Name: VIPPER 2005-02-09 10:32
Japan needed an injury-time winner to scrape past pesky North Korea 2-1 on Wednesday in the first game of their final qualifying round for the 2006 World Cup.
After a dream start at Saitama Stadium in which Japan scored after four minutes, the home team failed to convert numerous first-half chances.
The flow of the game turned in the second half after North Korea's Nam Song Chol scored in the 61st minute. A draw seemed inevitable before substitute Masashi Oguro snatched victory for Japan by slotting in a 91st minute goal.
"We struggled to cope with North Korea's tight marking and counterattacks but we got the result we wanted in the end," said Brazilian manager Zico.
Political pressure, like the unresolved abduction issue, led to the game being billed as mini-World Cup final, but apart from a few niggling fouls and Mitsuo Ogasawara's deft goal from a free kick in the fourth minute, the quality of play was more suitable to a J. League game -- and a scrappy one at that.
In front of a sellout crowd of almost 64,000, and a security force of approximately 3,400, Japan took control in the fourth minute from about 25 meters out when Ogasawara cleared the wall from a dubious free kick and sunk the ball in the lower left corner.
With Ogasawara orchestrating the midfield, a cocky Japan dominated play in the first half but failed to covert several chances.
North Korea, all but vanished from the international game after a 1993 loss to Japan, came alive in the second half and leveled the score when Japan's defense was caught napping.
Keeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi was embarrassingly caught wrong-footed and Nam's shot rifled into the bottom of the net.
The game looked set for a disappointing draw before substitute Oguro latched on to a lose ball and drilled it home to seal an emotional victory.
Japan next plays Iran on March 25 in Tehran. The top two teams of Group B, comprising of Japan, Iran, North Korea and Bahrain, advance to the 2006 World Cup as well as the top two teams from Group A.
The two third-placed teams will face off, with the winner taking on a CONCACAF group team in another playoff for a ticket to Germany. (By Greg Mettam, Staff Writer, Feb. 9, 2005)
After a dream start at Saitama Stadium in which Japan scored after four minutes, the home team failed to convert numerous first-half chances.
The flow of the game turned in the second half after North Korea's Nam Song Chol scored in the 61st minute. A draw seemed inevitable before substitute Masashi Oguro snatched victory for Japan by slotting in a 91st minute goal.
"We struggled to cope with North Korea's tight marking and counterattacks but we got the result we wanted in the end," said Brazilian manager Zico.
Political pressure, like the unresolved abduction issue, led to the game being billed as mini-World Cup final, but apart from a few niggling fouls and Mitsuo Ogasawara's deft goal from a free kick in the fourth minute, the quality of play was more suitable to a J. League game -- and a scrappy one at that.
In front of a sellout crowd of almost 64,000, and a security force of approximately 3,400, Japan took control in the fourth minute from about 25 meters out when Ogasawara cleared the wall from a dubious free kick and sunk the ball in the lower left corner.
With Ogasawara orchestrating the midfield, a cocky Japan dominated play in the first half but failed to covert several chances.
North Korea, all but vanished from the international game after a 1993 loss to Japan, came alive in the second half and leveled the score when Japan's defense was caught napping.
Keeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi was embarrassingly caught wrong-footed and Nam's shot rifled into the bottom of the net.
The game looked set for a disappointing draw before substitute Oguro latched on to a lose ball and drilled it home to seal an emotional victory.
Japan next plays Iran on March 25 in Tehran. The top two teams of Group B, comprising of Japan, Iran, North Korea and Bahrain, advance to the 2006 World Cup as well as the top two teams from Group A.
The two third-placed teams will face off, with the winner taking on a CONCACAF group team in another playoff for a ticket to Germany. (By Greg Mettam, Staff Writer, Feb. 9, 2005)