Roma fans, known as ultras, may congregate. This warning was viewed as derogative by some in Rome, including Rome's mayor, Walter Veltroni, who said it was "dangerous because it risks creating a negative climate".


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Incidents in Rome
Five people (three English and two Italians) were also injured as they made their way to the stadium.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Incidents in Rome
The Italian Interior Minister Giuliano Amato said that the police inside the ground were excessive in their use of batons on some of the United fans, but has called for people not to judge the entire Italian police force by the actions of those involved in this incident.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Incidents in Rome
The Independent Manchester United Supporters Association (IMUSA) has demanded an apology from the Italian police, has said those fans injured should be compensated, and that they were prepared to take legal action to obtain this. Action was initiated in the Italian courts but when this was timed out a civil case was opened. That action is still live and still awaiting a decision. The fans of both Manchester United and Milan were praised by the Manchester police following their Champions League semi-final match on 24 April 2007.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Incidents in Rome
On 25 April 2007, UEFA released a statement regarding the sentence for both teams. Roma were fined CHF75,000 (€47,700/£31,100) while Manchester United were fined CHF35,500 (€21,300/£14,500). Both teams have three days from the date of receipt of the written grounds for the decision.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Incidents in Manchester
In the return leg, which was played at Manchester United's Old Trafford; police beat Roma fans with batons and brought out police horses and dogs after Roma and United fans had thrown bottles at each other outside of the ground before the game. There were 14 English fans arrested along with seven Italians.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Incidents in Manchester
British Sports Minister Richard Caborn was quoted as saying "It's unfortunate that there have been some scuffles outside Old Trafford. This was always going to be a highly-charged game following the incident last week. Greater Manchester Police have used proportionate force in a potentially difficult situation and have handled it well." Reports from police spokespersons said that they were "required to deal with a number of small and isolated incidents" and that the trouble was "contained within five minutes".


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Post-conflict events
In the season following the conflicts, Roma were once again set to play Manchester United. Roma club captain Francesco Totti sought to defuse any potential tensions by making a personal video apology to a female United fan, Carly Lyes, who was caught up in the clash between police and United fans.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Post-conflict events
We would like to apologise for the treatment you received in Rome last season and we hope it has not damaged the opinion you and your fellow supporters have of our city. We would also like to invite you to the Olympic Stadium for the game later this year and treat you as our special guest.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Post-conflict events
Totti's message was well received by Lyes, but the fan pointed out that it was the police, Roma officials, and UEFA who should be apologising for the events of that night, not the playing staff.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Related incidents
In the previous round of the competition, Manchester United fans were involved in an incident at the Stade Félix-Bollaert in Lens in February, during a round of 16 match between Lille OSC and Manchester United. As the stadium began to fill, too many United fans were directed to the away stand which couldn't facilitate them, causing the spectators at the front of the stand to be pressed against the parameter fencing. Amidst fears of a Hillsborough-like incident, fans attempted to climb over the metal fencing surrounding the away section. Riot police saw the attempts as a pitch invasion and fired tear gas into the crowd, which prompted criticism of their handling of the situation.


2007 A.S. Roma–Manchester United F.C. conflict, Related incidents
In 2006, three Middlesbrough fans were stabbed and 10 others injured during fights with Roma fans in a UEFA Cup quarter-final match.


2007 A3 Champions Cup
The fifth edition of the A3 Champions Cup took place between June 7 and June 13, 2007 at the Shandong Stadium in Jinan.


2007 AAMI Classic – Draw
Andy Roddick was the defending champion, and won in the final 6–2, 3–6, 6–3, against Roger Federer.


2007 ABA All-Star Game
The 2007 American Basketball Association All-Star Game was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia at the 10,595 seat Halifax Metro Centre from January 27 to 28.


2007 ABA All-Star Game
The first event, held on the 27th included a game between St. Francis Xavier University and Dalhousie University, the three point contest (Won by Aaron Cook of the Vermont Frost Heaves), the slam dunk contest (Won by Donald Beachem of the Texas Tycoons), the awards ceremony, and a small performance by Hedley and Classified to be MC'd by Farley Flex.


2007 ABA All-Star Game
The second event on the 28th, included a game between Saint Mary's University and Memorial University, and the All-Star game; East versus West. The West defeated the East 138-123.


2007 ABC Supply Company A.J. Foyt 225
The 2007 ABC Supply Company/A.J. Foyt 225 was a race in the 2007 IRL IndyCar Series, held at The Milwaukee Mile. It was held over the weekend of 1 -June 3, 2007, as the sixth round of the seventeen-race calendar.


2007 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament
The 2007 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 35th edition of the event known that year as the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, and was part of the ATP International Series Gold of the 2007 ATP Tour. It took place at the Rotterdam Ahoy indoor sporting arena in Rotterdam, Netherlands, from 19 February through 25 February 2007. Mikhail Youzhny won the singles title.


2007 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament
The singles field was headlined by ATP No. 3, Australian Open quarterfinalist and 2006 Paris Masters champion Nikolay Davydenko, other Australian Open quarterfinalist and Auckland runner-up Tommy Robredo, and Doha winner and Zagreb finalist Ivan Ljubičić. Other seeded players were Sydney quarterfinalist Tomáš Berdych, Adelaide champion Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer, Lleyton Hewitt and Radek Štěpánek.


2007 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, Finals, Doubles
Martin Damm /  Leander Paes defeated  Andrei Pavel /  Alexander Waske 6–3, 6–7(5–7), [10–7]


2007 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament – Doubles
Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett were the defending champions, but lost in the first round to Andrei Pavel and Alexander Waske.


2007 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament – Doubles
Martin Damm and Leander Paes won in the final 6–3, 6–7(5–7), [10–7], against Andrei Pavel and Alexander Waske.


2007 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament – Singles
Radek Štěpánek was the defending champion, but lost in the second round to Philipp Kohlschreiber.


2007 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament – Singles
Mikhail Youzhny won in the final 6–2, 6–4, against Ivan Ljubičić.


2007 ACB Playoffs, Playoff seedings, results, and schedules, Quarter Finals
(1) TAU Cerámica (26-8) vs. (8) Unicaja Málaga (17-17) TAU Cerámica win the series 3-0


2007 ACB Playoffs, Playoff seedings, results, and schedules, Quarter Finals
(4) Winterthur FCB (23-11) vs. (5) Akasvayu Girona (21-13) Winterthur FCB win the series 3-1


2007 ACB Playoffs, Playoff seedings, results, and schedules, Quarter Finals
(2) Real Madrid (25-9)  vs. (7) Pamesa Valencia (19-15) Real Madrid win the series 3-1


2007 ACB Playoffs, Playoff seedings, results, and schedules, Quarter Finals
(3) DKV Joventut (23-11) vs. (6) Gran Canaria Grupo Dunas (21-13) DKV Joventut win the series 3-2


2007 ACB Playoffs, Playoff seedings, results, and schedules, Semifinals
(1) TAU Cerámica (26-8) vs. (4) Winterthur FCB (23-11) Winterthur FCB win the series 3-2


2007 ACB Playoffs, Playoff seedings, results, and schedules, Semifinals
(2) Real Madrid (25-9)  vs. (3) DKV Joventut (23-11) Real Madrid win the series 3-2


2007 ACB Playoffs, Playoff seedings, results, and schedules, ACB Finals
(2) Real Madrid (25-9) vs. (4) Winterthur FCB (23-11) Real Madrid win the series 3-1 and the championship


2007 ACC Championship Game
The 2007 Dr. Pepper ACC Championship Game featured the Boston College Eagles and the Virginia Tech Hokies in a regular-season college football game that determined the conference's champion for the 2007 season. Virginia Tech defeated Boston College 30–16 to win the ACC football championship. The game, held at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, was a rematch of a regular-season game that took place on October 25, in Blacksburg, Virginia. In that game, Boston College, courtesy of a late-game comeback by quarterback Matt Ryan, won 14–10.


2007 ACC Championship Game
Following the loss, Virginia Tech won five straight games to win the Coastal Division of the ACC, while Boston College stumbled, losing two games before defeating the Clemson Tigers to win the Atlantic Division and representation in the Championship Game. Most pre-game media coverage of the event cast the game as an opportunity for Virginia Tech to avenge its earlier loss. In addition, the winner of the game would be awarded an automatic bid to the Bowl Championship Series 2008 Orange Bowl game in Miami, Florida on January 3, 2008. Despite Boston College's earlier win over Virginia Tech, spread bettors favored Virginia Tech by five points.


2007 ACC Championship Game
In the opening quarter of the game, the Eagles took a 7–0 lead on a 51-yard fumble return for a touchdown. The Eagles' offense dominated the first half of the game statistically, but failed to add to its early lead until the second quarter, when a field goal made it 10–0. Virginia Tech answered with a touchdown of their own, but Boston College responded with a seven-play, 74-yard touchdown drive of its own. Then came perhaps the most pivotal play of the game. During the extra point kick following the Boston College touchdown, Virginia Tech's Duane Brown blocked the kick, which was caught by the Hokies' cornerback Brandon Flowers, who returned it 75 yards for a defensive two-point conversion.


