Samurai Blue Survive Jordan Scare to Reach U23 Asian Cup Semis
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - In a tournament where the defending champions were expected to cruise, Japan was forced to walk the tightrope. It took 120 minutes of grit, a dramatic equalizer from a substitute, and two massive saves from goalkeeper Rui Araki for Japan to finally shake off a spirited Jordan side 1-1 (4-2 on penalties) and book their place in the AFC U23 Asian Cup semi-finals on Friday night.
Played under the bright lights of the King Abdullah Sports City, the quarter-final clash was anything but routine. For large stretches, Jordan looked poised to engineer the upset of the tournament, executing a "defend-and-counter" masterclass that left Go Oiwa’s men frustrated and chasing shadows.
Japan started brightly, with Brian Sato and Kuryu Matsuki controlling the tempo, but possession failed to translate into clear-cut chances. Jordan, disciplined and compact in a 5-4-1 block, waited patiently for their moment.
It arrived in the 30th minute. A Japan passing sequence broke down near the halfway line, and Jordan broke with devastating speed. Winger Mohannad Abu Taha drove forward and threaded a perfect ball to Al Zaiyeh, who cut inside his marker and rifled a low, left-footed shot past Araki. The goal stunned the Japanese bench. For the remainder of the first half, the Samurai Blue looked uncharacteristically rattled, their trademark slick passing rhythm disrupted by Jordan’s physical press.
Needing a spark, Coach Oiwa turned to his bench at halftime, introducing Shusuke Furuya to add directness to the attack. The decision paid dividends almost immediately. Just five minutes into the second half, Japan found their lifeline. A cross from the right flank was only partially cleared by the Jordanian defense. The ball fell to Furuya at the edge of the box, and the substitute didn't hesitate, lashing a right-footed drive into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.
The momentum seemed to shift permanently in Japan's favor. In the 65th minute, drama erupted when Furuya appeared to be tripped in the box. The referee pointed to the spot, but after a tense VAR review, the decision was overturned, judging that the Jordanian defender had nicked the ball.
Despite Japan’s dominance in extra time including a header that rattled the crossbar in the 118th minute Jordan’s defense held firm, dragging the contest into a penalty shootout. Enter Rui Araki, The Gamba Osaka shot-stopper, who had been relatively quiet for most of the night, became the undisputed hero. He guessed correctly to deny Jordan’s opening spot-kick, diving low to his right.
While Japan’s takers were ice-cold converting all four of their attempts with clinical precision the pressure told on Jordan. When Araki flew to his left to palm away Jordan's fourth penalty, the celebrations began.