Japan cruises into Asian quarterfinals
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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. |
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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