The AFC Asian Cup is a match to determine the Asian championship, with strong teams such as Japan, Australia, and Iran coming together to compete for the championship. Due to this background, the Asian Cup is a tournament that attracts a lot of attention, but in recent years there has been a growing argument that the Asian Cup is unnecessary. Why is that?
What is AFC Asian Cup?
The AFC Asian Cup is a tournament to determine the championship of Asian countries, hosted by the Asian Football Confederation AFC. The Asian Cup was first held in Hong Kong in 1956 and is a tournament held once every four years. This tournament is the second oldest tournament after the Copa America, which is the South American championship, and is a very dignified tournament.
Holding method
The tournament will be held in six group leagues with four teams each. A total of 16 teams will compete in the final tournament, consisting of the top two teams and the top four teams from the third place in each group. The final tournament will be a one-shot battle, with players competing for the championship. In the case of a one-shot match, if the game is not decided after 90 minutes, extra time will be played, and if the match is still not decided, it will be a penalty shootout. In the case of a penalty shootout, the match will be a draw for record purposes.
Ranking method
Teams are ranked in descending order of total points, and if the total number of points is the same, the team with the most average points per game will be ranked higher. If there is a tie, priority will be given to the team with the better goal difference, and if there is still a tie, the decision will be based on goal difference, and the final decision will be based on total points.
Prize money
In the case of the 2018 tournament, the winner will receive $5 million, the runner-up will receive $3 million, and the top four will each receive $1 million. In addition, all 24 participating countries will receive a participation stipend of $200,000.
What is FIFA Confederations Cup?
Until 2015, the Asian Cup was a tournament in which the winning team qualified for the FIFA Confederations Cup. The Confederations Cup is an international men’s national team tournament held every four years. Because it was scheduled to be held the year before the World Cup, it was considered a prelude to the World Cup.
Eligibility for participation
The eight teams eligible to participate are the champion teams from the world’s six continents, the World Cup host country, and the previous World Cup champion country.
| Asia | AFC Asian Cup |
| Africa | Africa cup of nations |
| North, Central America, Caribbean | CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| South America | Copa America |
| Oceania | OFC Nations Cup |
| Europe | UEFA European Championship |
Holding method
There are 8 participating teams, and in the group stage, the 8 participating countries are divided into two groups, A and B, and a round robin round robin league match will be held. Each country will win or lose in three games, and the top two countries in each group will be determined by points, goal difference, and total points, and a final tournament will be held. The final tournament will be a one-shot battle.
2018
The FIFA Confederations Cup was abolished after the 10th edition, the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017. The reason is that it wasn’t very popular. It has not been held since then due to lack of commercial demand.
Is the AFC Asian Cup meaningless?
Is the AFC Asian Cup meaningless? The reasons for this are as follows.
Abolition of Confederations
If they won the AFC Asian Cup, they would qualify for the Confederations Cup. However, since it was abolished in 2017, the value of the AFC Asian Cup has declined. Even if we win the Asian Cup, there is no future. The only thing he will gain is the honor of being the champion of Asia.
Overcrowded schedule
Modern soccer is a time when club team soccer, not national teams, was at its peak. If they participate in the Asian Cup poorly, each club’s main players will be tied up in this tournament for about a month, which poses a risk for the clubs. It is said that there is no benefit to participating as there are concerns that the conditions of the players will deteriorate due to the crowded schedule.
Not related to the World Cup
Even if you win the AFC Asian Cup, it does not mean you will automatically qualify for the World Cup. In terms of value, the World Cup is definitely higher than the Asian Cup. Therefore, no matter how hard we try at the Asian Cup, we still have to participate in the World Cup qualifiers and win.
Asia is weak
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of teams in the Asian region that can compete in the World Cup, and the level is rising, but the level is still inferior to the South American and European championships. Some soccer fans argue that it’s not worth attending.
Let’s watch the AFC Asian Cup
The AFC Asian Cup can be watched live on various video streaming services. We will introduce it in the article below, but if you are interested, please register.
| Channel | Plan | Soccer Contents | URL |
| DAZN | \3750 | national team major europe leagues J league | DAZN |
| Hulu | ¥1026 | french league dutch league | Hulu |
| WOWOW | \2530 | UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League | WOWOW |
| ABEMA TV | ¥960 | national team World Cup Premier League scottish league | ABEMA |
| スカパー | ¥429 + ¥2480 | national team emperor’s cup soccer Bundesliga laliga | スカパー！ |
| J SPORTS | \1100 | fifa world youth | J SPORTS |
コメント