Japan down Austrailia

Tokyo: Japan striker Shinji Okazaki scored with a swashbuckling backheel as the Asian champions beat fierce rivals Australia 2-1 in a friendly on Tuesday.

 

Okazaki’s right-foot flick in the 68th minute made it 2-0 to the home side in Osaka, and was a goal which Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi would have been proud of.

 

It also gave Japan breathing room and they needed it, as Tim Cahill popped up to score with a trademark header in extra time which would otherwise have given the Socceroos a share of the spoils before a potential meeting at the Asian Cup in Australia beginning on January 9.

 

Substitute Yasuyuki Konno headed the Blue Samurai in front after 61 minutes. Okazaki’s moment of magic gave him a 40th international goal before Cahill gave the visitors a deserved consolation, though it came too late.