2007 ACC Championship Game
The play changed the momentum of the game. Virginia Tech added a tying touchdown before halftime, and after a scoreless third quarter, two Matt Ryan interceptions resulted in 14 points for Virginia Tech and a 30–16 Virginia Tech win. With the victory, the Hokies earned their second Atlantic Coast Conference football championship in four years and their first Orange Bowl bid since 1996.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Background
The ACC Championship Game matches the winner of the Coastal and Atlantic Divisions of the Atlantic Coast Conference. A conference championship game was added in 2005, as a result of the league's expansion the previous year, adding former Big East members Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College. With the addition of Boston College, the ACC consisted of 12 teams, allowing it to hold a conference championship game under NCAA rules.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Background
Florida State defeated Virginia Tech, 27–22 in the first ACC Championship game. The following year, the game, held in Jacksonville, Florida, pitted Wake Forest against Georgia Tech, with Wake Forest winning 9–6. Before the 2007 season began, most sports writers and pollsters predicted Florida State would win the Atlantic Division while Virginia Tech would win the Coastal Division, setting up a rematch of the 2005 ACC Championship Game.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Background
In October, Florida State lost back-to-back ACC conference games to Wake Forest and Miami, eliminating them from contention for their division title. Boston College, which had finished second in the preseason Atlantic Division poll, was ranked No. 2 in the country after Florida State's loss to Miami. Virginia Tech, which suffered a 48–7 defeat at the hands of then-No. 2 LSU, nevertheless remained at the top of the Coastal Division standings as the Eagles passed the Seminoles for the Atlantic Division lead.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Background
On October 25, Boston College traveled to Blacksburg, Virginia, home of Virginia Tech, for a Thursday night game broadcast on ESPN. In heavy rain, Virginia Tech's defense dominated for most of the game. As time ran down, however, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan orchestrated two late-game touchdown drives, scoring 14 points in the final 2 minutes to win 14–10. The victory seemingly sealed Boston College's route to a national championship game, while the loss potentially jeopardized Virginia Tech's chances of being selected to play in the ACC Championship Game.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Background
Over the next two weeks, however, Boston College was upset by Florida State and Maryland. The Eagles rallied to win their final two games—against Miami and Clemson—to clinch the division title. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, was undefeated through the remainder of its schedule, including a division-clinching win over its archrival, Virginia. This meant the ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville would be a rematch between these two division champions.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Pre-game buildup
In the weeks leading up to the game, there was much media discussion of the future site of the game due to Jacksonville's expiring contract to host the ACC Championship. The media also discussed whether Virginia Tech would be out for revenge against Boston College after its last-second defeat in Blacksburg on October 25. Despite its previous loss, spread bettors favored Virginia Tech to win the game, with most favoring the Hokies by 4.5–5 points.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Pre-game buildup
The game was the 15th contest between Boston College and Virginia Tech and was their second of the 2007 season. The first meeting, which took place in 1993 in the Big East conference, resulted in a 48–34 Boston College win. Between 1993 and 2003, Boston College and Virginia Tech played annually as part of their conference schedules. The teams did not meet in 2004 following Virginia Tech's move to the Atlantic Coast Conference. When Boston College followed in 2005, the schools resumed meeting during the regular season, playing in 2005, 2006, and 2007.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Pre-game buildup, Off-field issues
Following the 2006 ACC Championship Game, the Gator Bowl Association, which administered the ACC Championship Game during its first two years of existence, was awarded a one-year extension to its two-year contract to host the game. The 2006 game suffered from poor attendance, resulting in over $1 million in losses for the Gator Bowl Association. In the off-season, the Gator Bowl Association declared that if sales did not improve for the 2007 ACC Championship game, the game's Jacksonville future would be in jeopardy. Attendance for the 2006 game was low due to high travel costs stemming from Jacksonville's distance from the participating schools, and the 2007 participants—Boston College and Virginia Tech—faced the same problem.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Pre-game buildup, Off-field issues
With Jacksonville's future as host in doubt, representatives from Charlotte, North Carolina, Tampa, Florida, and Jacksonville visited the ACC offices to lobby to host the 2008 game. Orlando, Florida, which had been an early contender to host the 2008 game, was eliminated from consideration before the meetings took place. As kickoff drew closer, the Gator Bowl Association expressed displeasure with the poor ticket sales, saying nearly 20,000 tickets remained unsold as of the week of the game, and that if it was not a sellout the game would likely not remain in Jacksonville.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Pre-game buildup, Offensive matchups
Media attention was also directed at the teams' offensive capabilities. Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year in the week leading up to the game. In the first half of the 2007 season, Ryan had been prominently mentioned in candidate lists for the Heisman Trophy, college football's highest individual award. Although Ryan's late-game comeback in their previous game against Virginia Tech had made him a front-runner, the team's two subsequent losses to unranked teams dropped him from contention for the Heisman. Excellent performances in a division-clinching win at Clemson and against Miami seemed to return Ryan to Heisman-candidate form, however, and heading into the ACC Championship Game, Ryan appeared to be the biggest offensive threat for Boston College.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Pre-game buildup, Offensive matchups
Virginia Tech's offense was led by an unusual two-quarterback system, as junior Sean Glennon shared time with freshman Tyrod Taylor. While Glennon proved to be a better pocket passer, Taylor's quickness enabled him to scramble out of trouble and gain positive yardage even when no open receivers were available for passes. Until the final game of the season, either Taylor or Glennon was hampered by injury and limited the two-quarterback system's effectiveness. Although the two-quarterback system proved effective against Virginia, there were still questions about how well such an unusual setup would work in the ACC Championship Game.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Pre-game buildup, Offensive matchups
On the ground, Taylor's offensive scrambling, while effective, was not Virginia Tech's primary rushing weapon. Running back Brandon Ore, Virginia Tech's starter at the position, would need to have a good game, analysts predicted, if the Hokies wanted to win the game. Ore, who suffered several injuries during the 2006 season, failed to produce meaningful offensive yardage until late in the season, disappointing many fans who hoped he would repeat his excellent 2006 performance on the field. With a 146-yard performance against Virginia in the final game of the regular season, Ore seemed to have regained his 2006 form and promised success in the ACC Championship Game.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Pre-game buildup, Offensive matchups
The Boston College ground offense was led by running back Andre Callender, who had perhaps his biggest game of the year during the division-clinching match against Clemson two weeks earlier. In that game, Callender finished with 92 receiving yards and 75 rushing yards. Due to the success of Matt Ryan's passing attack, however, Callender was used mostly as a backfield receiver and was the team's leading receiver statistically during the 2007 season. In the regular season, Callender amassed 905 yards rushing, 613 yards receiving, and 13 total touchdowns. Callender's normal backup, running back A.J. Brooks, was suspended for the ACC Championship Game.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Pre-game buildup, Defensive matchups
Virginia Tech's defense was considered stronger than that of Boston College. For the ACC Championship Game, Virginia Tech returned senior linebacker Vince Hall to the starting lineup. Hall had sat out four straight games, including the previous Boston College match, after suffering a broken forearm and wrist. ESPN named Hall and Xavier Adibi, Tech's other senior linebacker, the "best linebacker duo in the country".


2007 ACC Championship Game, Pre-game buildup, Defensive matchups
On Virginia Tech's defensive secondary, Brandon Flowers, one of Tech's starting cornerbacks, was a second-team All-ACC defensive selection and had five interceptions in the season. Assisting Flowers would be Victor "Macho" Harris, who had also netted five interceptions during the regular season. During the 2007 season, Sports Illustrated called the two "maybe the finest cornerback duo in America."


