Kashima Antlers have won the 2010 Emperor's Cup with a 2-1 win in the final against Shimuzu S-Pulse. The win means that the Antlers have won this competition for the second time in four years and fourth time overall.

Fellype Gabriel gave Kashima the lead after 26 minutes in the National Stadium, Tokyo, but Frode Johnsen, a two-goal hero in Shimuzu's semi-final win over Gamba Osaka, restored parity in the 59th minute.

The 2011 AFC Asian Cup has begun in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar and the hosts participated in the opening game against Uzbekistan. Unfortunately for the hosts Uzbekistan managed to silence the home crowd by scoring two second half goals and seal the opening three points of the tournament. Odil Akhmedov scored a screamer with 57 minutes played, firing home from long range giving Qatari keeper Qusem Burhan no chance.

The Asian Cup is upon us, and although the sixteen teams represent the best of Asian football, many of the players will be unfamiliar to American and European fans. Here are ten names that you'd do well to remember they could well be the stars of the tournament.

Shinji Kagawa (Japan)
Keisuke Honda may be better known after the World Cup, but Kagawa (who missed the final cut for South Africa) is the one grabbing all the headlines at the moment.

Qatar lost to Uzbekistan 0-2 and Kuwait to China with the same result. The two games summarize what's going on in Asian football today. - The decline of football in Western Asia: in...
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In the latest round of 2011 AFC Asian Cup matches being played in Qatar there were no shocks to be had as Australia and South Korea confirmed their status as the two top teams in Group C and progressed to the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Australia finished top of the group when defeating Bahrain 1-0 in their final group match which was played today.

Several weeks ago, when this video was made, no one gave a flying oil drum about Qatar and its relationship to football not, at least, in the mainstream world. Now it appears they won't be able to get away without several million journalists masquerading as white-glove inspectors, turning over each and every move they make from now until 2022.

The Middle Eastern country of Qatar is still on a high following its successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This month the oil rich country has the opportunity to showcase itself to the world and prove that its victory was justified when it hosts the 15th edition of the AFC Asian Cup, the first time it has held this event since 1988.

DOHA, Qatar With their graduation into Asia complete, the Socceroos are about to find out if they really belong at the top of the class. Having completed a full World Cup cycle since joining the confederation in 2006, Australia have become well versed in the intricacies of Asian football, leaving no room for excuses [.

Qatar lost to Uzbekistan 0-2 and Kuwait to China with the same result. The two games summarize what's going on in Asian football today.
- The decline of football in Western Asia: in 1978, Iran was the team from Western Asian to qualify to the world cup. Western Asia added 9 more teams till the 2006 World Cup: Kuwait, Iraq, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Qatar lost to Uzbekistan 0-2 and Kuwait to China with the same result. The two games summarize what's going on in Asian football today. - The decline of football in Western Asia: in...
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Iman Mobali scored Iran's winner

With each team having played their opening game of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup the tournament's group phase will begin to get interesting from here. Stoppage Time looks back at the competition so far and previews the next round of matches.

Group D began today with defending champions Iraq facing their neighbours and old adversaries Iran.

Dr. Joel Rookwood
'January 2011 is the month which will see Australia crowned kings of Asian football in Qatar' - a bold statement to offer up at the start of a competition (and an article), and one I will stand by, at least until they get knocked out in a semi final penalty shoot out that is.

An Italian walks into a bar in Tokyo and asks for a local brew, but not wishing to disappoint, the barman discreetly pours the visitor a Peroni instead.

It's a plausible scenario in a country like Japan, where citizens are eager to please and equally desperate to avoid criticism.

Perhaps that's why the Japanese press were quick to turn a blind eye to another poor performance from the Samurai Blue at the Asian Cup in Qatar, as Alberto Zaccheroni's men laboured to a 2-1 win over a spirited but technically inferior Syria.

The English are known for their eccentricities. Stamp collecting is so passe for them. So is collecting football programmes. The English have this breed of people called anoraks who are absolute nutters. I remember on time going on a football special to Leicester (normal behaviour, nothing extreme there) and there was this nutter who was tape recording the sound of the train doors closing!

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The king of Saudi Arabia has fired the country's football federation president following the national team's disappointing performance at the Asian Cup. A statement from King Abdullah's office on Saturday says Sultan bin Fahd bin Abdul-Aziz has been removed from his post and replaced by Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahd [.

