Does everyone agree? He was chosen as the player of the match 3 times and is the tournement's top goal scorer with 5 goals along with abdul(?) of bahrain. I dunno maybe some chinese or japanese player can score more than 5 goals in the last match but I doubt it since neither china nor japan has a player who has scored more than twice I believe. I think I heard the arabic dudes in dubai sports say that karimi won it! but I don't think they will announce the best player up until when the last match is done with does anybody know When will they exactly announce who the best player is? Oh and I think the best goal keeper should be Jordan's.
Yes I think Karimi is defenitely the best player of this tournament he has been a outstanding player who shines in every match he takes part and man those world class dribbles he does, makes any defender dizzy. Other than that I think the Japanese player Tamada has prove to be really good he's one top forward player.
I used to think mahdavikia had a good chance to win this award too but after this match and the red card he recieved there is no way in hell they would give it to him now..
I've been most impressed with Karimi as well. But unfortunately isn't MVP usually picked from the winner of the tournament? So I think either Shao Jiyai or Nakamura will get it.
Karimi showed great soccer. Personaly i would for Talal and Ala' Hubail in Bahrain too. They wr in their top peak peformance during this cup. Shafi and Khaled Sa'ad show their skills 2 for Jordan.
Karimi got screwed This is ****************! They gave it to nakamura! http://www.asiancup2004.com/en/news/index.asp?aid=36630&cid=1129&amth=8&ayr=2004 This is the final insult and injustice to Iran and most of all to Karimi. He was the only man who got 3 mobile phones from Simense(e.g. he was MOM for 3 matches), he scored the only hat trcik in the tournament and he was also the top scorer but somehow the 35 year old Nakamura got the prize! well he probably got it because his team won the final but what about when they only gave a golden boot to the bahraini guy eventhough him and karimi both got 5 goals? and China got the fair play award Ahh AFC you just keep improving day by day don't you...
yea they did.... they both got named in the asian all start team Kabbi should have made the list too... The japanese goal keeper was the goali of the tournement eventhough I think Jordan's goali deserved that award more but japan's goali was pretty good too.
Yes there's a lot of injustice and yeah Karimi and Mahdavikia deserved the award. About Kawaguchi, he's a really good goalie and deserved to be the Goalie of the tournament. Our own goalie Mirzapour has improved and I'm proud of his contribution to our country.
Yea Karimi deserves MVP most , no doubt. Maybe they picked MVP only from the winner of the final. And also I think they picked best 11 only from best 4 teams. So Jordanian keeper was excluded. But Nakamura just became 26 year old at June this year , not 35 year old.
Karimi and Nakamura are beasts. Great footballers. But for my money, I would have given it to Karimi. The man deserves it.
I think if Iran made the final he'd definitely get it. But usually at tourneys, they give the award to a finalist.
ali karimi should have gotten no doubt. and only finalists shud have gotten it?? iran is the real finalists, its not karimi's fault AFC robbed us!
two tournaments in a row, Japan's #10 win's the award......... maybe AFC is lazy and just said give it to the guy who is wearing number 10, must be the same person. I think Karimi was the best player, but you gotta remember only once was a World Cup MVP not from the winning team.......
Re: Karimi got screwed Shunsuke Nakamura is 26, not 35. Maybe you're thinking of old man Nakayama, who thankfully is no longer a part of the Japanese national team. Karimi had a wonderful tournament, but PotT awards are almost always given to a member of the winning team, though occaisionaly a member of the runner up. Fair or not, that's just the way it is.
Re: Karimi got screwed Ya, those kind of awards are givin to the team that won the Cup, thats why Karimi didnt win it
Considering the golden boot is a Bahrain player and he scored all those goals and helped an unfancied team to 4th place when a lot of people predicted a first round exit should give him a lot of consideration to be Cup MVP
Iran shoulda let Karimi take the PK he earned in the Bahrain game. Then he could've had 6 goals. Nakamura was far from perfect, but his set plays won it for Japan.
I dunno why they gave the golden boot to the bahraini karimi had the same amount of goals and played better than him.. he deserved both the mvp as well as the golden boot. Ahh well! tough luck ali btw I knew that nakamura was in his 20's (didn't know 26 but knew in his 20's) I copy pasted most of my first post from a poster in iransportspress forums :=D I should have proof read it!
Both goalies were good, but I think Japanese GK Kawaguchi looked more convincing after he made 4 consecutive stops while the Jourdan's GK faded way as the penalty shootout went on in Japan vs Jordan at q-final. BTW, Kawaguchi was previous AC's best GK.
Well the japanese goal keeper didn't save those penalties, the jordanese hit the cross bars. But the fact that he shut out mighty Iran proves that he deserved the award but then again the jordani keeper had also done that once..
Regarding MVP, personally, it should have gone to Nakazawa, Japan's defense man with #22 on his jersy. Unlike the previous AC winning Japanese squad, this Japanese squad was a team whose strength was in defense(and mentality). And Nakazawa was the cornerstone in Japan's defense line. He tackles very well w/o fouls. He was also good to cover a space in gaps. And he scored 3 goals. Karimi and Nakamura were good. But they were entertaining, but as far as the significance of play throughout the tournament is considered, Nakazawa was the most consistent and solid player. Asia hasn't sent Europe a central defender yet. And I hope Nakazawa becomes the first player and makes Asia proud.