STUFF
 
The Japan national team have had to rely on a deflected shot and a last-minute goal to beat New Zealand club champion Auckland City 2-0 in a pre-Asian Cup friendly in Australia.
 
J-League superstar Yasuhito Endo's long-range shot took a deflection and hurtled past Auckland keeper Tamati Williams to give the Asian Cup champion the lead in the 33rd minute at Cessnock, near Newcastle, Australia, last night.
 
But Japan, one of the favourites to win the Asian Cup tournament which kicks off in Australia later this week, had to wait until the 90th minute to score their second goal. Shinji Okazaki, who plays for German club 1.FSV Mainz 05, broke away from a tiring Auckland defence to slot a shot past substitute keeper Jacob Spoonley.
 
Coach Ramon Tribulietx was disappointed with the loss of a second goal after dominating the game for large periods but given his team footed it with an international side, he expressed a degree of satisfaction.
 
"I think the game was pretty even, we had more of the ball by a mile and Japan were sitting deep and they made it difficult for us to penetrate and this is probably where we failed in some respects, to penetrate their defence.
 
"When you play a side like Japan you know its not going to be easy but we had most of the ball, then we conceded a goal from a deflection. It's not about the result, its about proving we can compete against these sides.
 
"All of their players but one play at the highest level in Europe in top leagues, the Bundesliga and EPL. The gap between us and them was not reflected on the field," he said, "I'm proud of our players, once again they proved themselves against magnificent opposition."
 
Auckland, fresh from their third place finish at the Fifa Club World Cup finals in Morocco last month, were hoping to add an international scalp to their victories over the Algerian, Moroccan and Mexican club champion.
 
But that was always going to be a tall order against a Japanese team fielding German Bundesliga stars Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund), Makoto Hasebe (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Okazaki, and Keisuke Honda, who plies his trade for Italian Serie A giants AC Milan.
 
Skipper Ivan Vicelich reflected on another tough challenge.
 
"Playing Japan was a tough task, but I thought we competed well the whole game. We unfortunately went behind due to a deflected goal which was disappointing and there's disappointment on the faces of the players to lose 2-0 to a late goal.
 
"We gave away silly possession, overall a disappointing result, but its a good way to go into the second part of our season and we've got a good 90 minutes under our belt," he said.
 
Japan - ranked 54th in the world, but second in Asia - streamed onto attack from the outset and were unlucky not to score several first half goals.
 
Okazaki blazed a shot over the bar in the 5th minute and Honda volleyed the ball wide, under pressure from Auckland's Japanese-born defender Takuya Iwata.
 
It was all one-way traffic in the first half with the Blue Samurai stretching the Auckland Navy Blues repeatedly.
 
But Vicelich's Aucklanders gave a better account of themselves after the interval.
 
However, Williams still had to beat at his best to produce a superb save from a Honda header in the 64th minute.
 
Auckland had a great chance to equalise with a three-on-one advantage in the 76th minute but the final cross drifted over the bar with Sanni Issa in a goalscoring position.
 
But Okazaki had the last word.
 
Auckland City return to New Zealand today to prepare for their next ASB Premiership match against Wellington Phoenix reserves at Kiwitea Street on Sunday.