Japan defeats China in FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier
Japan bounced back from its shock loss to Oman with a 2-0 win over China in a FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier on Thursday.
Goals from Wataru Endo and Junya Ito gave the Samurai Blue the three points in Doha, Qatar, where the match was moved due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan took the lead in the 13th minute when Endo fired home a loose ball from just outside the area after China goalkeeper Yan Junling had parried Kyogo Furuhashi's shot.
Ito doubled the lead in the 61st minute with a superb solo effort, dribbling past several Chinese defenders before firing into the bottom corner.
The win moved Japan to the top of Group B with 12 points from five matches, two points ahead of Australia, which has a game in hand.
China remained bottom of the group with just one point from five matches.
Japan will next face Saudi Arabia in Saitama on Tuesday, while China will host Vietnam in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, on the same day.
Japan's victory was a much-needed boost for the team after its disappointing 1-0 loss to Oman on Tuesday.
The defeat ended Japan's 12-match unbeaten run in World Cup qualifiers and left the team in danger of missing out on automatic qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
However, the win over China has put Japan back on track and will give the team confidence ahead of its crucial match against Saudi Arabia.
China's defeat was a major setback for the team's hopes of reaching the World Cup.
The team has now lost four of its five matches in Group B and is bottom of the standings with just one point.
China's next match is against Vietnam on Tuesday, and the team will need to win to keep its hopes of qualification alive.
Japan's victory was a valuable lesson for the team.
The team showed great resilience to bounce back from its defeat to Oman and showed that it has the quality to compete with the best teams in Asia.
Japan will now be confident of beating Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and taking a big step towards qualification for the World Cup.
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