Japan cruises into Asian quarterfinals

0 CommentsPrint E-mail shanghaidaily, January 18, 2011
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Japan's player Shinji Okazaki jumps up to celebrate with teammate Ryoichi Maeda after scoring a goal against Saudi Arabia during their AFC Asian Cup group B soccer match. On the right is Saudi Arabia's player Kamil Al Mousa and left is Saudi Arabia's goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah.

 Japan's player Shinji Okazaki jumps up to celebrate with teammate Ryoichi Maeda after scoring a goal against Saudi Arabia during their AFC Asian Cup group B soccer match. On the right is Saudi Arabia's player Kamil Al Mousa and left is Saudi Arabia's goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah.

 

Shinji Okazaki scored a hat-trick and Ryoichi Maeda struck twice to give Japan a 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on Monday and a place in the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup.

Japan will play host Qatar on Friday after completely dominating its last Group B match.

Saudi Arabia, like Japan a former three-time Asian champion, had already been eliminated and created virtually no scoring chances against a vastly superior opponent.

Few people came to see the two former champions on a windy, rainy and cool afternoon, with the official attendance given as 2,022 at the Al-Rayyan stadium.

The Saudis, who had already dumped Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro after their opening loss to Syria and replaced him with Nasser al-Jaohar, finished the tournament with three straight defeats.

Japan won the group with seven points and a better goal difference than Jordan, which also finished with seven after beating Syria 2-1.

Japan quickly took control of the match, with striker Okazaki scoring twice inside the opening 13 minutes.

He collected a good through ball from Yasuhito Endo, lifted it over the goalkeeper and fired into the empty net in the eighth, before connecting at the far post with a long cross from Shinji Kagawa five minutes later.

With Japan in total command, Okazaki's strike partner Maeda made it 3-0 in the 19th minute following a cross by Yuto Nagatomo. Shinji Kagawa might have added a fourth before the break, but was foiled by goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah.

Maeda notched his second in the 51st minute, nodding home a cross by substitute defender Masahiko Inoha from close range.

Okazaki, who came off the bench during last year's World Cup in South Africa, completed his hat-trick in the 80th minute after collecting a pass on the edge of the penalty area and turning to slot home.

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