Japan overcame an early red card to defeat China 1-0 in their first group stage match on Tuesday at the Under-23 Asia Cup men's soccer tournament, which also serves as a qualifier for this summer's Paris Olympics.
Japan got off to a good start in the 8th minute when Hisatoshi Matsuki volleyed in from home player Fuki Yamada's cross, but just nine minutes later the central defender's goal at Doha's Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Ryuya Nishio was shown a straight red card for violent behavior.
On April 16, 2024, Matsuki Kurio (left) scores an early goal during the match between China and China in the Under-23 Asian Cup men's soccer group stage match held in Doha. (Kyodo News)
Video replays showed the Chinese midfielder pushing Nishio from behind when Nishio was not close to the ball, then waving his arms at Jia Feifan.
Japan's goalkeeper Leo Bryan Kokubo made a series of fine saves as coach Tsuyoshi Oiwa's team resisted the opponent's attacks aiming for an equalizer.
Oiwa said, “I was prepared for the unexpected, but it turned out to be a very tough match.'' “The players were quick to switch between attack and defense. We want to recover our physical strength and analyze it for the next match against the United Arab Emirates.”
The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarter-finals, and the top three teams in the 16-team tournament will earn tickets to Paris.
The fourth-place team still has a chance to qualify for the Olympics through a playoff against Guinea on May 9 in France.
Japan, aiming to qualify for the Olympics for the eighth consecutive year, will play the UAE on Friday before completing the group stage against fellow former champions South Korea next Monday.
South Korea defeated UAE 1-0 in the other Group B match on Tuesday.
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