.jpg) Khalifa International Stadium(pictured in 2010) held the final | |||||||
| Event | 2011 AFC Asian Cup | ||||||
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| Afterextra time | |||||||
| Date | 29 January 2011 | ||||||
| Venue | Khalifa International Stadium,Al Rayyan | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Eiji Kawashima (Japan) | ||||||
| Referee | Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan) | ||||||
| Attendance | 37,174 | ||||||
| Weather | Clear 19.0 °C (66.2 °F) 78%humidity[1] | ||||||
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The2011 AFC Asian Cup Final was afootball match that took place on 29 January 2011 at theKhalifa International Stadium inAl Rayyan,Qatar, to determine the winner of the2011 AFC Asian Cup. The match was won byJapan, defeatingAustralia 1–0 after extra time through a goal scored byTadanari Lee.[2] Japan thus qualified for the2013 FIFA Confederations Cup as the representative fromAFC.[3][4]
The tournament's closing ceremony was held immediately before kickoff. 37,174 people attended the match, although several thousand supporters with tickets were prohibited from entering the stadium after entry was closed 30 minutes before the match commenced.[5][6][7]
A television viewing audience of 484 million in 80 countries across the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, North America and North Africa witnessed Japan defeat Australia 1–0 in the final.[8]
The final was played betweenJapan andAustralia. Japan, coached by ItalianAlberto Zaccheroni, qualified for the final after defeating tournament hostQatar in the quarter-final andSouth Korea after a penalty shoot-out in the semi-final.[9] Australia, also led by a foreign coach (GermanHolger Osieck), opened the tournament with a 4–0 win overIndia on their way to winning their group, before defeatingIraq in the quarter-final, and thrashingUzbekistan 6–0 in the semi-final.[10] For Australia, victory would bring its first ever title in an Asian tournament, having won three Oceania titles.[11] The match marked a record for Australia's goalkeeperMark Schwarzer, becoming the country's most capped player with his 88th appearance.[12]Shinji Kagawa missed the match due to injury.
| Australia | Round | Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Opponent | Result | Group stage | Opponent | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 India | 4–0 | Match 1 |  Jordan | 1–1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 South Korea | 1–1 | Match 2 |  Syria | 2–1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Bahrain | 1–0 | Match 3 |  Saudi Arabia | 5–0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Final standing |
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| Opponent | Result | Knockout stage | Opponent | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Iraq | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Quarterfinals |  Qatar | 3–2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Uzbekistan | 6–0 | Semifinals | South Korea | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (3–0pen.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Australia dominated the first half of the match, and had chances to score through their forwardsTim Cahill andHarry Kewell. Japan had a scare shortly after half-time when a cross fromLuke Wilkshire was misjudged by Japan's goalkeeperEiji Kawashima and hit the crossbar, only for Cahill's shot to be cleared off the goal-line. Japan, however, had chances on the counter-attack including a wasted opportunity forShinji Okazaki halfway through the second half, missing a header on goal while he was unmarked. The deadlock remained unbroken until the 20th minute of extra time, when Japan substituteTadanari Lee scored off a cross fromYuto Nagatomo. Japan held its lead until the end of extra time to win the final.[13]
After the match,Keisuke Honda was named the "most valuable player" of the tournament.[12] Both managers praised their players after the match; Osieck expressed disappointment that Australia could not convert numerous opportunities to score, while Zaccheroni called Japan's win a "great victory" and hailed Lee's impact as a substitute.[14]
          Australia |      Japan |
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Man of the Match: Assistant referees: |
