While Japan finished East Asia's football season on a high at the weekend, China and South Korea will look back on a year dominated by scandal, missed opportunities and unfulfilled promise.
Japan started 2011 by lifting the Asian Cup, watched its women's team win the World Cup in July and ended the season with another thrilling title race in the country's domestic J-League.
With a number of young stars lured to the big leagues in Europe and the national team progressing to the final round of qualification for the 2014 World Cup with ease, the Japan Football Association has reason to be happy, as the association's vice-president Kozo Tashima told Associated Press.
''We are all delighted at the JFA at the success that Japanese football has had in 2011,'' said Tashima, one of a number of Asian figures tipped to be the next president of the Asian Football Confederation.
''The year started well in Asia in January, we had a global success in July which thrilled the national after a difficult time,'' he added in reference to the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that left 5,839 dead and 3,647 missing, and caused the J-League to be suspended for six weeks.
Over the next 12 months Japan will be focused on trying to secure a place at the 2014 World Cup.
''The game is progressing at all levels in the country, but we know that we have to keep moving forward and working hard,'' said Tashima. ''For 2012, we have to keep focused. The national team performed very well to progress through the third round of qualification for the 2014 World Cup and next year we will do our utmost to continue those good performances.''
The J-League season ended on Saturday with Kashiwa Reysol lifting the league trophy for the first time, and Nagoya Grampus and Gamba Osaka close behind.
China has had a year to remember as far as club football goes, but another comprehensive failure in the international arena.
In November, China saw its hopes of reaching the 2014 World Cup officially end, marking the third successive failure to reach even the final phase of qualification. When Japan lifted the Asia Cup in January, China exited at the first round.
The Chinese Football Association declared, however, that it will stick with Spanish coach Jose Antonio Camacho who was appointed in August.
''We have set our sights on the future. For example, the systematic training of teenage players,'' CFA deputy president Yu Hongchen said. ''That's the reason we recruited a coaching team. Camacho will take part in the construction of China's teenage development system.''
Some hope has come with the emergence of Guangzhou Evergrande. The team was promoted to the Chinese Super League at the end of 2010 and dominated the season in the top tier to win the title with ease.
Bankrolled by a wealthy real estate tycoon, the team signed a number of established Chinese international players and added expensive South American stars.
Brazilian striker Cleo was signed for $4 million, while the club shocked the football world by paying Brazil's Fluminense over $10 million for Argentine star Dario Conca and making the midfielder one of the highest-paid players in the world.
Hopes are high for 2012.
Guangzhou's success is causing rival clubs such as Beijing and Tianjin to spend money, with stars like Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka recently linked to a move to China. And fans are hopeful that one of their clubs will finally be able to challenge for the Asian Champions League in 2012.
South Korea again impressed in the Champions League, but it has been an up and down year for the Asian powerhouse. After sending four teams to the quarterfinal of the 2010 tournament, three made it to the last eight in 2011 only for Jeonbuk Motors to surprisingly lose in the final to Al Sadd of Qatar.
Jeonbuk took the 2011 domestic title Sunday, defeating Ulsan Horangi in an entertaining playoff final that ended the season, but the hard work starts now for football authorities.
While China seems finally to be getting to grips with match-fixing, the K-League, the oldest professional league in Asia, was shocked by a similar scandal that hit the headlines in April. Around 60 players have been prosecuted for accepting money from criminal gangs working on behalf of illegal betting websites.
As part of measures to ensure that Korean football becomes more professional in the future, the 16 team league will be reduced to 12 by either 2013 or 2014.
Relegation will be introduced from next season, as will a Scottish Premier League style split system. After 30 games, the 16-team league will be divided into two groups of eight which will then play against each other.
''Since we will have the full promotion-relegation by 2013, we decided to adopt the split system for next year to determine who will be relegated,'' Ahn Ki-heon, secretary general of the K-League told reporters in October. ''Clubs in the upper league will try to win, and those at the bottom will fight hard to avoid relegation. So teams will be playing hard right to the end.''
The national team impressed in January as a host of young stars performed well at the Asian Cup, before having to settle for third place.
The year ended on a low, however, with a shocking 2-1 loss at Lebanon in qualification for the 2014 World Cup. Korea still leads its group and only needs to draw at home to Kuwait in February to guarantee a place in the final round, but the loss has put pressure on coach Cho Kwang-rae. (AP) -
