Japan Wins!

Well, felt like taking a break as I watched FIFA corruption at its best with the awarding of the World Cups in 2018 and 2022 to Russia and Qatar. For FIFA members to use Englands media doing its job as a reason to punish England shows how petty they can be. I have no major objection to Russia getting the World Cup, just how it went about. England had by far the better bid, and if FIFA had stated it wanted to take the World Cup to new frontiers, then England would not have bothered spending huge amounts on their bid.

However, Qatar was the decision that was purely based on money. Qatar have stated that by giving them the World Cup, FIFA would break new ground and give the Cup to a region that truly loved football.

Problem is, do they?

I fancy not. Qatar recently hosted the 2011 Asian Cup. This is often seen as the poor cousin to the European Championships, and rightly so. Considering that the vast majority of the top 20 teams are European, the European Cup comes a very close second to the World Cup in terms of quality teams.

However, this was the biggest competition that Qatar has ever hosted, with the best of their continent playing in an event that people will not see again in their home country again in their lifetimes. And yet, only about 2000 people turned up to see Japan take on Saudi Arabia. Granted, it does not rank high on the list of "must-see's" but 2000?!

(Ok, this is Japan against Jordan. But the lack of fans was a persistent problem!)

Indeed the only game to sell out was the final. Games featuring the hometown team did not sell out. With 35000 turning out for Qatars opening game.  (The main stadium is 37000)

So, whilst the organisation was amazing, Blatters chair at the final truly opulent, the tournament was a crushing disappointment from a public perspective. It makes Qatars job that much harder. And the AFC's job even harder is they try to muscle in at the top table. A table largely dominated by UEFA, and joined by CONMEBOL. The AFC wants in on it, and believes it should given the rise of Asia. Given the mixed reviews of the Asian Championships, the AFC will have to wait much longer.

Anyway.

The tournament itself featured the best of Asia. Japan, Australia, South Korea, Iran, World Cup competitors North Korea, as well as other nations such as India and Kuwait.

My focus here will be on Japan.

So, here we go.

Japan went to the Asian Cup with a squad featuring a large number of young, new players. Many players from the squad that did so well at the World Cup did not make the trip, either after retiring, or through injury. With Japans influential centre-back pairing of the mercurial Tulio and "He of the flowing hair" Nakazawa both out to injury.

Also, to make matters worse, the Japanese had appointed a new coach, but he was unable to take his position until just before the second of 2 friendlies scheduled to precede the Asian Championship. The new coach was the Italian, Zacceroni. He lists AC Milan as one of his former clubs. He was unable to take the second friendly since he had only just arrived. Instead, he was up in the stands. His first game was the first game in the Asian Cup. Against Jordan.

Japan, ranked 17 took on Jordan, ranked 107, in the first game at the Qatar Sports Club Stadium. This game was Zacceroni's first game in charge with a scrabbled together squad. However, its core is still intact, allowing some continuity. However, the Japanese looked a little hesitant, and ended up limping out of  the game with Jordan battling them to a 1 - 1 draw.

The second game in the group stage saw Japan take on 110 ranked Syria. This time, a better performance saw the Japanese gain confidence and leave the game after a 2 - 1 victory. After some nice work, and a goalmouth scramble, Hasebe pounced on a loose ball to slam it home from the edge of the box. The Syrians equalized from the penalty spot after Japans keeper Kawashima saw red, only for Japans talismanic midfielder, Honda to do likewise to put Japan back on top. The penalty also saw Syria reduced to 10 men.

The third and final game saw Japan take on Saudi Arabia. The second-highest ranked team in the group (78) was taking on the highest. This was something of a revenge match for the Japanese with Saudi Arabia having done for the Japanese in past tournaments. However, in this game, it was to be Japans easiest game in the whole tournament.

In front of just 2000, and with Nishikawa in goal for the suspended Kawashima, the Japanese took the lead swiftly, within 8 minutes, when Okazaki lifted the ball over the keepers head. It proved to be a surprisingly easy goal, when the Saudi defense just gave up once the ball had broken their line. The lead was doubled just 4 minutes later when Kagawa lofted a perfect cross straight on to Okazaki's head as he ghosted in at the back post.

