Japan's Kota Aoki (left) and Yasuhito Morishima celebrate after their team's victory over Korea Republic in the AFC Youth Championship in Kolkata on Thursday. Photo by: AFC/Stanley Chou

By Chetan Kulkarni

KOLKATA: Japan overcame two-time defending champions Korea Republic 3-2 on penalties to storm into the Final of the AFC Youth Championship at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Thursday.

Japanese goalkeeper Akihiro Hayashi stopped Choi Chul-soon’s shot to put his team through to the summit clash after Tsukasa Umesaki, Yasuhito Morishima and Kota Aoki had converted for Japan. Park Hyun-bem and Bae Seung-jin were on target for Korea Republic.

Both the teams were locked 1-1 at the end of regulation period and extra-time finished 2-2. Japan were reduced to 10 men in the 83rd minute when defender Tomoaki Makino was sent off.

Japanese coach Yasushi Yoshida said: “It was a tough match and the Koreans controlled the game after our defender got the red card but we were lucky to win.”

Japan will meet the winners of the DPR Korea-Jordan semifinal in the Final on November 12.

Korea Republic had the best possible start when Shim Young-sung put them in front with the match not even a minute old.

The very first Korean raid yielded a goal when Lee Chung-young supplied the ball inside the box from the right to Shin Kwang-hoon who failed to connect and the ball rolled towards an unmarked Young-sung who was left with an easy tap-in even as Japanese defender Atsuto Uchida tried to clear in vain.

The setback only slightly ruffled Japan as Yoshida’s men quickly regrouped and started looking for the equaliser but poor finishing let them down as the rain and slushy surface combined to make matters difficult for the players.

Six minutes later, a header by Japan’s Yasuhito Morishima went over the bar and, in the 39th minute, he managed to beat the offside trap but before he could connect an alert Korean defender cleared the threat.

A minute later Kazuhisa Kawahara fluffed a golden opportunity when he had only goalkeeper Jo Su-kuk to beat but his weak shot was off the mark. The Japanese were again on the move and two minutes later Yosuke Kashiwagi’s shot was parried by Su-kuk.

The Japanese were a rejuvenated side after the break and within two minutes of the restart, a Kashwagi backheel found Morishima in the right place and the striker skirted his marker Choi Chul-soon to slot home the equaliser.

The goal unsettled the Koreans though they soon started stitching together meaningful moves to reclaim the advantage with front-man Shin Young-rok, who has scored four goals so far in the tournament, playing a leading role while Park Jo-hoo and Shim Young-sung coordinated the attacks.

In the 64th minute Lee Sang-ho’s shot sailed over the bar and nine minuets later his scorcher was deflected wide by a Japanese defender.

They got a half chance in the 78th minute but midfielder Song Jin-hyung’s curler from the edge of the area was off the mark.

Japan were reduced to 10 men in the 83rd minute when defender Tomoaki Makino brought down an onrushing Shim Young-sung. In the 90th minute a close-range shot from Young-sung was cleared off the line by Uchida.

Extra-time saw the Koreans trying to capitalise on their man-advantage but it was Japan who took the lead in the last minute of the first half when super-sub Kota Aoki lashed in a rebound after Morishima’s close-range shot came off Korean goalkeeper Jo Su-kuk.

But keeping the edge was going to be difficult for the Japanese and it was another substitute, this time Korean Kim Dong-suk, who restored parity in the fifth minute of the second half on a free kick. The Koreans earned the free kick on top of the box after Jun Aoyama had brought Park Hyun-bem down. Japanese goalkeeper Akihiro Hayashi was blinded by the defensive wall and could do little to prevent Dong-suk’s low shot from storming into the right corner of the net.

Korea Republic coach Cho Dong-hyun blamed the defeat on the wet surface. “My players were not comfortable taking penalties from the wet spot. Though, we had an upper hand after the Japanese player was red-carded we couldn’t take advantage of the situation.”