The history of the AFC Asian Cup is one of dynasties. Like most continental championships, it has been traditionally dominated by teams over an era, and the current era belongs to Japan. The Japanese have won the past two Asian Cups, and also won in 1992, intersecting with the previous dynasty, that of Saudi Arabia, which won the 1984, 1988 and 1996 editions.
Iran is the only other nation to win three titles, 1968, 1972 and 1976. That means that from the past 10 editions of Asia's premier football tournament, only four nations have shared the prize with the other winner being Kuwait in 1980.
You much expect from those facts that the tournament usually runs to formula and there is little scope for upsets. That's where the honour roll is misleading. Asia's vastness means that teams have to travel across many time zones to get to the tournament, often in conditions very different to what they are accustomed to. And that means that the host nation, or teams geographically close to the host nation usually fare well. The home nation has won the tournament on six occasions, but not in the past three. China made it to the final in 2004 on the back of massive home support and UAE did the same in 1996.
Success can be elusive for some of Asia's biggest teams. China, considered football's sleeping giant, is yet to win a title while South Korea, which boasts one of the strongest leagues in Asia, has been runner-up three times since winning the opening two tournaments in 1956 and 1960.
The success of local football has often led to Asian Cup glory. The current Japanese dynasty has been built on the phenomenal success of the J-League which has not only allowed big-name local players to stay at home and play club football, but has attracted footballers from all around the world. The professional K-League has also been the driving force behind South Korea's success, which culminated in its third place in the 2002 World Cup.
But loyalty to local competition can be a double-edged sword, as Saudi Arabia found out during the successful 1980s and 1990s eras when all of the Saudi squad was drawn from the strong local league. It was once policy to prevent players from plying their trade on a club level abroad but this has meant the best Saudi players have not been able to broaden their footballing experience. Many cite this for the decline of the Saudi dynasty over the past decade.
Will a new dynasty begin at this Asian Cup? Australian fans will be hoping so. With a full strength squad, the Socceroos are well-placed to challenge at their first attempt. But Japan, which looms as a dominant force for years to come, will not relinquish its title easily, and spurred by the defeat at the World Cup group stage last year, will be eager to inflict a measure of revenge on Asia's new kid in town.