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Japan win marathon penalty shootout to set up South Korea gold-medal clash / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
Japan win marathon penalty shootout to set up South Korea gold-medal clash
Hosts Japan will play reigning champions South Korea for Asian Games men's football gold after winning a nail-biting semi-final 9-8 on penalties against Uzbekistan on Wednesday.
Japan were heading out before Sena Ishibashi pounced with two minutes left of normal time to make it 1-1 and force extra time.
Uzbekistan, who had taken the lead after only eight minutes through Sardorbek Bakhromov, hung on through the extra period to take the contest to penalties.
But Japan held their nerve to win it from the spot, sparking gleeful celebrations and leaving some of the young Uzbek players in tears.
Asian Games men's football consists of under-23 squads with three overage players.
In the first semi-final, South Korea scored with eight minutes left to seal a 2-1 win over China.
The Koreans are pursuing a fourth title in a row.
Bae Jun-ho was their hero, ghosting in at the back post to head in a dramatic 82nd-minute winner at Nagai Stadium.
"We were expecting a challenging match, but we persevered," said South Korea coach Lee Min-sung.
"We conceded first to make it even harder, but our team fought back, and I'm happy with that."
Lee's side are attempting to bring some cheer to South Korean football fans after a disappointing World Cup that saw the senior team exit in the group stage.
China's men have never won Asian Games football gold and were contesting their first semi-final since 1998.
History looked on the cards when Wang Yudong finished off a smart team move with an emphatic finish to put China ahead on 22 minutes.
In an entertaining encounter in front of a sparse crowd, Lee Young-jun hit back for South Korea 11 minutes later with China goalkeeper Li Hao getting a hand to his header but unable to keep the ball out.
Both sides had chances in the second half, before Stoke City's Bae popped up with the winner.
China coach Antonio Puche will now have to rally his men with a bronze medal on the line against Uzbekistan.
"I spoke with the players and what I said is that even though we lost, the important thing was that we fought," he said.
"We lost, but we are proud."
North Korea will face Japan in the women's final on Friday, with the men's decider on Saturday.
A. de Almeida--JDB
