Japan Win Asian Cup for Record Fourth Time

Posted Sunday, January 30, 2011 by english.cri.cn

Super substitute Tadanari Lee scored a golden volley in the 109th minute to help Japan down Australia 1- 0 to win the 2011 Asian Cup championship at the full-house Khalifa Stadium on Saturday.

Japan Win Asian Cup for Record Fourth Time
Japan's Tadanari Lee (19) shoots to score against Australia during extra-time of their 2011 Asian Cup final soccer match at Khalifa stadium in Doha January 29, 2011.

Super substitute Tadanari Lee scored a golden volley in the 109th minute to help Japan down Australia 1- 0 to win the 2011 Asian Cup championship at the full-house Khalifa Stadium on Saturday.

The win helped Japan to surpass Saudi Arabia, Iran, both with three titles, to be the only team that had won four continental titles. Japan's playmaker Keisuke Honda was voted the Most Valuable Player of the Asian Cup, and South Korea attacker Koo Ja Cheol became the best scorer with five goals.

Japan boss Alberto Zaccheroni made a crucial decision to send on Lee in the 98th minute, and the striker, who had only played 45 minutes before in the 1-1 draw with Jordan, repaid the Italian's trust after 11 minutes with a cool shot following Yuto Nagatomo's pinpoint cross from the left.

The goal is the tounament's 90th from 32 matches, and also the second goal that the Aussies conceded during the continent's football showpiece event.

"I'm really satisfied with the results. We win the tournament with the same style. The players are young, but even the young players can win the matches, they are well-done," said Zaccheroni after the game.

"We met many difficulties in the tournament, we concede goals, we played extra times, sometimes we played with ten players, but every play, even the bench players showed good performance. Lee is the good illustration.

"Australia is also a fantastic team as well."

"Both teams show they deserve to be in the final. Congratulation to Japan on the victory. It's a great achievement and their new generation is just coming up," said Australia's coach Holger Osieck.

"We had our opportunities. It's encouraging to see the way we play, we created opportunities, but couldn't seize them, that's the problem. We should be more clinical in the finishing."

Japan used their 4-2-3-1 formation with Jungo Fujimoto replacing injured Borussia Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa, who broke the fifth metatarsal of his right foot in the semifinal thriller against South Korea. The Shimizu S-Pulse midfielder hasn't played a single minute before during the tournament. While Australia coach Holger Osieck maintained their habitual 4-4-2 squad with Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill leading the attacking.

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