2011 Asian Cup; PLAYER PROFILE- KEISUKE HONDA

The 2011 Asian Cup ended on January 29th, with Japan winning 1-0 against Australia thanks to a brilliant strike by Tadanari Lee. This tournament marked Japan's 4th Asian Cup title, breaking Iran's record for most wins. Japan, one of the favorites going into the competition, started the tournament with a disappointing game against Jordan, just salvaging a 1-1 draw in the 92nd minute. Japan's next game against Syria showed some improvement from the first match; Japan won 2-1 thanks to tournament MVP Keisuke Honda scoring the winning goal in the 82nd minute. Japan's third and final group stage match ended 5-0 against a struggling Saudi Arabian team.
In the quarter finals, Japan played an exciting match against hosts Qatar, which ended in a 3-2 win for Japan. Masahiko Inoha managed to find the winning goal for Japan in the 89th minute, ending Qatar's run in the tournament. Japan then played a heated game against South Korea to contest for a spot in the final, but both sides failed to win the game in regulation time. The game went into Penalties, and South Korea missed every kick.
In the final against Australia, after many chances from both sides, Tadanari Lee found himself unmarked in the penalty area with a cross coming his way. He struck the ball in a Zidane-esque style, ending the tournament with a beautiful goal.

Keisuke Honda first attracted the eyes of top European clubs after his performance in the world cup, where was awarded FIFA man of the match in two consecutive games against Cameroon and Denmark. Honda scored the only goal against Cameroon, and had a brilliant game against Denmark, both scoring and assisting in a 3-1 win. Although Japan were eliminated in the round of sixteen against Paraguay on penalty kicks, Honda scored his goal and was regarded as one of the best players of the tournament. More Recently, Honda was awarded MVP of the 2011 Asian Cup.
Honda currently plays for CSKA Moscow in the Russian Premier League, and has a bright future ahead of him. Arsenal, Liverpool, and other top European clubs have expressed interest in signing him once his contract with CSKA ends.