29 September 2003 - The Tigers Deliver A Record Mauling

On 29 September 2003, South Korea defeated Nepal 16-0 in a qualifying match for the 2004 Asian Cup. It remains the Koreans' record victory and Nepal's record defeat.

Going into the match, which was played at Munhak Stadium in Incheon, Nepal had already lost to Oman, 0-7, and Vietnam, 5-0. Korea, meanwhile, had beaten Vietnam 5-0 and Oman 1-0, so the likely outcome was easily predictable, even if the scoreline wasn't.

It took the Koreans only 18 minutes to crack the Nepalese defense, as winger Kim Dae-Eui scored the opening goal, but the crack quickly widened into a chasm. The hosts took a 5-0 lead into the break, with another goal from Kim (37'), one from forward Woo Sung-Yong (21'), and a brace from right back Park Jin-Seop (22', 28'). Things only got worse for Nepal in the second half, with two more goals from Woo (46', 48'), three more from Park (64', 67', 89'), one each from midfielder Lee Eul-Yong (54'), midfielder Lee Kwan-Woo (57'), midfielder Chung Kyung-Ho (80'), and a hat-trick from striker Kim Do-Hoon (75', 84', 86').

Despite the record-setting performance, Korea finished second in their qualifying group after losses to Vietnam (0-1) and first-place finisher Oman (3-1). Nepal finished last having lost all six qualifying matches without scoring a single goal, resulting in a goal differential of -43.

7 August 2004 - Riot In The Streets Of Beijing

On 7 August 2004, Japan defeated China 3-1 in the Asian Cup Final before a crowd of 62,000 at Workers Stadium in Beijing, sparking a riot among Chinese supporters.

The tournament was shrouded in anti-Japanese sentiment, as many Chinese attendees, still angry over Japan's treatment of China during World War II, harrassed the Japanese side, booing anytime they took possession of the ball, displaying political banners denouncing Japan, and drowning out the Japanese national anthem.

Prior to the Final, authorities from both nations expressed concerns about the growing tension. Chinese officials increased the police presence for the match, while the Japanese embassy in Beijing cautioned fans of its national team to avoid drawing attention to themselves. According to the BBC, "tens of thousands" of Chinese supporters were in the stands for the match to watch China's first Asian Cup Final in 20 years.

The match itself was free from violence. The teams were level 1-1 at the half, but Japan went ahead in the 66th minute with a controversial goal from defender Koji Nakata. Replays showed that Nakata's scoring strike went in off of his hand, but the goal was allowed. In any event, Japanese striker Keiji Tamada added an insurance goal in the 91st minute to seal the win.

After the match, the Japanese supporters were driven to safety while Chinese fans started to riot. They burned Japanese flags and sang political songs. Several fights broke out and many bystanders were injured, including a couple of photographers who were beaten by the police.

29 September 2003 - The Tigers Deliver A Record Mauling

On 29 September 2003, South Korea defeated Nepal 16-0 in a qualifying match for the 2004 Asian Cup. It remains the Koreans' record victory and Nepal's record defeat.

Going into the match, which was played at Munhak Stadium in Incheon, Nepal had already lost to Oman, 0-7, and Vietnam, 5-0. Korea, meanwhile, had beaten Vietnam 5-0 and Oman 1-0, so the likely outcome was easily predictable, even if the scoreline wasn't.

It took the Koreans only 18 minutes to crack the Nepalese defense, as winger Kim Dae-Eui scored the opening goal, but the crack quickly widened into a chasm. The hosts took a 5-0 lead into the break, with another goal from Kim (37'), one from forward Woo Sung-Yong (21'), and a brace from right back Park Jin-Seop (22', 28'). Things only got worse for Nepal in the second half, with two more goals from Woo (46', 48'), three more from Park (64', 67', 89'), one each from midfielder Lee Eul-Yong (54'), midfielder Lee Kwan-Woo (57'), midfielder Chung Kyung-Ho (80'), and a hat-trick from striker Kim Do-Hoon (75', 84', 86').

Despite the record-setting performance, Korea finished second in their qualifying group after losses to Vietnam (0-1) and first-place finisher Oman (3-1). Nepal finished last having lost all six qualifying matches without scoring a single goal, resulting in a goal differential of -43.

7 August 2004 - Riot On The Streets Of Beijing

On 7 August 2004, Japan defeated China 3-1 in the Asian Cup Final before a crowd of 62,000 at Workers Stadium in Beijing, sparking a riot among Chinese supporters.

The tournament was shrouded in anti-Japanese sentiment, as many Chinese attendees, still angry over Japan's treatment of China during World War II, harrassed the Japanese side, booing anytime they took possession of the ball, displaying political banners denouncing Japan, and drowning out the Japanese national anthem.

Prior to the Final, authorities from both nations expressed concerns about the growing tension. Chinese officials increased the police presence for the match, while the Japanese embassy in Beijing cautioned fans of its national team to avoid drawing attention to themselves. According to the BBC, "tens of thousands" of Chinese supporters were in the stands for the match to watch China's first Asian Cup Final in 20 years.

The match itself was free from violence. The teams were level 1-1 at the half, but Japan went ahead in the 66th minute with a controversial goal from defender Koji Nakata. Replays showed that Nakata's scoring strike went in off of his hand, but the goal was allowed. In any event, Japanese striker Keiji Tamada added an insurance goal in the 91st minute to seal the win.

After the match, the Japanese supporters were driven to safety while Chinese fans started to riot. They burned Japanese flags and sang political songs. Several fights broke out and many bystanders were injured, including a couple of photographers who were beaten by the police.