Blue Samurai of Japan claim 2016 AFC U-23 Championship

PFDC – DOHA, The 2016 AFC U-23 Championship concluded yesterday with Japan making an improbable comeback to defeat rivals South Korea. One day earlier the hosts Qatar experienced heartbreak for the second consecutive match.

Third Place Play-off – Jassim Bin Hammad Stadium, Doha

Qatar v Iraq

A lot was at stake for this match as the winner of the third place play-off would earn a ticket to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.

In the 27th minute, a mix-up in the Iraqi midfield created a lot of room for Akram Afif to exploit the holes in the Iraqi defense. Afif carried the ball into the penalty area and passed it to the left where a wide open Ahmed Alaa gave Qatar the lead with his sixth goal of the tournament.

The score remained 1-0 for a long time and it seemed as though Qatar were on their way to Rio but in the 86th minute, a long free kick from the Iraqis was met high in the Qatari penalty area by the head of Mohannad Abdul-Raheem as the ball bounced off the post and into the net.

Four minutes into the second half of extra time, the Qatari defense cleared the ball out of their penalty area but it was quickly sent back in by midfielder Amjed Attwan. The Qatari defenders pushed forward but second half substitute Ayman Hussein beat the offside trap and headed the ball into the far corner to give Iraq a 2-1 lead.

Minutes later the Qataris nearly equalized when they had a free kick but a header from captain Abdelkarim Hassan hit the crossbar.

The Qataris were crushed at the final whistle while the Iraqi players and supporters were delighted. The hosts Qatar started off perfectly by winning their first four matches but end the tournament on a sour note as they will not be making travel plans to Brazil.

Final Match – Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha

South Korea v Japan

Football writers and pundits clearly were not surprised that the two East Asian giants made it to the final match in Doha. Both teams are well coached and contain an abundance of talent. The stage was set for an excellent match between South Korea and Japan.

In the 20th minute, South Korea were on the attack. A cross from the left by Sim Sang-min was headed by Jin Seong-uk and the ball went right to Kwon Chang-hoon. Kwon did not get much on his volley but the ball went into the the far corner of the net as it deflected off the knee of Japanese defender Takuya Iwanami. Goalkeeper Masotoshi Kushibiki was helpless as he could only watch the ball cross the goal line.

Two minutes into the start of the second half, South Korea extended their lead to 2-0 when Jin Seong-wook received a pass in the Japanese penalty area and fired a left-footed shot past Kushibiki.

The Japanese answered by bringing on forward Takuma Asano for midfielder Ryota Ohshima in the 60th minute.

Six minutes later Asano split between the South Korean center backs as he received a perfect pass in the South Korean penalty area and shot the ball past a charging Kim Dong-jun to cut the lead in half. Asano was in no mood to celebrate and encouraged his teammates to get back into position as the final match was about to turn into a battle.

Two minutes later a cross from the left by Naomichi Ueda was headed in by Shinya Yajima to tie the match 2-2. The South Koreans were simply stunned as the reaction of keeper Kim Dong-jun said it all.

Japan completed the comeback in the 81st minute when Asano received a through ball from Shoya Nakajima and fired it home with his left foot to give Japan an amazing 3-2 victory and first place in the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship.

Takuma Asano only had two goals in the entire tournament but he certainly picked the perfect time to shine for the Blue Samuari of Japan.

Japan and South Korea both qualified to the Summer Olympics in Brazil but Japan hold the bragging rights in East Asia with their comeback victory.

Image courtesy of the-afc.com