Japan 1-1 Jordan

AFC – DOHA, A stoppage-time header from Maya Yoshida rescued Japan as the three-time Asian Cup champions drew 1-1 with Jordan in their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2011™ Group B opener at Qatar Sports Club Stadium on Sunday.

Hasan Abdel Fattah stunned Alberto Zaccheroni’s side when his deflected shot gave Jordan the lead seconds before half time.

The West Asians then withstood heavy pressure from Japan throughout the second half and it looked like they would escape with a famous victory before Yoshida scored in the 90th minute.

The start of the matched belied the grandstand finish that was to come with little in the way of action during the early exchanges as Amer Deeb’s free-kick straight into the hands of Eiji Kawashima was the only time either keeper was tested inside the first 20 minutes.

Shinji Kagawa forced Amer Shafi into action in the 22nd minute when the Borussia Dortmand midfielder curled an effort from the edge the area that needed the Jordan shot-stopper to acrobatically punch the ball away to safety.

The pace of the game began to pick up and Hassan Abdel Fattah managed to get in-between defenders just before the half hour but his shot from eight yards was straight at Kawashima, before Basem Fathi headed narrowly wide from a corner in the 37th minute.

But Japan should really have opened the scoring less than two minutes later when the ball was played into the area and Ryoichi Maeda wisely left it alone for team-mate Makoto Hasebe to go through on goal, but he drove a point-blank effort straight at Shafi, who was named the Samsung MVP.

They were made to pay for failing to make the most of that opportunity a minute before the break when Fattah received the ball just outside the area, skipped the challenge of Yasuyuki Konno and swept a shot towards goal that took a wicked deflection off the boot of Yoshida to loop into the back of the net.

Japan came out fighting in the second half and Shafi had to be alert to punch away Keisuke Honda’s rasping free-kick in the 53rd minute before the CSKA Moscow midfielder sent another dipping effort narrowly wide soon after.

It seemed that a Japanese goal was forthcoming and they went even closer just after the hour when substitute Shinji Okazaki whipped in a dangerous cross from the left that Hasebe volleyed inches wide.

Japan continued to dominate possession but were finding themselves increasingly frustrated by a Jordan side that was growing in confidence as the clock counted down towards full time.

But the wave of pressure finally told when the East Asians equalised in stoppage-time when Hasebe delivered a fine cross into area following a short corner and Yoshida rose to head home at the far post.