2007 ACC Championship Game, Pre-game buildup, Defensive matchups
At the end of the regular season, Boston College was ranked 26th nationally in total defense, and 2nd nationally in run defense. Its pass defense, however, was ranked 106th in the country, and since Boston College was without senior cornerback DeJuan Tribble, who was recovering from a sprained knee ligament, it was expected that the Eagles' linebackers would have to play a very good game to stop Virginia Tech's passing offense. Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who had been named to the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (awarded to the top defensive player in the country) was expected to fill the gaps and stop both rushing and passing elements of Virginia Tech's offense.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Pre-game buildup, Defensive matchups
In addition, safety Jamie Silva would have to play a strong game to support the Boston College cornerback replacing the injured Tribble. Silva, an All-ACC defensive selection, led the team with five interceptions and was very good in moving up to stop the run as well. On the defensive line, defensive end Nick Larkin was a quarterfinalist for the Lott Trophy, an award given to the defensive player with the most "defensive impact" nationally.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary
The 2007 ACC Championship Game kicked off at 13:10 EST in Jacksonville, Florida. At kickoff, the weather was partly cloudy, with winds from the northeast at 18 miles per hour (29 km/h). The air temperature was 69 °F (21 °C). The official attendance estimate was 53,212, but by most accounts the actual attendance was far lower. Virginia Tech fans made up most of the crowd, and fewer than 5,000 Boston College fans were present at the game. The game was broadcast on ABC and netted a television rating of 4.1, placing it behind the SEC Championship Game and the Big 12 Championship Game, which earned ratings of 5.9 and 6.6, respectively.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary
The Marching Virginians, Virginia Tech's marching band, and the "Screaming Eagles", the Boston College Marching Band, played the national anthem before the game. The pre-game coin toss involved two members of the Wounded Warrior Project, a program that assists the physical rehabilitation of wounded American combat veterans returning to the United States from fighting overseas. One soldier from Virginia and another from Massachusetts were chosen to throw the ceremonial coin that would determine the game's starting possession. Supervising the coin toss was referee Jack Childress, who had also officiated the inaugural ACC Championship Game.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, First quarter
Virginia Tech won the opening coin toss and deferred its option to the second half. Boston College received the opening kickoff, which was downed in the end zone for a touchback. Starting at their own 20-yard line, the Eagles advanced down the field as quarterback Matt Ryan completed several passes and running back Andre Callender contributed several long runs. A pass interference call against Virginia Tech, coupled with a 10-yard run by Callender, put Boston College at the Virginia Tech 26-yard line. After three consecutive incomplete passes, Eagles kicker Steve Aponavicius attempted a 36-yard field goal. During the field goal, Virginia Tech special teams player Duane Brown broke through the Eagles' line and blocked the kick, giving Virginia Tech possession of the ball.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, First quarter
Virginia Tech's offense, led by quarterback Sean Glennon, began their first possession at their own 37-yard line. However, a sack, a tackle for loss, and an incomplete pass denied the Hokies' offense positive yardage and they were forced to punt. Tech punter Brent Bowden managed a 54-yard kick, which forced the Eagles to start at their own 14-yard line, but three big plays of 16, 19, and 19 yards drove the Eagles deep into Virginia Tech territory. As before, however, Virginia Tech's defense stiffened and Boston College was forced into a fourth down. Instead of attempting a long field goal, the Eagles instead attempted to convert the fourth down but were foiled by an incomplete pass.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, First quarter
On the Hokies' second offensive possession, quarterback Tyrod Taylor took the field in place of Sean Glennon. Two successful passes and two short runs resulted in two first downs and Virginia Tech advanced the ball across the 50-yard line and into Boston College territory. As Taylor attempted to scramble for yet another short run, however, he was tackled behind the line of scrimmage and fumbled the ball. The loose ball was scooped up by Boston College defender Jamie Silva, who returned it 51 yards for a touchdown. The touchdown and subsequent extra point were the first points of the game and gave Boston College a 7–0 lead with 4 minutes remaining in the quarter.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, First quarter
After the kickoff, Virginia Tech's offense again failed to advance the ball. After a three-and-out, the Hokies again punted. The ball traveled 44 yards, forcing the Eagles to start at their own 21-yard line. As the quarter came to a close, the Eagles drove the ball deep into Virginia Tech territory. At the end of the first quarter, Boston College led 7–0.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Second quarter
At the beginning of the second quarter, the Hokies' defense began to stiffen. Aided by a 10-yard holding penalty against the Eagles, Matt Ryan was forced to complete a 14-yard pass on 4th-and-9 to earn a first down and keep the drive alive. Three incomplete passes followed, however, and the Eagles again settled for a field goal attempt. This time, the 37-yard kick sailed through the uprights, giving Boston College a 10–0 lead with 11:20 remaining in the first half.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Second quarter
Virginia Tech's first offensive drive of the second quarter began on an auspicious note as quarterback Sean Glennon completed a 16-yard pass to wide receiver Josh Morgan. Following the play, a Boston College player committed a personal foul, which added 15 yards to the end of the pass. Another long pass by Glennon, coupled with yet another Boston College penalty, put Virginia Tech deep into the red zone, and the Hokies scored on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Morgan. With 8:15 remaining in the first half, Virginia Tech narrowed Boston College's lead to just three points.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Second quarter
On the ensuing possession, Boston College needed only seven plays and just under three minutes to travel 74 yards. The drive culminated in a 14-yard quarterback scramble for a touchdown. Duane Brown, who had blocked the first Boston College field goal attempt, again charged through the Boston College offensive line and blocked the extra point attempt. This time, the ball bounced into the hands of Virginia Tech's Brandon Flowers, who returned it 75 yards for a defensive two-point conversion. The play kept Boston College's lead within a single touchdown and extra point. With 5:27 remaining in the half, the score was now 16–9 in favor of Boston College.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Second quarter
Tech quarterback Sean Glennon's first pass of the new possession, long throw downfield, was intercepted by Boston College defender Jamie Silva. The length of the pass meant Boston College did not have good field position following the turnover. After earning a quick first down, the Eagles were stopped and forced to punt. With 2:13 remaining before halftime, the Hokies had one more offensive opportunity.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Second quarter
Beginning at their own 20-yard line, the Virginia Tech offense marched down the field. Running back Branden Ore ran 11 yards for a first down, and two long passes from Sean Glennon to wide receiver Eddie Royal put the Hokies into scoring position. After failing to gain first downs with short runs, Virginia Tech was forced to use its timeouts to stop the clock and the first half from ending before they had a chance to score. On a 3rd-and-7 from the Boston College 13-yard line, Glennon finally connected with wide receiver Josh Hyman, who crossed into the end zone for a touchdown. The extra point tied the game, 16–16.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Second quarter
With no time left to mount an answering drive, Boston College received the kickoff and let time run out. Heading into halftime, the two teams were tied, 16–16.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Third quarter
Because they deferred their selection to the second half during the opening coin toss, Virginia Tech received the ball to begin the half. The Hokies continued to rotate between quarterbacks Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor during the possession, and picked up two first downs, one through the air and the other on the ground. After Glennon was sacked at the 50-yard line, however, the drive sputtered and the Hokies were forced to punt the ball.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Third quarter
Boston College, in their first possession of the second half, fared even worse than Virginia Tech did. Two incomplete passes and a 5-yard delay of game penalty forced Boston College into a three-and-out possession that resulted in a punt. On its second possession, Virginia Tech had a three-and-out drive, thanks in part to an 11-yard sack of Sean Glennon by Boston College's Kevin Atkins.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Third quarter
After receiving the punt, Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan connected on a 31-yard pass to wide receiver Brandon Robinson. As before, however, the offense stalled. On 4th-and-1 from the Virginia Tech 30-yard line, Ryan attempted a pass that fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs. As a result of pressure applied by the Boston College defense, the Hokies continued to have difficulty moving the ball.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Third quarter
The Hokies were forced to punt again, and Brent Bowden's 50-yard punt stuck the Eagles deep in their own territory. The drive began with a five-yard penalty against Boston College and culminated two plays later in a six-yard loss on a sack of Matt Ryan by Hokie defender Barry Booker. Boston College punted, but the kick by Johnny Ayers traveled just 34 yards before sailing out of bounds.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Third quarter
Virginia Tech had good starting field position at their own 44-yard line. One quick first down later, the clock ran out on the third quarter. As neither team had scored in the quarter, the score remained tied at 16–16.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Despite starting almost at midfield, the offensive drive that began at the end of the third quarter failed to reach field goal range, and the Hokies were forced to punt. Boston College's offense fared no better, however, and punted after a three-and-out possession. The ball was downed at the Virginia Tech 16-yard line, and the Hokies began their first full offensive possession of the fourth quarter.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Fourth quarter
After an incomplete pass from quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the Hokies got their first big offensive break of the second half. On a designed play, Taylor scrambled for 31 yards, the largest play in the game for the Hokies. Two successful runs by running back Branden Ore followed, earning the Hokies 23 more yards and pushing the offense deep into Boston College territory. A false-start penalty set the Hokie offense back, but on the next play, quarterback Sean Glennon connected with wide receiver Eddie Royal on a 24-yard strike for a touchdown. The touchdown and extra point were the first points of the second half and gave Virginia Tech a 23–16 lead with 6:30 remaining in the game.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Boston College began its second possession of the fourth quarter knowing it had to score a touchdown to tie the game. Quarterback Matt Ryan had his best success of the day, connecting on seven of ten passes during the drive and picking up 58 yards. All the Eagles' yardage on the drive came through the air, and with 2:25 remaining, the Eagles found themselves at the Virginia Tech 14-yard line. Facing a fourth down and needing four yards for a first down, Matt Ryan fell back to attempt a pass. The throw was intercepted by Virginia Tech's Vince Hall.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Fourth quarter
Starting at its own 10-yard line, Virginia Tech ran three straight running plays in an effort to run the clock down and prevent Boston College from having enough time to conduct another offensive drive. After the third run was stopped for no gain, however, the Hokies were forced to punt the ball. Boston College now had 28 seconds to score a touchdown and either tie the game with an extra point or win it with a two-point conversion.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Fourth quarter
