China News Service, Beijing, February 1 (Zhang Mengzhe) On January 31, local time, in the 1/8 finals of the Asian Cup in Qatar, the Japanese team eliminated the Bahrain team 3:1 and advanced to the quarterfinals of this Asian Cup. The Japanese team did not encounter too many challenges in this game, but Aya Suzuki made a low-level mistake, and the goalkeeper position may become a hidden danger in the future.
Before this campaign, both teams had 2 wins and 1 loss in the group stage. Although the Japanese team did not win all three games in the group stage as expected, it is still one of the favorites to win the Asian Cup. Before the game, Japanese team coach Yasuichi Mori said that the team was ready and hoped that the players would go all out at the start. In addition, Japanese star Kaoru Mikasa, who was previously absent due to injury, also appeared on the roster for this game.
After the game started, the stronger Japanese team firmly took the initiative on the court. In the 10th minute, the Japanese team took a corner kick and Ueda Kiryo's header was resolved by the Bahrain goalkeeper. As the game progressed, the Japanese team gradually adapted to the intensive defense of the Bahrain team.
In the 31st minute, the Japanese team player Shikuma Shengya hit the post from outside with a long-range shot, and Don'an Ritsu scored with a supplementary shot to help the team take the lead and lead the Bahrain team 1:0. After halftime, the Japanese team relied on its excellent passing and control system to consistently suppress its opponents with a ball possession rate of over 60%.
The game changed again. In the 49th minute, the Bahrain team's defense made a mistake and cleared the ball to the feet of a Japanese player. Kubo Tatehi shot from a small angle and scored, expanding the team's advantage on the field. In the 61st minute, the Japanese team got a chance to counterattack. Nakamura Keito scored with a low shot, but the previous goal was disallowed due to offside.
In the 64th minute, the Bahrain team took a corner kick. The Japanese team goalkeeper Suzuki Ayen made a "fatal" error. He collided with his teammates during the clearance and scored an own goal. The Bahrain team regained a victory. In the 72nd minute, Japanese player Kiryo Ueda broke away from the defense on the wing and broke into the penalty area with a low shot from a small angle, giving the team another victory.
At the end of the game, the Japanese team defeated Bahrain 3:1 and advanced to the quarterfinals of this Asian Cup. Throughout this game, the Japanese team seemed to be able to attack with ease in the face of Bahrain's intensive defense. However, Japanese goalkeeper Aya Suzuki once again made a low-level mistake, which will become a major hidden danger for the Japanese team on the way to promotion. (over)