Tag: Abu Dhabi

When it comes to the 2019 Asian Cup however, there can be no complaints. “But I would mention that if [the tournament] is broadcast all over the world, you don’t want to see any stupid things, especially after the game,” Japan’s Maya Yoshida said. The same can be said of the tournament overall. The Maroons scored 18 and conceded just once in seven games and the 2022 World Cup hosts have been the story of the Asian Cup in more ways than one. They were by some distance the best team in what was a mediocre field. The opener between UAE and Bahrain was far from a sell out and while there is a general culture in the country of watching football in cafes and not stadiums, too much of the action on the pitch in Asia’s biggest tournament was framed by empty seats. The blockade of the 2022 World Cup hosts was established by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt in 2017 and remains an attempt to isolate Doha. A day before the final, the UAE made a formal complaint to the body alleging that Qatar were fielding ineligible players. But this tournament is over. The Asian Cup had its moments but overall, it will be remembered more for what happened off the pitch than on it, though perhaps not, ironically in the end, in Qatar.