The Boston College drive began on its own 35-yard line. With little time remaining, Boston College would have to complete one or more Hail Mary passes. Although the odds of completing one such pass, let alone several, were very low, many Virginia Tech fans remained worried, as Boston College had previously beaten the Hokies in similar circumstances earlier in the season. Matt Ryan's first two passes fell incomplete, and his third was intercepted by Virginia Tech's Xavier Adibi and returned 40 yards for a Virginia Tech touchdown.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Game summary, Fourth quarter
The score came with 11 seconds remaining and gave Virginia Tech its final lead, 30–16. With no chance to win, Boston College elected to let the clock run out after receiving the kickoff. Virginia Tech won the 2007 ACC Championship, 30–16.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Final statistics
Virginia Tech quarterback Sean Glennon was named the game's Most Valuable Player. Glennon finished the game having completed 18 of his 27 passes, earning 174 passing yards, three touchdowns (18 points), and one interception. Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan had finished 33 of 52 for 305 yards and two interceptions, no passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Final statistics
Each team finished with two turnovers—Virginia Tech fumbled the ball once and threw one interception, while Boston College's offense threw two. Each team earned seven points off of turnovers, and Virginia Tech blocked two kicks. The two blocked kicks effectively netted five points for Virginia Tech, as the blocked field goal prevented Boston College from scoring three points, and the other blocked kick was returned 75 yards for a rare defensive two-point conversion. The two blocked kicks by Virginia Tech were the first and second blocked kicks in ACC Championship Game history, and Boston College's fumble return for a touchdown was the first fumble recovery and defensive touchdown in ACC Championship Game history.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Final statistics, Virginia Tech statistical recap
Two-thirds of Virginia Tech's 300 total offensive yardage came via passes from quarterbacks Sean Glennon (174 yards) and Tyrod Taylor (28 yards). Glennon's three passing touchdowns tied an ACC Championship Game record set by former Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick in 2005. Glennon also set the ACC Championship Game record for pass completion percentage (66.7%) by completing 18 of his 27 passes. Taylor, meanwhile, set ACC Championship Game records for longest run and longest quarterback run with a 31-yard scramble in the second quarter that helped set up the tying touchdown for Virginia Tech. Taylor finished the game with 36 rushing yards, the third-most of any player in the game.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Final statistics, Virginia Tech statistical recap
On the ground, Taylor's performance was supplemented by Tech running back Branden Ore, who led all rushers with 55 yards on 19 rushes. Fourteen of Ore's 55 yards came on a single play halfway through the fourth quarter when the Boston College's defensive line gave way, admitting Tech's runner into the defensive secondary. The run helped set up Virginia Tech's go-ahead touchdown later in the fourth quarter. Capping Tech's ground game were complementary performances by Kenny Lewis and Sean Glennon, each of whom earned fewer than 10 yards, but picked up first downs on two plays.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Final statistics, Virginia Tech statistical recap
Leading all Tech receivers was Josh Morgan, who caught eight passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. Eddie Royal also had an excellent game for the Hokies, catching two long passes of 18 yards and 11 yards on subsequent plays in the second quarter. Royal's 2 catches drove the Hokies deep into Boston College territory, setting up a 13-yard touchdown pass to Josh Hyman that tied the game at halftime. Royal's biggest play, however, came halfway through the fourth quarter when he caught the go-ahead touchdown pass from Sean Glennon. The 24-yard reception was Royal's longest catch of the day, and the touchdown gave the Hokies a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Final statistics, Virginia Tech statistical recap
Though its offense performed well, it was Virginia Tech's special teams and defense that earned it the win. Duane Brown's twin blocked kicks were the first blocks recorded in ACC Championship Game history and were the 116th and 117th blocked kicks recorded at Virginia Tech under head coach Frank Beamer. In addition to the blocks, Tech special teams excelled on punts and kickoffs. Tech punter Brent Bowden finished the day with seven punts for a total of 324 yards. A 54-yard kick in the first quarter was the fourth-longest punt in ACC Championship Game history.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Final statistics, Virginia Tech statistical recap
On defense, linebacker Vince Hall, in his second game after recovering from a broken forearm, led all defensive players with 11 tackles. Hall also recorded an interception in the late stages of the fourth quarter that allowed Virginia Tech to run down the clock and force Boston College into a hasty offense. Tied for third overall was Tech's Xavier Adibi, who recorded nine tackles (one for loss) and caught the game-ending interception. Adibi returned the interception 40 yards for a defensive touchdown that sealed the victory for the Hokies.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Final statistics, Boston College statistical recap
Though Boston College lost the game on the scoreboard, it won almost every statistical category. Quarterback Matt Ryan outperformed both Hokie quarterbacks combined in passing yardage, throwing for 305 yards. Ryan was extremely accurate through the air in the fourth quarter, throwing eight straight complete passes, an ACC Championship Game record. Ryan also was surprisingly successful on the ground, rushing for Boston College's touchdown of the game—a 14-yard sprint in the second quarter that put Boston College ahead 16–7.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Final statistics, Boston College statistical recap
In the first half, the Eagles offense recorded 20 first downs. In the second half, it managed just four first downs, three of which came in one drive in the fourth quarter. As a result of second-half pressure from Virginia Tech, Ryan was forced into two late-game interceptions, including one that was returned for a Virginia Tech defensive touchdown.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Final statistics, Boston College statistical recap
Ryan finished the game with 35 rushing yards, just one short of Hokie quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who had been highly promoted as a runner heading into the game. Ryan finished fourth among all rushers, and Eagle running back Andre Callender, the sole running back on the Eagles' roster, finished second, rushing for 51 yards in the game. Callender game-long 11-yard run helped set up the Eagles for a field goal attempt early in the second quarter.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Final statistics, Boston College statistical recap
Callender's true success, however, was in the passing game, where he accrued 92 yards, putting him first among all receivers in the game. Callender's 13 catches were an ACC Championship Game record and were the fourth-highest total for a receiver in any game in ACC history. Wide receiver Kevin Challenger finished the game with 4 catches for 45 yards, while the Eagles' Rich Gunnell finished the game with 54 yards. Surprisingly for the number of receiving yards recorded by the Eagles in the game, no Boston College receiver caught a touchdown.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Final statistics, Boston College statistical recap
Boston College punter Johnny Ayres kicked four punts a total of 159 yards, including one long kick that traveled 55 yards and set the mark for the third-longest punt in ACC Championship Game history. Kicker Steve Aponavicius successfully kicked a 37-yard field goal early in the second quarter. but after his second kick was blocked, Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski seemed reluctant to try long field goals and instead sent in the offense to attempt to convert the fourth down. Out of four tries, only one fourth down was converted.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Final statistics, Boston College statistical recap
On defense, Boston College had more success than predicted by pre-game coverage. Jamie Silva's fumble return for a touchdown was the first defensive score in ACC Championship Game history. Silva finished the game with five tackles (one for loss), one interception, the forced fumble, and the defensive touchdown. DeLeon Gause, meanwhile, was the Eagles' leading tackler, recording 10 stops including one tackle for loss. Altogether, the Eagles recorded four sacks and nine tackles for loss, holding the Hokie offense in check for most of the game.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Post-game effects
Virginia Tech's victory in the ACC Championship Game had far-reaching sporting consequences for the 2007–2008 college football bowl season and in the future site of the ACC Championship Game. The 2007 game injected approximately $10 million into the Jacksonville economy. Thousands of hotel rooms were filled by fans traveling to the game, and the impact they created was larger than that of the previous year's game, which featured teams that had shorter distances to travel and whose fans had generated less demand for overnight accommodation. Despite the fact that fans spent more in 2007 than at any previous ACC Championship Game, poor ticket sales at the box office necessitated a move.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Post-game effects, 2008 ACC Championship Game
After poor attendance in the ACC Championship Game at Jacksonville for the second straight year, ACC officials and representatives of the conference's member schools elected not to extend the Gator Bowl Association's contract to host the game. On December 12, the ACC announced that Tampa, Florida would host the game in 2008 and 2009 and Charlotte, North Carolina would host the game in 2010 and 2011.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Post-game effects, 2008 ACC Championship Game
The cities were chosen based on bids presented to the ACC and its member schools. Each city requested and was granted a two-year contract, locking the ACC into the locations well in advance of the actual games. Tampa was chosen as the site of the 2008 game because Charlotte was scheduled to hold the annual convention of the Association for Career and Technical Education at the same time as the game, and adequate hotel space would not be ready in time for the two events.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Post-game effects, Bowl effects
With its win, Virginia Tech clinched an automatic bid to the 2008 Orange Bowl. This caused ripple effects in the bowl destinations for virtually every bowl-eligible ACC team. In the 2007 season, the ACC had guaranteed tie-ins with eight bowl games.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Post-game effects, Bowl effects
The ACC's representatives to these bowls were picked in a hierarchical system that allowed the Chick-fil-A Bowl to have the first selection after the Orange Bowl's automatic pick of the winner of the ACC Championship Game. Following the Chick-fil-A Bowl were the Gator Bowl, Champs Sports Bowl, Music City Bowl, Meineke Car Care Bowl, Emerald Bowl, and Humanitarian Bowl, in that order. The ACC's agreement with the bowls dictated that the bowls would select the highest-ranking ACC team left after the bowls with higher selections made their pick. Bowls would be allowed to skip the highest remaining team only if the next team was within one conference win of the highest remaining team. Therefore, a bowl could select a 5–3 team over a 6–2 team, but could not select a 4–4 team over a 6–2 team.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Post-game effects, Bowl effects
With Virginia Tech earning an automatic bid to the Orange Bowl, the Chick-fil-A Bowl had the first pick of the remaining ACC teams. Boston College, by virtue of its loss in the ACC Championship Game, was the highest remaining team, but Chick-fil-A Bowl representatives instead chose to invite Clemson, which had finished behind Boston College in the Atlantic Division standings. In making their decision, Chick-fil-A Bowl representatives cited Boston College's poor attendance at the ACC Championship Game in Jacksonville.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Post-game effects, Bowl effects
The Gator Bowl, which is also held in Jacksonville, was reluctant to choose a team that had participated in the ACC Championship Game out of fear that the team's fans would be unwilling to return to Jacksonville so quickly. The Gator Bowl Association requested and received a waiver from the league's strict bowl selection rules and selected Virginia over Boston College.


