The 2011 Asia Cup came to an end Saturday with an interesting final between Australia and Japan. It was the 2nd time that this tournament was played in an Arab country, not let anyone down. Doha and Al Rayyan were the cities chosen to host the championship in five different stages of between fifteen thousand and fifty thousand spectators. "Favourites? Well, initially there was talk of Japan, South Korea and Australia (new in this competition, by its recent inclusion in the AFC).
Group A.
| Team Pts PJ | PG PE PP | GF GC Dif | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Uzbekistán | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
 Catar | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
 China | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
 Kuwait | 0 | 3 | 0 3 0 | 1 -6 7 | |
in ester group, the hostess began willing to do something important but, Uzbekistan and Djeparov Ahmedow as scorers, Qatar put feet on the ground. Meanwhile, in the other match, China did the same with Kuwait, selection, outside Asia, has only participated in the 1982 World Cup in Spain in a competition continental, and that just by placing it as a "Cinderella."
The group proceeded normally, with no "surprise" out of the ordinary, except for Qatar to China's victory with two goals from Ahmed Yusef, for some perhaps not so much "surprise" but that was the Pass key to the Qataris.
Group B.
| Team Pts | PJ PG PE | PP GF GC | Dif | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Japan | 7 3 | 2 1 0 | 2 8 6 | |||||
 Jordan | 7 3 | 2 1 0 | 2 4 2 | |||||
 Syria | 3 3 1 | 2 0 4 | 5 -1 | |||||
 Saudi Arabia | 0 | 3 | 0 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 -7 | |
The group from Japan and Saudi Arabia, two teams that at one time would be likely candidates to play the final, had two special guests, as were Jordan (able to tie to the Nipponese, and win the Saudi selection) and Syria (which was 1 to beat A. Arabia and sank to the "sons of the desert" in the classification of the group. Japan's selection became the highest scoring of Phase 1, to put eight goals.
Group C.
| Team Pts PJ | PG PE PP | GF GC Dif | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia | 7 3 | 2 1 0 | 1 6 5 | |||||
 South Korea | 7 3 | 2 1 0 | 7 3 4 | |||||
 Baréin | 3 3 | 0 1 2 | 6 4 2 | |||||
India  | 0 3 0 | 0 3 3 | 13 -10 |
Two tournament favorites in this group faced. And his performance did not disappoint. Even in direct confrontation, the result was a draw, giving show that the forces are partners and that in a tournament like this, the two rivals have more weak front is no problem to play the position with the strongest rival . Abdullahatif Ismail, despite not happen to Bahrain Round 2 of the tournament, became the hero by scoring four of the five goals endorsed his team to India, the weakest team in the tournament in its Phase 1, as conceded 13 goals.
Group D.
| Team Pts PJ | PG PE PP | GF GC Dif | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Irán | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
 Irak | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
 Corea del Norte | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
 UAE | 1 | 3 | 0 1 2 | 0 4 -4 | |
North Korea became the disappointment of the tournament. After an exciting summer in South Africa, truncated by the win against Portugal received the "flying horses" faced this tournament in the continent with the desire to do something big. Had in its ranks Jong Tae-Se, but nothing helped them. No goal scored, and two goals against them put in 3 º place and, therefore, eliminated in Phase 1. Those that did happen were Iran and Iraq, the first with an impeccable track record full of victories.
playoffs.
In the quarter-finals was no surprise remarkable. Uzbekistan, Australia, Japan and South Korea became the semifinalists, and a good selection Iran had to go home to the first change. Kagawa (Japan) and Bakaev (Uzbekistan) contributed two goals to move from their computers.
The Semifinals were two very interesting encounters a priori. On the one hand, Japan and South Korea, the major football powers of the continent has always fought for a place in the final. Furthermore, Australia, the newcomer, had to face a rising quality Uzbeks. And both parties were interested in their own way. On 1 it was decided on penalties (3-0 to the Japanese) after a tie to two after 90 minutes and extra time being Yae Won the protagonist, to put the tie to South Korea in the last minute. No But the other semifinal ended decompensated, with a resounding 0-6 to the newly converted in Asian football. Kewell, Ognenovski, Carney, Emerton, Valeri and Kruse got the goal that ended the dream Uzbek the final.
podium in the definition of the tournament, South Korea and Japan won their matches against Uzbekistan and Australia, becoming 3 and tournament champion respectively. The match for the 3 rd and 4 th place was the most intense of the two. The Koreans had been sentenced and the game almost 40 minutes but two goals gave Geynrikh hope to the "White Wolves." The final did not disappoint anyone. Both teams tried, and until the controversy was not a possible penalty whistled for Japan. It was not until the extension when it was decided everything. In the 109th minute Tadanari, well shot, scored the only goal of the game, and that will be remembered by all.
tournament standings.
| Team Pts | PJPG PE PP | GF GC Dif | Rend | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 14 6 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 6 77.7% 8 | ||||
| 2 | Australia | 13 6 4 | 1 1 | 13 | 2 72.2% 11 | |||||
| South Korea | 14 | 6 4 2 | 0 | 13 | 7 6 77.7% | |||||
| Uzbekistan | 10 6 3 | 1 2 | 10 | 13 55.5% -3 | ||||||
| 5 | Iran | 9 4 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 75,0% | ||
| 6 | Jordania | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 58,3% |
| 7 | Irak | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 50,0% |
| 8 | Catar | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 50,0% |
| 9 | China | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 44,4% |
| 10 | Baréin | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 33.3% |
| 11 | Syria | 3 | 3 | 0 1 2 | 4 5 -1 | 33.3 % | ||||
| 12 | North Korea | 1 | 3 | 0 1 2 | 0 2 -2 | 11.1% | ||||
| 13 | UAE | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 11,1% |
| 14 | Kuwait | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 0,0% |
| 15 | Arabia Saudita | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | -7 | 0,0% |
| India | 0 3 0 | 0 3 3 | 13 0.0% -10 | |||||||
scorers.
Koo Ja-Cheol was crowned top scorer with five goals. Ismail Abdullahkatif and a South Korean (Ji Dong-Won) added four goals.
Well, another edition of the Asian continental tournament is over, and already the next gear up, to be held in Australia in 2015. Until then, the Asians will continue making war. Because events like this make the game global. That not only plays football in Europe or America.
