TOKYO, March 28: Junichi Inamoto fired a 57th-minute equaliser to spare the blushes of goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi as Japan twice came from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to Uruguay on Friday.

Kawaguchi had gifted Uruguay a second goal in the 25th minute, dropping an Alvaro Recoba corner under no pressure and watching in horror as defender Alejandro Lembo scrambled in a third goal in four pulsating first-half minutes in Tokyo.

But Inamoto came to the rescue 12 minutes into the second half, the Fulham midfielder driving a right-foot shot into the bottom corner from 20 metres after neat inter-play between substitute Alex and captain Hidetoshi Nakata.

Uruguay had taken the lead in the 21st minute when Pablo Lima crossed from the left and Manchester United striker Diego Forlan out-jumped Ryuzo Morioka to glance a header past a helpless Kawaguchi.

However, playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura equalised for Japan from the penalty spot two minutes later after Takayuki Suzuki had been clattered by Uruguay midfielder Marcelo Sosa.—Reuters