2007 ACC Championship Game, Post-game effects, Bowl effects
The Champs Sports Bowl was thus forced to select Boston College. Boston College players and fans, owing to the decreased status of the Champs Sports Bowl when compared with the Orange, Chick-fil-A, and Gator Bowls, were disappointed with the selection and match against Michigan State. Had Boston College won the ACC Championship Game, it would have earned the automatic bid to the Orange Bowl, and Virginia Tech would have been selected by the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which had earlier expressed an interest in inviting the Hokies to the game for a second straight year. Clemson would have been bumped down to the Gator Bowl, and Virginia would have been forced into the Champs Sports Bowl.


2007 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2007 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place from March 8–11 in Tampa, Florida, at the St. Pete Times Forum, the first time the tournament was held in Florida. The quarterfinal games were televised nationwide on ESPN2. Semifinals and the championship game were televised on ESPN. The tournament was also televised by Raycom Sports in ACC markets. For the first time ever, Raycom broadcast the tournament in high definition.


2007 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The top four regular season teams (North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Boston College) received first-round byes and played their first games in the quarterfinals. Both North Carolina and Virginia finished the regular season tied for first place with an 11–5 record, but North Carolina received the #1 seed by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker.


2007 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
All four opening-round games were won by the lower seeds. This tournament was the lowest Duke had been seeded (seventh) in the ACC Tournament since 1995, when they were the ninth seed. Their on-court struggles were compounded by the suspension of freshman Gerald Henderson. By defeating Duke, NC State ended Duke's 8-year domination of the ACC Tournament. Prior to this loss, Duke was 23–1 in ACC Tournament play over the previous 8 years, losing only the 2004 finals to Maryland. The 2007 final round was identical to the final round of the Women's ACC Tournament, with North Carolina beating NC State for the title.


2007 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2007 tournament marked the first time a 10th seed won a game in an ACC tournament, much less three in a row (although 12th seed Wake Forest won two games in the 2006 Tournament). It was the second time a team has played 4 games (NC State in 1997), and the first time a team seeded as low as 10 reached the championship game. Previously the lowest seed to reach the title game was #8 seed NC State in 1997, when the conference had nine members.


2007 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
By winning the ACC championship, North Carolina received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. North Carolina's Brandan Wright won the tournament's Most Valuable Player award.


2007 ACC Twenty20 Cup
The 2007 ACC Twenty20 Cup was played from 27 October until 2 November 2007 in Kuwait.


2007 ACC Twenty20 Cup
The ten competing teams were: Afghanistan, Hong Kong,  Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the UAE.


2007 ACC Twenty20 Cup, Group stage, Group A
Group A saw eventual finalists Oman and Afghanistan finish in the top two and qualify for the semi-final stage. Malaysia failed to win a match, despite featuring Somerset player Arul Suppiah in their squad.


2007 ACC Twenty20 Cup, Group stage, Group B
Group B was a closer group than Group A. The UAE topped the group after winning all four of their games, and hosts Kuwait joined them in the semi-finals after finishing ahead of Singapore.


2007 ADAC GT Masters
The 2007 ADAC GT Masters season was the inaugural season of the ADAC GT Masters, the grand tourer-style sports car racing founded by the German automobile club ADAC. It began on 7 June at Nürburgring and finished on 14 October, at Hockenheim after six double-header meetings. Christopher Haase with help of Gianni Morbidelli and Jos Menten became the first series champion.


2007 ADAC Procar Series
The 2007 ADAC Procar Series season was the thirteenth season of the ADAC Procar Series, the German championship for Super 2000 cars. The season consisted of eight separate race weekends with two races each (except for the first round at Nürburgring which was one double-distance race), spread over five different tracks. The championship was won by touring car veteran Franz Engstler for the second time.


2007 AF2 season
The 2007 AF2 season was the eighth season of the AF2. It was preceded by 2006 and succeeded by 2008. The regular season began on Friday, March 30 and ended on July 28. The league champions were the Tulsa Talons, who defeated the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers in ArenaCup VIII.


2007 AF2 season, ArenaCup VIII
ArenaCup VIII was the 2007 edition of the AF2's championship game, in which the National Conference Champions Tulsa Talons defeated the American Conference Champions Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers in Bossier City, Louisiana by a score of 73–66.


2007 AFC Asian Cup
The 2007 AFC Asian Cup was the 14th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held from 7–29 July 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam; which was also the first time ever in the history more than two countries joined host of a major continental competition until the UEFA Euro 2020.


2007 AFC Asian Cup
For the first time in the nation's history,  Iraq won the continental title after it defeated Saudi Arabia 1–0 in the final. As the winner, Iraq represented the AFC in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.


2007 AFC Asian Cup
Before 2007 and every four years, Asia often held its continental tournament from 1956 until China in 2004. With the Summer Olympic Games and the European Football Championship also held in the same year as the Asian Cup, the AFC changed their tradition. From 2007, AFC decided to hold its continental tournament a year earlier, and every four years henceforth from that date.


2007 AFC Asian Cup
An estimated worldwide television audience of 650 million people tuned in to watch the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.


2007 AFC Asian Cup
Australia participated for the first time since moving to the AFC from the OFC. Australia happened to also be the tournament's first nation aside from the co-hosts to qualify for the 2007 Asian Cup.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Host selection
The then-AFC President Mohammed Bin Hammam proposed and presented a move to have four host nations for the 2007 Asian Cup. However, he later regretted this decision and called it his "mistake", citing the financial and logistic difficulties in organising an event across four countries. He said that "It is proving very difficult for [the executive committee as they] have to have four organising committees, four media centres and there are also financial considerations." He also revealed that "[he would] definitely [not do] it [again]", if he had the choice.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Host selection
In June 2005, the AFC warned Thailand that it needed to improve its facilities before 2007, otherwise it would be dropped, possibly being replaced with Singapore. On 12 August of the same year, the AFC confirmed that Thailand would be a co-host of the 2007 Asian Cup. However, in October 2006, Thailand was again warned to improve its facilities in 90 days.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Qualification
The qualification ran from 22 February 2006 to 15 November 2006. For the first time, the defending champions (in this tournament, Japan) did not get automatic qualification. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam automatically qualified as co-hosts. Twenty-four teams were split into six groups of four to compete for the 12 remaining spots in the final tournament.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Seeds
For the first time, the seeds are based on the October 2006 FIFA World Rankings instead of the basis of the performance from the previous AFC Asian Cup competition. This was to ensure that the same number of strong teams do not meet in the early stage.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Seeds
The four seeded teams were announced on 19 December 2006. The seeds comprised Pot 4 in the draw. Pot 1 consists of the teams from all co-hosts.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Seeds
China PR (84) Iraq (83) United Arab Emirates (87) Bahrain (97)


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Seeds
The draw was held on 19 December 2006 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Match ball
The Official Match Ball for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup was launched by Nike on 15 May 2007, making it the first time ever that a ball had been launched specifically for any football competition in Asia. The Nike Mercurial Veloci AC features four blue stripes with gold trim with each host city's name inscribed, as well as the AFC Asian Cup logo.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Officials
16 referees and 24 assistant referees were officially cleared following a fitness test on 2 July in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. One referee and two assistant referees were also named from the CAF.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Officials
† Replaced  Shamsul Maidin after the referee pulled out with injury.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Official song
The AFC selected "I Believe", a 2004 single by Thai singer Tata Young as the tournament's official song.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Tournament summary
The Asian Cup saw many upsets in the early stages of the tournament, with Australia and South Korea performed poorly in the group stage.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Tournament summary
In Group A, Oman held favourites Australia to a surprising draw. Oman took the lead and would have won save for an injury time goal from Tim Cahill. Next, hosts and lowest-ranked team in the competition, Vietnam, shocked Gulf Champions UAE with a 2–0 victory. In the same group, Qatar held Japan to a shock 1–1 draw. The result caused Japan coach Ivica Osim to fly into a rage in which he branded his players as 'amateurs' and reduced his interpreter to tears. In Group D, Indonesia continued the undefeated streak of the hosts by defeating Bahrain 2–1.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Tournament summary
Malaysia ended up as the only host country to drop their match, losing to China 5–1. Thailand recorded just its 2nd win in the Asian Cup finals (their other was in 1972 against Cambodia), and its first ever win in regulation, when they beat Oman 2–0 on 12 July. Meanwhile, Australia was upset by a 3–1 defeat against Iraq the following day, leaving them floundering in the tournament despite high expectations at the third place. However, Australia's 4–0 demolition of Thailand at the last match day saw them into the quarterfinals, as Oman was unable to overcome Iraq in a goalless draw.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Tournament summary
Vietnam continued to stun all predictions when drew 2006 ASIAD champion Qatar 1–1 while Japan finally thrashed the UAE 3–1. Though, Vietnam was crushed 1–4 by Asian champion Japan last match, but the UAE's 2–1 comeback win over Qatar witnessed Vietnam's first time ever to qualify into the next round, and became the only host to progress through despite being in the group of three champions.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Tournament summary
On the other hand, while Malaysia continued its poor form with 0–5 and 0–2 loss to Uzbekistan and Iran, thus went out of tournament with no point, China's shocking elimination occurred when they got a hammered 0–3 defeat on the hand of the Uzbeks, despite having drawn 2–2 with Iran and was expected to qualify from group stage with an easy win.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Tournament summary
Bahrain shocked the whole tournament by defeating South Korea 2–1 in Group D, leaving the Koreans in the verge of elimination when Indonesia was beaten 1–2 by Saudi Arabia. However, South Korea finally progressed with a 1–0 win over host Indonesia and with Saudi Arabia destroyed Bahrain 4–0, it was enough to seal them in.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Tournament summary
In the quarterfinals, Iraq defeated Vietnam 2–0, while South Korea needed a penalty shootout to eliminate Iran 4–2. Japan also needed a penalty shootout to defeat Australia 4–3 (this was the first time Australian 'keeper Mark Schwarzer had ever come out on the losing end of a penalty shoot-out), and Saudi Arabia won over Uzbekistan 2–1. Iraq upset South Korea in the semi-finals by winning 4–3 on penalties, resulting in thousands of Iraqis celebrating in the streets of Baghdad. Over 50 Iraqis were killed by terrorist bombs targeting these crowds. In the other semi-finals, Saudi Arabia topped defending champions Japan 3–2 to make an all-Arab affair for the final match.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Tournament summary
Iraq went on to defeat Saudi Arabia 1–0 taking the Asian Cup title. Iraqi forward and captain Younis Mahmoud was given the title of Most Valuable Player. South Korea took third place narrowly beating Japan in penalties 6–5. It was the third consecutive match in the tournament that South Korea played 0–0 before a penalty shootout. Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea, as the top three national teams in the tournament, all received automatic berths to the 2011 Asian Cup along with the next hosts Qatar.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Statistics, Goalscorers
With four goals, Younis Mahmoud, Naohiro Takahara and Yasser Al-Qahtani are the top scorers in the tournament. In total, 84 goals were scored by 57 different players, with two of them credited as own goals.


