Dates 17 Jul 2004 – 7 Aug 2004 Teams 16 | Venue(s) 4 (in 4 host cities) Matches played 32 Attendance 937,650 | |
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Similar 2000 AFC Asian Cup, 2007 AFC Asian Cup, 1996 AFC Asian Cup, 1992 AFC Asian Cup, 2011 AFC Asian Cup | ||
2004 afc asian cup
The 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition was the thirteenth edition of the AFC Asian Cup. It was held from 17 July to 7 August 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing.
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The tournament was marked by Saudi Arabia's unexpected failure to even make it out of the first round; a surprisingly good performance by Bahrain, which finished in fourth place; Jordan, which reached the quarterfinals in its first appearance and Indonesia, which gained their historical first Asian Cup win against Qatar. The final match between China and Japan was marked by post-match rioting by Chinese fans near the north gate of Beijing Worker's Stadium, in part due to controversial officiating and anti-Japanese sentiment resulting from historical tensions.
Squads
For a list of all squads that played in the final tournament, see 2004 AFC Asian Cup squads.
First round
All times are China standard time (UTC+8)
Knockout stage
All times are China standard time (UTC+8)
Goalscorers
With five goals, A'ala Hubail and Ali Karimi are the top scorers in the tournament. In total, 96 goals were scored by 58 different players, with two of them credited as own goals.
Views
Like other sports events, the Asian Cup 2004 was publicised as evidence of China's economic and athletic progress, being referred to by some as a prelude to the 2008 Summer Olympics. Many Chinese see the tournament as a success and take great pride in having showcased such an important sporting event in advance of the Olympics Games. However, the Japanese media and many other international observers have pointed out bad manners on the part of Chinese fans, and sparse attendance at the tournament, raising questions on China's ability to hold such sporting events.
Throughout the tournament, most Chinese fans in the stadia expressed anti-Japanese sentiments by drowning out the Japanese national anthem, displaying political banners and booing whenever Japan got the ball, regardless of the score or opponent. This was reported by the international media, and was aggravated when Koji Nakata apparently knocked in the ball with his right hand in the final against China. The PRC government responded by calling for restraint and increasing police numbers to maintain order. The Japanese government also called on the PRC to ensure the safety of Japanese fans, while specifically asking Japanese nationals or people of Japanese origin to not display any form of excessive pride, especially wearing Japan national football team uniforms. Despite the Chinese government's campaign, a riot started by Chinese fans broke out near the north gate of the Beijing Worker's Stadium, though reports differ as to the extent of the riot. As a result, some media groups have said that displays of "excessive Chinese nationalism during the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics have become a cause for concern for Chinese officials".