Japan overpowered China and reserved a 'final match' with Korea.
The Japan national football team, led by coach Hajime Moriyasu, defeated China 2-0 on the afternoon of the 12th at Yongin Mirae Stadium in the second leg of the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship.
With this victory, Japan recorded 2 wins (6 points), matching the points of Korea, which also won on the same day, but took the lead due to goal difference (+7) over Korea (+5).
The match scheduled for the 15th between Korea and Japan has effectively become a decider for the championship.
On the other hand, China has come to realize the situation after losing to Korea (0-3) and Japan (0-2).
Japan came out with a completely different lineup compared to the recent match against Hong Kong. A total of 11 players including Hara, Hosoja, Tawarat Sumida, Tanaka, Uno, Sato, Nagatomo, Ueda, Tsunashima, Mochizuki, and Hayakawa started, employing a 4-4-2 formation.
Japan launched an offensive from the first half. In the 10th minute, the first goal came like lightning. After receiving a sharp forward pass from Tanaka, Mao Hasada broke through the defense and took a powerful shot towards the left of the goal from outside the penalty box, shaking the Chinese net for a 1-0 lead.
In the 17th minute, China's Zhang Yuning had a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper, but was denied by Japan's goalkeeper Hayakawa's calm save, leading to disappointment. Japan continued their offensive with composure. Hosoja's header and Sato's long-range shot followed, but no additional goals were scored. The first half ended with Japan leading 1-0.
In the second half, Japan's sharpness continued. In the 18th minute, after receiving the ball on the right side of the box, Mochizuki took a left-footed shot that deflected off the Chinese defense and resulted in a consolidation. It was basically a goal that sealed the victory. Japan brought on Soma Yuki, and while China made several substitutions, they could not change the flow of the game.
China increased their possession and attempted a counterattack, but lacked effectiveness near the box. Even after bringing in Serginho for one last effort, China ultimately failed to score. During the four minutes of stoppage time in the second half, both teams did not score any further goals, and the match ended with Japan's 2-0 victory.
As a result, Japan took the lead over Korea with goal difference and will claim the championship trophy if they simply draw in the last match against Korea. On the other hand, Korea needs a victory. Ultimately, the fate of the match between Korea and Japan will be decided as anticipated in the third leg. The fateful match on the 15th will determine the outcome of the East Asian Cup championship.
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