2007 AFC Asian Cup, Statistics, Awards
The Toshiba All-Star XI was voted for by fans on the official Asian Cup website.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final
The 2007 AFC Asian Cup Final was a football match that took place on 29 July 2007 at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, to determine the 2007 AFC Asian Cup champion. Iraq defeated Saudi Arabia 1–0 with a Younis Mahmoudheader from Hawar Mulla Mohammed's corner in the 73rd minute sealing the victory.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final
This was Iraq's first appearance in the final of an Asian Cup, while Saudi Arabia had appeared in five of the previous six Asian Cup finals, winning three of them (1984, 1988 and 1996). This final was only the second all-Arab final in the tournament's history, after 1996.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final
Iraq had reached the final against expectations, with the team being forced to train outside of their war-torn country and suffering from transport problems and a lack of facilities. After eliminating South Korea in the semi-finals, Iraq almost pulled out of the final when two bomb attacks targeted celebrating fans and killed at least 50 people, but they decided to play on after a grieving mother said she would not bury her deceased son unless the team won the title.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final
The result saw thousands of Iraqis spilling onto the streets to celebrate the victory, and the win helped to unite the people of the nation. Iraq's achievement is seen as one of international football's greatest giant-killings and one of the sport's greatest fairytale victories. The win saw Iraq qualify for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. The tournament's closing ceremony was held immediately prior to kickoff.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, Background
The final was played between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Iraq, coached by Brazilian Jorvan Vieira, qualified for the final after topping their group where they earned an emphatic 3–1 win against tournament favourites Australia. A 2–0 quarter-final win over co-hosts Vietnam followed before they defeated South Korea in a penalty shootout in the semi-final. Saudi Arabia, also led by a Brazilian coach (Hélio dos Anjos), topped Group D before 2–1 and 3–2 wins over Uzbekistan and Japan respectively in the quarter-final and semi-final stages saw them into the final. For Iraq, victory would bring its first ever Asian Cup title, whereas Saudi Arabia were playing for their fourth title.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, Background
After their semi-final victory, two bomb attacks deliberately targeted celebrating Iraqi fans in Baghdad and killed at least 50 people. The Iraq team held a meeting to discuss whether they should pull out of the final to avoid more potential bloodshed, but they decided to play on after a grieving mother appeared on television and said she would not bury her deceased son unless the team returned home as champions.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, Background
Before the game, the record between the two sides was 12 wins for Iraq, 7 wins for Saudi Arabia and 9 draws. Iraq's most recent victories had come in the form of 5–1 and 2–0 victories at the 2005 West Asian Games and a 2–1 win at the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, meanwhile Saudi Arabia defeated Iraq 1–0 in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup and had also won the most recent match between the teams with a controversial 1–0 win in the 18th Arabian Gulf Cup earlier in 2007.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, Background, Returning players
Among the players in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup squads, the following played in the 2004 meeting which Iraq won 2–1:


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, Match ball
The match ball for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, announced on 15 May 2007, was Nike's Mercurial Veloci. The ball features four blue streaks with gold coloured trim with each host city's name inscribed, as well as the logo of the AFC Asian Cup.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, Match officials
Mark Shield, from Australia, was named as the referee of the final, together with Turkmen Begench Allaberdiyev and Maldivian Mohamed Saeed as the assistant referees, and Kuwaiti Saad Kamil Al-Fadhli as fourth official. Earlier in the 2007 Asian Cup, Shield took charge of the South Korea–Saudi Arabia and Indonesia–South Korea matches in the group stage. He had previously taken charge of the second leg of the 2006 AFC Champions League Final as well as matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 2004 AFC Asian Cup and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, Match, Summary
Both teams named unchanged starting line-ups from their semi-finals. Iraq dominated the first half of the match, and had chances to score through Qusay Munir and Younis Mahmoud before Karrar Jassim's shot was saved after a mazing run through the Saudi defence. Saudi Arabia's first significant chance was a long-range shot from Taisir Al-Jassim in the second half which was saved by Noor Sabri. The Saudis survived a scare when Younis Mahmoud and Nashat Akram both had close-range efforts saved in quick succession by Yasser Al Mosailem.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, Match, Summary
Saudi Arabia struggled to deal with Nashat Akram's creativity in midfield as he made a number of chances for Iraq. The deadlock was broken on 73 minutes when Hawar Mulla Mohammed's corner sailed over Al Mosailem and was met with a header from Younis Mahmoud. After taking the lead, Iraq continued to attack and almost doubled their advantage when Mahmoud was played through on goal by Akram, but the striker's effort was saved by Al Mosailem. Iraq were left holding their breath in injury time when Saudi Arabia striker Malek Maaz's header bounced just over the crossbar, but the final whistle blew soon after to signify that the Lions of Mesopotamia had won the Asian Cup for the first time.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, Match, Summary
After the match, Nashat Akram was named the Most Valuable Player of the match, with Younis Mahmoud receiving the award for Most Valuable Player of the tournament and sharing the top scorer award with Yasser Al-Qahtani and Naohiro Takahara. The Iraqi team, a mixture of Sunni, Shia and Kurdish players, received international acclaim as they helped unite the people of a fractured, war-torn nation in celebration. Iraq's manager Jorvan Vieira said he was proud of how the players won the cup in spite of their limited preparation but also announced that he was stepping down as Iraq manager after the victory.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, Match, Details
Assistant referees:Begench Allaberdiyev (Turkmenistan)Mohamed Saeed (Maldives)Fourth official:Saad Kamil Al-Fadhli (Kuwait)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, Reaction and impact
The Iraqi team, a mixture of Sunnis, Shias and Kurds, received worldwide acclaim for becoming continental champions from a background of bloodshed and violence and helping to unite a fractured nation.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, Reaction and impact
Football commentator Simon Hill described it as "unbelievable" and one of football's greatest fairytale victories, noting that the team had been without a coach until two months before the tournament and had experienced troubles with travel and training. Waleed Tabra, media officer for the national team, said that he couldn't find the words to describe the joy brought on by the win, describing it as the "biggest win the nation has ever had" and noting that the victory allowed people who were living in hardship to celebrate "far away from politics".


2007 AFC Asian Cup Final, Reaction and impact
Iraq midfielder Nashat Akram, who expressed after the game that there is "only one Iraqi people" and that the win was for them, described the poor conditions and preparations that the Iraqi team faced before the tournament, revealing that he had already booked tickets home in anticipation that Iraq would be eliminated in the group stage. British football journalist James Montague has since described it as the best achievement in international football history due to the difficult conditions experienced by the players and the significance of the victory for the country.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group A
Group A of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup was one of four groups of nations competing at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. The group's first round of matches began on 7 July and its last matches were played on 16 July. All six group matches were played at venues in Bangkok, Thailand. The group consisted Thailand (the host of the tournament) as well as Iraq, Australia and Oman.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group A, Thailand vs Iraq
Assistant referees:Jeong Hae-Sang (South Korea)Awni Hassouned (Jordan)Fourth official:Jasim Karim (Bahrain)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group A, Australia vs Oman
Assistant referees:Ntagungira Celestin (Rwanda)Menkouande Evarist (Cameroon)Fourth official:Lee Gi-Young (South Korea)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group A, Oman vs Thailand
Assistant referees:Yew Mun Tang (Singapore)Celestin Ntagungira (Rwanda)Fourth official:Eddy Maillet (Seychelles)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group A, Iraq vs Australia
Assistant referees:Awni Hassouneh (Jordan)Jeong Hae-Sang (South Korea)Fourth official:Kwon Jong-Chul (South Korea)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group A, Thailand vs Australia
Assistant referees:Jeong Hae-Sang (South Korea)Tang Yew Mun (Singapore)Fourth official:Lee Gi-Young (South Korea)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group B
Group B of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup was one of four groups of nations competing at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. The group's first round of matches began on 8 July and its last matches were played on 16 July. Five group matches were played at Mỹ Đình National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam. The group consisted Vietnam (the host of the tournament) as well as Japan, Qatar and United Arab Emirates.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group C
Group C of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup was one of four groups of nations competing at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. The group's first round of matches began on 10 July and its last matches were played on 18 July. All six group matches were played at venues in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The group consisted Malaysia (the host of the tournament) as well as Iran, Uzbekistan and China PR.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group C, Malaysia vs China PR
Assistant referees:Hamdi Al-Kadri (Syria)Kadom Arab Mohammad (Iraq)Fourth official:Abdulrahman Abdou (Qatar)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group C, Iran vs Uzbekistan
Assistant referees:Yaser Ahmad Marad (Kuwait)Mohammed Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)Fourth official:Khalil Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group C, China PR vs Iran
Assistant referees:Mohammed Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)Abdullah Al Amouri (Oman)Fourth official:Saad Kamil Al-Fadhli (Kuwait)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group C, Malaysia vs Iran
Assistant referees:Hamdi Al-Kadri (Syria)Mohammed Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)Fourth official:Khalil Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group C, Uzbekistan vs China PR
Assistant referees:Yaser Ahmad Marad (Kuwait)Abdullah Al Amouri (Oman)Fourth official:Abdulrahman Abdou (Qatar)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group D
Group D of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup was one of four groups of nations competing at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. The group's first round of matches began on 10 July and its last matches were played on 18 July. All six group matches were played at venues in Jakarta, Indonesia. The group consisted Indonesia (the host of the tournament) as well as Bahrain, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group D, Indonesia vs Bahrain
Man of the Match : Firman Utina (Indonesia) Assistant referees:Toru Sagara (Japan)Liu Tiejun (China)Fourth official:Sun Baojie (China)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group D, South Korea vs Saudi Arabia
Man of the Match : Yasser Al-Qahtani (Saudi Arabia) Assistant referees:Benjamin Silva (India)Saleh Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)Fourth official:Ali Al Badwawi (United Arab Emirates)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group D, Saudi Arabia vs Indonesia
Man of the Match : Saad Al-Harthi (Saudi Arabia) Assistant referees:Saleh Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)Muhammad Islam (Bangladesh)Fourth official:Mark Shield (Australia)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group D, Bahrain vs South Korea
Man of the Match : Ismail Abdul-Latif (Bahrain) Assistant referees:Liu Tiejun (China)Poon Ming Fai (Hong Kong)Fourth official:Yuichi Nishimura (Japan)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group D, Indonesia vs South Korea
Man of the Match : Kim Jung-Woo (South Korea) Assistant referees:Liu Tiejun (China)Poon Ming Fai (Hong Kong)Fourth official:Sun Baojie (China)


2007 AFC Asian Cup Group D, Saudi Arabia vs Bahrain
Man of the Match : Taisir Al-Jassim (Saudi Arabia) Assistant referees:Toru Sagara (Japan)Saleh Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)Fourth official:Ali Al Badwawi (United Arab Emirates)


2007 AFC Asian Cup knockout stage
The knockout stage of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup started on 21 July and ended on 29 July 2007. The top two placed teams from each preliminary group advanced to this stage.


