Late winners spare Aussie, Japan blushes in World Cup qualifiers

Ease up sunshine. It wasnt our finest hour but at the end of the day we got the points. Had we won 7-1 you would be saying it is a joke that two such mismatched teams were playing each other.

Gotta admit, Dent Shop, I was a bit emotional at the near loss the other night. It just seemed to me the boys did not take the game seriously because it was Thailand - I hope that wasn't the case. BTW - I would never say it was a joke we have to play the Thais. You won't find a more soccer-mad nation than Thailand and they are our fellow Asians. I wish they could make the Cup too! C'mon 'Roos - better performance please in Saudi!

Those blokes are not fit to wear green and gold and call themselves a real Aussie international team - because on that showing they are not.

Ease up sunshine. It wasnt our finest hour but at the end of the day we got the points. Had we won 7-1 you would be saying it is a joke that two such mismatched teams were playing each other.

Lets see how we go playing the Saudis on Wednesday, in 40 degree heat with a very hostile home crowd (no ladies allowed!)

Tough game. The North Koreans played really tough on defense. Nice header by Yoshida in the waning moments of the game. It was a bit funny to see the North Korean goalkeeper complain and cry to the ref that he was stepped on the foot by a Japanese player, even though replays showed no Japanese player even near him. The goalkeeper simply planted his own foot awkwardly, thus twisting his ankle a bit.

It was really interesting , dynamic game, despite the fact that NK was playing mostly in defence. Actually I think that had they tried offence, they would have scored at least once. As if they expected to lose, just didn't want to lose big, like their southern neigbours.

But I have to agree that the referee to some extent favored Japan. For example, just around the end of the first half, when Japan was attacking, the ball was flying just over the center, but I couldn't see towards whom. One Japanese and one NK players rushed to meet it, and suddenly the Japanese pushed the NK player back so strong, that he rolled back. Second later he got the ball, so basically he assaulted a member from the opposite team without ball, which is at least for yellow card. I wonder why the referee missed this. Also, the referee was slow and the ball nearly hit him several times.

Yes, and of course, the Korean GK became my man of the match. He kept playing even after the injury, and did really great work. Hadn't it been for him, NK would fail miserably. My guess they'll promote him in rank later.

Japan actually played very well throughout the match, it just seemed like it wasn't meant to be their night. So many times the ball came off the post or was just tipped away. They did deserve the win though, so I was glad when it came.

Japan played a pretty dicombobulated game in spite of facing a short-handed team of thugs with no obsvervable skills to speak of.

That said, I sure am glad they won. I hate it when "gangtocracies" (Hey, I made a new word!) use the undeserved legitimacy that events like this give them for propoganda purposes.

This was such a funny match, Japan vs. North Korea, I have a North Korean University right in my own neighborhood, and no yelling, screaming this time so quiet...why?? Because they lost to the same country that they hate so much, Japan? The one North Korean player that was given a RED CARD was born and raised here in Japan but plays for the North Korean national team, I think on tv they said something about using the spikes of his soccer shoes to hit the face of a Japanese player?? So BANZAI SAMURAI BLUE!!

all Honda is good for is sweating and kicking the ball into the stands.

Oh dear ...

North Korea is actually allowing non-government workers outside of their borders, thats a shocker.

That was a very frustrating game to watch all the way to the end. Good thing we won and collected 3 points. North Korea is the lowest ranked team in the group and losing or tying to them at home would have been a horrilbe start. I would like to see more of that new player, Mike H. Just his height alone makes it difficult for opponents to defend against him, especially against other Asian teams.

Kentaro: "Japan is best in Asia, all others no good."

Really?? They BARELY beat NK -- a team ranked VERY low on the world stage. And please don't say it was because they didn't have Honda; all Honda is good for is sweating and kicking the ball into the stands. And while Japan can call itself the current best team in Asia after the Asian games and their victory, there are still other good teams, so not 'all others no good', my friend.

Anyway, good on Japan, and despite losing good on NK as well -- it sounds like they had rock solid defense until the end.

@oginome

A team of healthy men from a free, rich nation just won a football match against inmates of the largest concentration camp on Earth?

Doesn't work like that though, does it? All fascist countries pride themselves on their sports teams (God knows why) and spend exorbitant amounts of money on training facilities and special diets. I thought N. korea played well and were marginally the better team till the last fifteen minutes or so.

Anyway, well done the Blues.

And as for Maya Yoshida...poor guy must have had a hard time in primary school with a girl's name like that.... ;)

Had a feeling the game would turn out like this. I'm glad they were able to win it at the end though. Kagawa had no space to make his runs without Honda there to attract defenders, and I'm afraid of the next game against Uzbekistan. Hoping for another win (and also hoping that Kashiwagi doesn't start next game).

Japan shouldn't congratulate itself. A team of healthy men from a free, rich nation just won a football match against inmates of the largest concentration camp on Earth? Um, well done, Japan, well done.

Japan is best in Asia, all others no good.

And so humble into the bargain. A nation of true sporting gents, just like you Kentaro!

Great game and best winner Japan team! North Koreans should be banned from soccer in international. Too terrible nation and no good players like Japan team. Japan is best in Asia, all others no good.

well within expectations and Japan didn't require additional help from a weak typhoon !

The Japan game wasn't garbage, any football fan know that you aren't going yo win every match 6-0, but North Korea played a complete defense game and their keeper was awesome today. In the end the more deserving team won but congrats to North Korea, even though they won't improve much if they keep playing such a negative football.

North Korea shouldn't be allowed to participate in these kind of events.

The performance by Australia was pathetic. Those blokes are not fit to wear green and gold and call themselves a real Aussie international team - because on that showing they are not. Well done to the Thai boys - they really deserved a result. Well done to North Korea too - they showed they are no mugs at soccer.

Maybe, just maybe, Australia and Japan are starting to believe their own national press headlines about them being some type of big-wigs ("Asian Giants") of soccer? Back to basics for both teams - they both dished up garbage and I'm sure their fans were pretty unimpressed!