Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Wuhan: Hotaru Yamaguchi’s first international goal saw Japan draw 1-1 with Korea Republic on Wednesday as the defending champions picked up their first point of the 2015 EAFF (East Asian Football Federation) East Asian Cup.
Yamaguchi, who was MVP as Japan won the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup in Seoul, scored for the first time in 19 appearances with a dipping shot from outside the penalty area with six minutes of the first-half remaining as the Cerezo Osaka midfielder cancelled out Jang Hyun-soo’s maiden goal for Korea Republic.
China-based Jang, no stranger to Japanese football having spent two seasons with FC Tokyo before moving to current club Guangzhou R&F, gave the Koreans a 27th minute lead with a successfully converted penalty, which was awarded after Japan skipper Masato Morishige had handled Kim Min-woo’s header inside the box.
The point temporarily took Korea Republic to the top of the table with four points following their 2-0 win over hosts China in Sunday’s opener, while Japan’s chances of retaining the trophy are all but over having lost to DPR Korea in their first fixture of the four-team tournament.
With the resumption of the 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign looming, Japan coach Vahid Halihodzic and his Korea Republic counterpart Uli Stielike are using the four-team regional tournament to cast the eye over fringe players or potential inclusions for the forthcoming joint-qualifiers.
Japan, who lost their continental crown following their elimination at the quarter-final stage of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, are expected to field their Europe-based stars as they look to bounce back from their shock goalless draw against Singapore in their Group E opener in Saitama when they face Cambodia on September 3, while Korea Republic, runners-up to hosts Australia in January’s flagship tournament, are also likely to line up with a more experienced side when they host Laos on the same day.
Photo: AFP