2007 AFC Asian Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Japan vs Australia
Association referees:Abdullah Salim Al-Amouri (Oman)Kadom Mohammad (Iraq)Fourth official:Abdulrahman Abdou (Qatar)


2007 AFC Asian Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Saudi Arabia vs Uzbekistan
Association referees:Jeong Hae-Sang (South Korea)Tang Yew Mun (Singapore)Fourth official:Lee Gi-Young (South Korea)


2007 AFC Asian Cup knockout stage, Semi-finals, Iraq vs South Korea
Association referees:Saleh Hassan Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)Poon Ming Fai (Hong Kong)Fourth official:Ali Al-Badwawi (United Arab Emirates)


2007 AFC Asian Cup knockout stage, Third place play-off
Assistant referees:Saleh Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)Abdullah Al Amouri (Oman)Fourth official:Abdulrahman Abdou (Qatar)


2007 AFC Asian Cup knockout stage, Final
Assistant referees:Begench Allaberdiyev (Turkmenistan)Mohamed Saeed (Maldives)Fourth official:Saad Kamil Al-Fadhli (Kuwait)


2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification
The 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification was held in late 2005 and the final qualification round was held from February to November 2006 with 25 nations participating.


2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification
For the first time, the defending champions (Japan), did not earn an automatic berth in the finals and had to compete in the qualification tournament. Twelve teams from top two of each groups joined with four host nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam) qualify for the final tournament.


2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Teams that did not enter
16 national teams did not enter qualifying (The team's FIFA World Ranking was considered for November 2005):


2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Team excluded
Thus, out of 46 national teams, 29 entered the qualifying.


2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Preliminary round
In December 2005, Bangladesh and Pakistan played off in a home and away series (with Bangladesh hosting the first leg), to determine which team would progress to the final qualifying round. This was originally scheduled in November but the earthquake in Pakistan forced it to be postponed.


2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Preliminary round
After a goalless first leg in Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh on 22 December 2005, Bangladesh won the second leg thanks to the goal from Firaj Mahmud Hossain at the 84-minute in People's Sports Complex, Karachi, Pakistan four days later. Bangladesh qualified with the 1–0 on aggregate.


2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Seedings
The seeding was based on the 2004 competition, including results during qualifying. The teams in their respective pots also are listed with respect to their performance. Note that Jordan and Uzbekistan were placed higher than South Korea and Iraq. For the tie-breaker here served the fact that Jordan and Uzbekistan were eliminated on penalty shootout, while the other two teams were clearly defeated. Uzbekistan precedes Jordan as it won its group, while Jordan placed second. The same principle is applied to the rest of the teams on the list. The Australian team which had just joined the Asian Football Confederation on 1 January 2006 and had not participated in previous tournaments was given the lowest rank.


2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Tie-breaking criteria
If two or more teams in a group are equal on points on completion of the group matches, their places shall be determined as follows:


2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Qualifying round, Group A
Note: Japan is ranked higher than Saudi Arabia by the two head-to-head game results (Japan 3–2 Saudi Arabia).


2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Qualifying round, Group D
Note: Bahrain is ranked higher than Kuwait by the two head-to-head game results (Bahrain 2 – 1 Kuwait).


2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Qualifying round, Group D
1 On 1 August 2006, it was announced that the AFC had accepted a withdrawal request from the Federation Libanaise de Football due to the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. The results of the Lebanon-Kuwait game on 22 February 2006 have been declared null and void and do not count towards the group rankings.


2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Qualifying round, Group E
Note: Iraq is ranked higher than China PR by the two head-to-head game results (Iraq 3 – 2 China PR).


2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification, Qualifying round, Group E
1 All Iraq's home matches played in Al Ayn, United Arab Emirates.


2007 AFC Asian Cup squads
This article lists the confirmed national football squads for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup tournament jointly held in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam between 7 July and 29 July 2007.


2007 AFC Asian Cup squads
Before announcing their final squad, several teams named a provisional squad of 23 to 30 players, but each country's final squad of 23 players had to be submitted by 16 June 2007. Replacement of injured players was permitted until 24 hours before the team's first Asian Cup game. Players marked (c) were named as captain for their national squad. Number of caps counts until the start of the tournament, including all pre-tournament friendlies.


2007 AFC Beach Soccer Championship
The 2007 AFC Beach Soccer championship also known as the 2007 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup qualifiers for (AFC) was the second beach soccer championship for Asia, held in August 2007, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates won the championship, with Japan finishing second and Iran winning the third place-play off, to claim third. The three teams moved on to play in the 2007 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from November 2 - November 11.


2007 AFC Champions League
The 2007 AFC Champions League was the 26th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament and the 5th edition under the current AFC Champions League title.


2007 AFC Champions League
Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds became champions for the first time, beating Sepahan of Iran and becoming the fourth Japanese club to win the Asian championship, and qualified for the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup.


2007 AFC Champions League, Participating clubs
Along with the defending champion, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, 28 other clubs from fourteen countries qualified based on performance in domestic league and cup competitions. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors entered the competition at the quarter-finals.


2007 AFC Champions League, Participating clubs
The draw took place in Kuala Lumpur on 22 December, allocating teams into seven groups. In February, the AFC disqualified Esteghlal Tehran from Group B for failing to register their players in time. This reduced the number of competing teams to 28.


2007 AFC Champions League, Format
A total of 28 clubs were divided into 7 groups of four, based on region i.e. East Asian and Southeast Asian clubs were drawn in groups E to G, while the rest were grouped in groups A to D. Each club played double round-robin (home and away) against fellow three group members, a total of 6 matches each. Clubs received 3pts for a win, 1pt for a tie, 0pts for a loss. The clubs were ranked according to points and tie breakers were in the following order:


2007 AFC Champions League, Format
The seven group winners along with the defending champion advanced to the quarter-finals.


2007 AFC Champions League, Format
All eight clubs were randomly matched; however, the only restriction was that the clubs from the same country could not face each other in the quarter-finals. The games were conducted in 2 legs, home and away, and the aggregate score decided the match winner. If the aggregate score couldn't produce a winner, "away goals rule" was used. If still tied, clubs played extra time, where "away goals rule" still applied. If still tied, the game went to penalties.


2007 AFC Champions League, Group stage
Group matches were scheduled to be played over match days on 7 March 21 March 11 April 25 April 9 and 23 May 2007.


2007 AFC Champions League Final
The 2007 AFC Champions League Final was a two-legged association football tie to determine the 2007 champions of Asian club football. Urawa Red Diamonds defeated Sepahan 3-1 on aggregate to take the title. The first leg took place on 7 November 2007 at 16:00 local time (UTC+3:30) at Foolad Shahr Stadium in Fooladshahr, Isfahan and the second leg took place on 14 November 2007 at 19:20 local time (UTC+9) at Saitama Stadium, Saitama.


2007 AFC Champions League Final
This was the first final to feature clubs from Iran and Japan. This was the first AFC Champions League final involving an Iranian club, and the first in an Asian top club football competition since PAS Tehran in the 1992–93 Asian Club Championship. The winners, Urawa Red Diamonds, received US$600,000 prize money and qualified to represent Asia in the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup. Although they were defeated, Sepahan still competed in the FIFA Club World Cup by replacing the host country berth, which is reserved for the J. League champions.


2007 AFC Champions League Final, Format
The rules for the final were exactly the same as for the previous knockout rounds. The tie was contested over two legs with away goals deciding the winner if the two teams were level on goals after the second leg. If the teams could still not be separated at that stage then extra time would have been played with a penalty shootout taking place if the teams were still level after that.


2007 AFC Cup
The 2007 AFC Cup was the fourth edition of the AFC Cup, playing between clubs from nations who are members of the Asian Football Confederation.


2007 AFC Cup, Qualification
The 13 'developing' nations in the Asian Football Confederation were invited to nominate one or two clubs to participate in the 2007 competition. 2006 winners, Al-Faisaly of Jordan qualify automatically, but proceed to the group stage.


2007 AFC Cup, Qualification
Vietnam and Thailand lose ration for Australia in AFC Champions League. Instead of sending two teams by each country to compete for AFC Champions League, the second representative team of Vietnam and Thailand is demoted to play in AFC Cup.


