2011 Asian Cup Final Kicks Off

The recent weather has meant that anyone looking to Fly Drive Australia would want to do so in a boat. But January has also been a big month for Australian Football (or Soccer, here as opposed to 'Rules'). FIFA's official list has charted the rise of the Australian side, from a football backwater to the 14th best club in the world. Despite this ranking however, the Australians have never been major performers in the all important cup competitions, crashing out in the group stages of the 2010 World Cup.

Silencing their critics, Australia are showing some considerable talent at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. Australia weren't always AFC members: their membership was previously with the OFC (Oceania Football Confederation), easily the world's least important association (with Australia gone, no team in the association even has a professional league). It's perhaps even valid to suggest that Australia's entry into the AFC has been the catalyst for their growth: with more challenging teams like South Korea and Japan to play against, it has been possible to build team tactics and skills. In fact, Japan are their main opponents in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup final. Both sides will be keen to win the tournament: Australia want to prove themselves, Japan want to grab a record fourth title. The tournament has been relatively plain sailing, making this one of the most successful Australia tours.

This year's AFC cup was held in Qatar, a move that many have seen as an early preparation for the future 2022 World Cup that they will host. Whilst the venues were widely lauded, praise was also forthcoming for the hosts' performance. Japan ended Qatar's hopes in the Quarter Finals, but only after a back and forth 3-2 scoreline that hinged on a last minute goal from Masahiko Inoha. Meanwhile, Australia were particularly keen to perform in the 2011 AFC final. Australia will host the 2015 Asian Cup and the opportunity to defend the title on home soil would create a far more interesting event for those on Australia holidays. Australia have the chance to not only make it big, but to stay in that position for years to come. It's all dependent on momentum: in the higher profile AFC, and with a better chance at the World Cup, they're going to stop losing high-profile players to other national sides, as they've been prone to doing in the past.