China held 2-2 draw with Japan
(footballasia.com)
Updated: 2005-08-04 08:56

With the Chinese missing influential captain Li Weifeng in the center of defense following his sending-off against South Korea on Sunday, Zhu Guanghu's team appeared to be soft in the middle and susceptible to exploitation.

A more potent strike force would certainly have taken advantage, with Seiichiro Maki struggling in particular, the JEF United Chiba man's sending his weak header in the ninth minute well off target.

Three minutes later Yasuyuki Konno uncharacteristically steered his close range header into the arms of Li Leilei while Yuki Abe saw his free kick swing around the Chinese defensive wall, only to find the side netting.

Not for the first time, however, a Japanese team was to rue its profligacy as China went in front.

In the 37th minute, Zhao Xuri used his superior body strength to hold off Masashi Motoyama before clipping in a low cross that Li Jinyu sprawled himself to head past Seigo Narazaki as he beat Keisuke Tsuboi to the ball.

With two minutes left in the half, the Chinese doubled their advantage when, after a foul by Yuichi Komano on Sun Xiang, Wang Liang swung in his free kick and Zhang Yonghai flicked his header toward goal, where Narazaki was too slow to keep the ball out.

After Moniwa had given Japan renewed hope, Zico introduced the established trio of Alessandro Santos, Keiji Tamada and Masashi Oguro, but the Asian champions still struggled to raise the tempo of the game.

That was until the 87th minute, when Tanaka claimed his first ever goal for Japan in just his second game with a finish that matched the quality of his overall performance.

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