2007 AFC Cup, Qualification
Bangladesh were excluded, after they were relegated to AFC President's Cup along Turkmenistan.


2007 AFC Cup, Qualification
Al-Faisaly (2006 AFC Cup winners & 2005–06 Jordan League runners-up)


2007 AFC Cup, Qualification
The draw took place in Kuala Lumpur on 22 December, allocating teams into six groups.


2007 AFC Cup, Group stage, Best runners-up
Two best runners-up, one from groups A, B and C and one from groups D, E and F, qualify for the quarter finals.


2007 AFC Futsal Championship
The 2007 AFC Futsal Championship was held in Osaka and Amagasaki, Japan from 13 May to 19 May 2007.


2007 AFC Futsal Championship, Draw
The draw for the 2007 AFC Futsal Championship was held on 11 April 2007 in Tokyo, Japan.


2007 AFC Futsal Championship qualification
The 2007 AFC Futsal Championship qualification was held in March 2007 to determine 4 spots to the final tournament in Japan. The top 11 teams of the 2006 AFC Futsal Championship, and the host nation for the 2007 competition, receive automatic byes to Finals.


2007 AFC President's Cup
The 2007 AFC President's Cup was the third edition of the AFC President's Cup, a competition for football clubs in countries categorized as "emerging nations" by the Asian Football Confederation. The eight teams that competed were split up into two groups and play each other team in their group once. The winner of each group then played the runner up in the other group in the semi-finals, and the winners of the semi-final matches played in the final match to determine the winner. There was no third place match. Games were played in Lahore, Pakistan, between 20 and 30 September 2007.


2007 AFC U-16 Women's Championship
The 2007 AFC U-16 Women's Championship was the second instance of the AFC U-16 Women's Championship. It was held from March 8 to 17 in Malaysia. The top three teams qualified for 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.


2007 AFC U-19 Women's Championship
The Asian Football Confederations AFC U-19 Women's Championship 2007 was the 4th instance of the AFC U-19 Women's Championship. It was held from October 5 to 16, 2007 at Chongqing in China.


2007 AFC U-19 Women's Championship qualification
This article include details of 2007 AFC U-19 Women's Championship qualification.


2007 AFF Championship
The 2007 AFF Championship was the 6th edition of the AFF Championship, the football championship of Southeast Asia. It was co-hosted by Singapore and Thailand and took place from 12 January to 4 February 2007.


2007 AFF Championship
It was renamed from the Tiger Cup, due to the cup's main sponsor, Tiger Beer, not continuing their title sponsorship. This was the last event held at Singapore's National Stadium before its redevelopment.


2007 AFF Championship
Singapore set an AFF Cup record of a 15-match unbeaten run under coach Radojko Avramović, stretching back to the 2004 AFF Championship, and 17-match unbeaten run since the 4–0 defeat at home to neighbours Malaysia in the same competition on 18 December 2002.


2007 AFF Championship, Hosts
The 2007 AFF Cup was co-hosted by three-time champions, Thailand, and defending champions and eventual winners Singapore. The two hosts are the only two teams that have won the championship since its inception in 1996.


2007 AFF Championship, Qualification
The qualifying round for the lower ranked teams in Southeast Asia was held in Bacolod, Philippines from 12–20 November 2006. It was played in a single round-robin format with the top two teams advancing to the finals. This was the first time since 1998 where a qualification tournament was held.


2007 AFF Championship, Final tournament, Knockout stage
Note: Although the knockout stages were two-legged, away goals rule was not applied. If the total aggregate score of both teams after both matches remained the same, extra time would have been played, followed by a penalty shootout if necessary.


2007 AFF Championship, Final tournament, Knockout stage, Final
After a group stage with two pools of four the two host nations met in a two-game final. In the first leg of the final, a controversial penalty was awarded to Singapore at the 83rd minute of the match, and the Thailand team walked off the pitch as a protest to the referee's decision. The Thailand team returned to the pitch at the 98th minute, and Singapore later won 2-1.


2007 AFF Championship, Final tournament, Knockout stage, Final
In the second leg of the final, Singapore had a goal controversially chalked off for being offside, but finally drew 1-1 to fellow co-host Thailand, with Khairul Amri scoring the decisive goal in the closing stages of the match, thus giving Singapore their 2nd title in succession, winning with an aggregate score of 3-2, and successfully defending the title. While Thailand can point to the controversial penalty for their defeat in the first leg, they failed to defeat Singapore in the Bangkok second-leg. It could have been worse for Thailand had the match officials seen Thai midfielder Datsakorn Thonglao head-butt Singapore's Khairul Amri to vent his anger after the equaliser.


2007 AFF Championship qualification
This 2007 AFF Championship qualification was held in Bacolod, Philippines between 12 and 20 November 2006 for the lower-ranked teams in Southeast Asia. All teams play in a round-robin tournament format and the winner and runner-up of the group qualify for the final tournament.


2007 AFF Championship qualification, Qualified Teams
Teams who finished Top 2 on the group will qualify to the main tournament.


2007 AFF Championship squads
Below are the squads for the 2007 AFF Championship co-hosted by Thailand and Singapore which took place between 12 January and 4 February 2007. The players' listed age is their age on the tournament's opening day (12 January 2007).


2007 AFF Futsal Championship
The 2007 AFF Futsal Championship was the fourth edition of the tournament. It took place from 26 March to 31 March 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand.


2007 AFF U-17 Youth Championship
The 2007 AFF U-17 Youth Championship was played for the third time in 2007. It was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 19 August to 2 September 2007. Nine nations took part, all from the ASEAN region. No guest nations were invited. The nine teams were drawn into 2 groups. One group of 5 nations and the second group of 4 nations. The winners and runners up would progress to the semi-final stage.


2007 AFF U-20 Youth Championship
The AFF U-20 Youth Championship 2007 was held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from 31 July to 13 August 2007.


2007 AFF Women's Championship
The  2007 AFF Women's Championship was hosted by Myanmar and was held from 6–15 September.


2007 AFL Army Award
The Australian Football League celebrates the best act of selflessness or one percenter of the season through the annual AFL Army Award competition.


2007 AFL Grand Final
The 2007 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Geelong Football Club and the Port Adelaide Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 29 September 2007. It was the 111th annual Grand Final of the Australian Football League (formerly the Victorian Football League), staged to determine the premiers for the 2007 AFL season. The match, attended by 97,302 spectators, was won by Geelong by a margin of 119 points, the greatest winning margin in VFL/AFL grand final history. The victory marked Geelong's seventh premiership win, and ended its 44-year premiership drought.


2007 AFL Grand Final, Background
Geelong entered the season after finishing 10th in 2006. Geelong was the best performing side of the home and away season, finishing 12 points clear of second-placed Port Adelaide, with an 18–4 record and a percentage of 152.76, winning the McClelland Trophy. After opening the season with a 2–3 record, Geelong had lost only one game of its last 19 games: by five points against Port Adelaide at Skilled Stadium in Round 21 when Domenic Cassisi goaled with three seconds remaining.


2007 AFL Grand Final, Background
The grand final was Geelong's first appearance in a premiership decider since 1995 AFL Grand Final, where they lost to Carlton. Geelong defeated the Kangaroos in their qualifying final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground by 106 points, earning them a second week bye, before they met Collingwood in a preliminary final showdown at the MCG. Geelong won a tight contest with the Magpies by 5 points in front of a crowd of 98,002.


2007 AFL Grand Final, Background
Port Adelaide had finished 12th the previous season, but rose 10 places to finish second on the ladder in 2007, with a 15–7 record and a percentage of 113.54. Port Adelaide had hosted reigning premiers West Coast Eagles at AAMI Stadium in their qualifying final, winning by three points after trailing all night. Having also earned a second week bye, they proceeded to the third week and hosted the Kangaroos in a preliminary final at AAMI Stadium, winning by 87 points. The 2007 AFL Grand Final was Port Adelaide's first since winning the 2004 Grand Final.


2007 AFL Grand Final, Background
It was the first grand final fought between two teams that missed the finals the previous year since 1997.


2007 AFL Grand Final, Match summary
The grand final was a one-sided affair from start to finish. Geelong outscored Port Adelaide 5.7 (37) to 2.2 (14) in the opening quarter, with only inaccurate goalkicking preventing a greater advantage. They then kicked five goals in the first 12 minutes of the second quarter to extend the margin to 52 points, all but ending any chances Port Adelaide had. Seven goals to one in the third quarter extended the lead to 90 points, and another seven goals to one in the final quarter saw the lead balloon to a game-high 128 points, before eventually finishing at 119 points.


2007 AFL Grand Final, Match summary
Geelong excelled in its defence—which had been the best in the competition all season—keeping the Power to their lowest score of the year. The backlines, led by Matthew Scarlett at full-back, repeatedly turned defence into attack, rushing the ball forward to support the forward line, as evidenced by Scarlett's tally of 29 disposals (tied with Corey Enright for Geelong's most disposals), rare for a team, especially a team who had won by a 100-point-plus margin. Half-forwards Paul Chapman and Steve Johnson kicked four goals each and set up numerous others.


2007 AFL Grand Final, Match summary
Johnson was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for his best-on-ground performance in the grand final after the Cats’ triumph. Chapman's day included a high mark over Port Adelaide captain Warren Tredrea during the third quarter. Key forwards Cameron Mooney (five goals) and Nathan Ablett (three) also performed strongly. Power player Domenic Cassisi performed reasonably well against Geelong star Gary Ablett, Jr.; however, Geelong were still able to dominate the midfield, with Joel Corey, James Kelly, and Cameron Ling all making solid contributions, while Brad Ottens and Steven King both performing strongly in the ruck.