Asian Cup Games

The Asian Cup is the second-oldest continental soccer championship in the world. It was held for the first time in 1956 and is open to all members of the Asian Football Confederation. The tournament is held every four years, taking place the year after the World Cup. Befitting its position as the main soccer tournament for Asian players, some fascinating games have taken place at the Asian Cup over the years.

  1. Japan 1, Australia 0 (2011)

    • The 2011 Asian Cup tournament was held in Qatar and was seen in some quarters as a "dry run" for Qatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup. The final of the 2011 competition was between Australia and Japan. This was the second time Australia had played in the Asian Cup, having joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2007. Japan won with an extra-time goal from striker Tadanari Lee, who was making his second international appearance.

    Iraq 0, South Korea 0 (2007)

    • The 2007 Asian Cup was the first tournament in which the Iraqi national team played following the fall of Saddam Hussein. Seen as an outsider by many, the squad won the event, thanks in large part to the tournament's top scorer and MVP, Younis Mahmoud. In the semifinals, Iraq played to a 0-0 tie with South Korea and won 4-3 on penalty kicks. Kim Jung-Woo missed the decisive Korean penalty. More than 50 Iraqi civilians were killed in terrorist activity targeting post-match celebrations. Iraq went on to beat Saudi Arabia in the final four days later, with Mahmoud scoring the goal in a 1-0 victory.

    Japan 3, China 1 (2004)

    • The final of the 2004 Asian Cup was marred by rioting by Chinese fans after their team lost to Japan. The rioting was due in part to historical tensions between the nations and to controversial calls made by referees in the game. China hosted the Asian Cup for the first time in 2004, and Japan won the tournament for the third time. Japan's goals in the game were scored by Takashi Fukunishi, Koji Nakata and Keiji Tamada. Li Ming scored for China.

    Japan 8, Uzbekistan 1 (2000)

    • Japan's 8-1 victory over Uzbekistan in a first-round game during the 2000 Asian Cup marked one of the largest margins of victory in the tournament's history. Two Japanese players, Akinori Nishizawa and Naohiro Takahara, scored three goals apiece, an unprecedented achievement in the tournament. The other Japanese goals were scored by Hiroaki Morishima and Hideaki Kitajima. Japan went on to win the tournament.