Maeda then proceeded to add 2 for himself either side of half time, and Okazaki got a deserved hat-trick 10 minutes before the end after digging the ball out from his feet, and smashing it home. The Japanese really where rampant, and looked like scoring a lot more! This victory saw Japan top the group, and having to face the hosts Qatar in the Quarter Final stage.

Finally, playing in front of something more akin to a crowd, the Japanese faced the hosts Qatar (105), for the right to go through to the semi-finals. However, Qatar was determined to go deeper, and where assisted along the way by some dodgy reffing decisions. Most of which went the way of Qatar.

Qatar took the lead after Koria ran from an offside position to take the ball and go 1 on 1 for Qatars first. However, Japan pegged them back when Okazaki lobbed the keeper, and Kagawa was on hand to nod the ball home. Qatar took the lead once more when Japan fell a man down with Moshida picking up a second yellow and Cesar was in the mox during the resulting free-kick to bundle the ball home.

However, being a man down seemed only to galvanize the Japanese who began to tighten their grip on the game, and began to pound the Qatari defence, which tried to stand firm. Very soon, the pressure paid off, with Japan bringing the game back to parity, and after that, there was only going to be one winner. In the 90th minute, Inoha managed to smash the ball home.

The semi final saw two major rivals come face to face. Japan where to take on South Korea for the rights to take on Australia in the final. These two teams have had some pretty major results between the two over the years.

The Koreans took the lead from the penalty spot when Konno leant into Park, bringing him down in the penalty area, and Yong stuck the ball home. Japan brought the game back to parity when, after a wonderful sequence, when Honda found Nagatomo who made one of his trademark runs from defence, and he sent the ball into the box, where Maeda nodded it home.

The game swayed back and forth, with both sides battling for the win in an entertaining game. It was probably fate that such a game would end in a draw, and 5 minutes into extra time, Japan took the lead with a controversial penalty when Jae-Won floored Okazaki. However, it appeared that initial contact was outside the box. Honda stepped up, only for his shot to be saved. However, Hosogai reacted the fasted and slammed home the rebound.

The Koreans refused to quit, and fought back hard to gain an equalizer, which came with extra-time dying. Jae-Won stepping up after an almighty ping-pong in the Japanese box, and smashing home to send the game to penalties.

Here, Kawashima proved to be the hero of the hour. Stopping the first of the Korean attempts, and the second being sent wide. Japan suffered no such nerves, with their first three takers all slotting home. This left Kawashima to take the accolades by saving the Koreans 3rd attempt, to send the Japanese fans into rapturous celebrations.

The Final itself saw the top two teams in Asia face off. Australia and Japan. The game itself was a more entertaining affair than the World Cup final, but noted for spurned chances. Australia where limited by a stubborn backs-to-the-wall defense by the Japanese. But on occasion, they did break through. Only for Kawashima to stand tall, and keep the door closed. Indeed, Cahill had the best chance in the game when he went in 1 on 1 in the second half after breaking through a resilient Japanese defence, only for Kawashima to get his legs in the way.

Not that it went all Australia's way. Okazaki, who so far had seen a lot of success with his head in front of goal, saw a diving header screw wide, and Honda sent a wonderful chance the same way too.

In the end, the Australians could not break through a tough Japanese line, and the Japanese wasted what few chances they had. The game ran into extra time. The first period saw the same play as the first, with both sides bringing on fresh legs to keep the game going. However, the break through came 5 minutes into the second half of extra time, when Nagatomo went on one of his now-famed runs down the wing. He lofted the ball into the penalty box, where the extra time substitute Tadanari Lee stood, surprisingly unmarked, to smash the ball home. 

The Japanese then set about keep the Australians at bay who grew even more desperate to grab an equalizer, only for time to beat them. In the end, the best team did not win, but that does not mean the Japanese did not deserve to win. through the tournament, the Japanese had played well, fought hard when needed to, put together some well connected play like they are famous for, and defended tenaciously when needed, displaying great amounts of teamwork and resilience. 

Japan gets to take home a trophy they have won 4 times out of the 7 competitions that the Japanese have entered. This allows the Japanese to qualify automatically for the next Asian Cup in Australia in 2015.