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Japan Clinched Asian Champion
As expected, Japan prevented Saudi Arabia from scoring a Asian 4th cup record, and clinched a well earned Asian championship - Lebanon 2000 title, after beating in the final, Saudi Arabia 1-0 in a fully crowded Beirut Sports City stadium.
Japan's coach, Philippe Troussier, said he is not surprised about Japan's victory because they came to the tournament with a mentality to get the Cup in order to establish themselves for the World Cup. But the coach admitted that his team was lucky tonight just as the French were lucky to clinch the World Cup in 1998.
"I can say that we are in the top twenty of world football," said Troussier.
"It was very important to win this game, because it is the first time a West Asian team has been able to get the Cup on East Asian soil," he added. Troussier, who got his first international title with the Asian Cup, conceded that had the Saudis nailed the penalty shot, it would have been a whole different game. From the start of the tournament, the Japanese had been emotionally charged to get the Cup. It was not easy to beat the Saudis, who put on a game different from the opening match that ended 4-1 for Japan. But in order to reach the World Cup, the Japanese need more international experience and that's why in 2001 they intend to play matches in Europe, travel to several cities and get more international games such as the Asian Cup.
Saudi Arabia's coach, Nasser Johar, dedicated the tournament to the Saudis, because they controlled the game most of the time, but luck failed them. He took full responsibility for losing the Cup. He dismissed the idea that losing the penalty shot killed Saudi Arabia's chances for scoring a goal. According to Johar, the Saudis were in full control of the second half and created far better scoring chances than any of the shots the Japanese made.
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