Indonesia Super League
Sriwijaya v Persib 4-1 (Claudiano, Ahmad Jufriyanto, Budi Sudarsono, Oktavianus; Christian Gonzalez) 20,201PSPS v Arema 1-1 (April Hadi; Esteban) 19,895Deltras v Persijap 5-3 (Marcio Souza 2, Cristiano Lopes 2, Fachmi; Gendut Doni 2, Noor Hadi) 6,000
1 - Persipura 7 6 1 0 24-3 192 - Semen Padang 8 5 2 1 13-5 173 - Persija 8 5 2 1 12-4 17
Divisi Utama
Persitara v Persiraja 2-3 (Asian Football Pictures)Persikabo v PSAP 2-2 (Zaenal Arief, Ilham Hasan; Osas Marvelous) 7,000PSMS v Pro Titan 2-0 (Ari Yunagnda, Gaston Castano) 7,226Persipasi v Persita 0-0 3,201Persih v Persires 3-0 (Friday Gbeneme 3) 2,532Perseman v Gresik United 1-0 (Ali Tallouk) 1,163Persiram v Mitra Kukar 1-0 (Marthen Tao) 4,275PSBI v Persekam 3-2 (Purwanto 2, Olivier Wandjou; Darsono, Henry Njobi Elad) 7,894PSIR v Persiba Bantul 1-1 (Leonardo Maximilian Felicia; Fortune Udo) 7,959Persiku v PSS 2-0 (Suhendar, Santiko) 6,757PSMP v Persipro 0-0 5,436Perseru v Persidafon 0-1 (Abel Quioh) 3,400
Group 11 - Persiraja 8 7 1 0 17-7 222 - Persih 9 5 1 3 13-11 163 - PSAP 8 4 1 3 14-7 13
Group 21 - Mitra Kukar 8 6 0 2 16-5 182 - PSIM 9 5 3 1 12-4 183 - Persik 9 5 0 4 11-9
Group 31 - Persidafon 9 7 1 1 19-5 222 - Persiba 8 5 2 1 14-3 173 - Barito Putra 10 5 1 4 12-7 16
Top Scorers9 Goals - Fortune Udo (Persiba), Adrian Trinidad (Persik)8 Goals - Franco Hita (Mitra Kukar), Osas Marvellous (PSAP)

In the 2011 AFC Asian Cup today hosts Qatar join Group A table-toppers Uzbekistan into the quarter-finals of the competition. Uzbekistan needed only a point from their game against China to secure progress whilst Qatar needed all three points in their final group game against Kuwait.

Hosts Qatar were desperate to go beyond the group stage in their second hosting of this tournament and they started their game against Kuwait in fine fashion scoring twice in the first quarter of an hour.

There were eight goals in the final two Group B games in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup and the results determined who would meet up with Group A's top two, Uzbekistan and Qatar, in the next round.

Japan sealed top spot in Group B turning over Saudi Arabia by five goals to nil. The Japanese went for it straight from the first whistle and were duly rewarded with a 3-0 lead in the first twenty minutes thanks to a brace from Shinji Okazaki and a strike from Ryoichi Maeda.

Defending champions Iraq qualified for the quarter-final stages of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup along with Group D winners Iran as the full line-up for the next round is known.

Iraq got through a tough tie against North Korea on Wednesday with a slender 1-0 win thanks to a 22nd minute Karrar Jassim goal.

Today, both teams that I have supported in the Asian Cup Quarter Final lost, yet, I was very happy. For the first time, I watch so much competitive and excellent Asian Cup. In the past, we used to watch only few good games in the Asian Cup. Today, seems will enjoy many games.
Japan beat Qatar after a wonderful game with five beautiful goals.

If there are any regular readers to this here opus they may recall my time spent down under. In them days I followed the mighty St George over land and sea. And Wollongong.
He was a legend and I was dead chuffed to see him go on and have a decent career in England.
Anyways mulling through Facebook I came a across a John Filan Appreciation Page by Wigan fans.

Iraq today was the last Arab team to be knocked out of the Asian Cup with a 0-1 defeat with a beautiful header from Kewell after extra time.
Iraq, Jordan and Qatar, all played really nice football and did big games. However, it terms of numbers, this is the worst Asian Cup since 1972.

He's one of the most in-demand players in Europe, plays as an attacking talent for Japan and proved decisive in their 3-2 quarter-final win over hosts Qatar at the Asian Cup.
And his name is not Keisuke Honda.
Japan relied heavily on Borussia Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa to see off the stubborn Qataris in a pulsating quarter-final, as the diminutive playmaker scored twice and set up the winner for Masahiko Inoha in a come-from-behind victory.

The play station amazing team, or the "Barca of Asia" as Metsu called them, had a deserved victory over South Korea in one of the most entertaining and high quality football in Asia. The Japanese first goal was a very special one. They tied 1-1 at first half. Then, played extra time. South Korea scored in the 120th minute the equalizer.

The Liga Primer Indonesia match experience! Pictures from the game can be found on Asian Football Pictures.

Australia have reached the 2011 AFC Asian Cup final in Qatar this weekend after crushing Uzbekistan by six goals to nil in yesterday's semi-final. Japan also went through but did it the hard way as Alberto Zaccherroni's men needed a penalty shoot out to get the better of arch-rivals South Korea.

There were six different scorers for the Socceroos as they put Uzbekistan to the sword in a game which was expected to be a lot closer than it was.

Fans looking for jerseys, hats or even a replica of the cute desert rat mascots from the Asian Cup are likely to leave Qatar empty-handed. No such items are being sold at Asia's premier tournament, nothing at the stadiums or even at the Asian Cup stands in the city's glitzy malls.

Indonesia Super League
Persija v Persijap 3-0 (M Nasuha, Agu Casmir, Oliver Markor) 10,230 Asian Football Pictures
Small crowd to catch this game. Persija should have won at a canter but M Yasir in the Persijap goal was in fine form against his old club.
Deltras v Persela 2-0 (Marcio Souza, Cristian Lopes) 8,675
You don't say?

Yesterday I almost could not believe my eyes while watching the Asian Cup final of Japan vs. Australia. I was very happy to see the big leaps that Asian Football did in the last decade. It was one of those games that we say "the winner deserved victory and the loser didn't serve the defeat".
In the past, I always criticized Asian Football, and argued that 4.