MELBOURNE: Keisuke Honda scored in a third straight Asian Cup game as Japan weathered a determined Jordan 2-0 to advance to the quarter-finals as group winners on Tuesday.

Iraq followed Japan from Group ‘D’ after Younis Mahmoud and Ahmed Yaseen gave them a 2-0 victory over already-eliminated Palestine.

Defending champion Japan will next face the United Arab Emirates in Sydney on Friday, when Iraq play Iran in Canberra.

The Japanese constantly stretched the Jordan defence, and inevitably broke through in the 24th minute when Honda coolly slotted home a rebound at the near post after a powerful shot by Shinji Okazaki was parried by Amer Shafi at the Rectangular Stadium.

“This was a game with intensity and fight from both teams. The opponent demanded our best play,” Japan coach Javier Aguirre said.

Masato Morishige was carried from the field in the 40th after a nasty head clash with Jordan’s Ahmad Mohammad, who was, somewhat harshly, shown a yellow card. Morishige returned to the field minutes later.

Jordan opened the second half vastly more organised, and managed to put the Japanese on the back foot, but was unable to make the most of its chances as fatigue set in.

“I’m naturally very disappointed to be heading back to Jordan tomorrow,” Jordan coach Ray Wilkins said. “It’s going to take a very, very good team to beat [Japan].”

Player-of-the-match Shinji Kagawa put the win beyond doubt eight minutes from the end of regulation time when he met a long centering pass from Yoshinori Muto in front of goal and fired in, in front of a sellout crowd of 25,000, including tennis star Kei Nishikori, in town for the Australian Open.

After Iraq and Palestine went to halftime at 0-0 in Canberra, Mahmoud broke the deadlock when he headed in an Ali Adnan Kadhim cross three minutes into the new half.

Yaseen sealed the win in the last moments when he gathered a Yaser Safa Kasim pass and found the net at the near post.

“Younis [Mahmoud] is such an experienced player and so positive for the team,” said Iraq’s caretaker boss Radhi Shenaishil. “He is the player that everyone in the team thinks is a star. I think tonight was the most time he’s spent on the pitch this tournament.”

Iraq dominated possession against Palestine in a boisterous first half, which saw some tough tackling and a bloody nose for Iraqi Saad Abdulamaeer, but were unable to find a way past Palestine.

The match came to life at the start of the second half and Mahmoud leapt high to bury his header from a corner and give Iraq the lead.

The referee then pointed to the spot for a shove on American-based Justin Meram, but Mahmoud’s tame spot-kick was within range for stand-in goalkeeper Tawfiq Abudhammad who dived correctly to his left.

It was a full-blooded affair, but Iraq’s number nine Yaseen put the result beyond doubt with an unerring finish.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2015

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