Japan win Kirin Cup after Paraguay stalemate

Paraguay had the best chance of the game, midfielder Edgar Gonzalez somehow blazing over the bar from point-blank range with the goal at his mercy in the 65th minute.

Japan beat Ivory Coast 1-0 at the weekend after Paraguay had drawn 1-1 with the Africans in the tournament’s opening game last Thursday.

All three teams were warming up for World Cup qualifying matches next month, although Ivory Coast and Paraguay are missing key players who did not make the trip to Japan.

“It’s nice to win the tournament but we have bigger objectives with the World Cup qualifiers coming up,” Japan coach Takeshi Okada told reporters.

“We have done a solid job here but we can’t afford to lose those qualifiers. They’re must-win games for us. We will need to make our possession count more and take our chances better.”

Japan recalled Celtic playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura, who had recovered from a thigh strain, and the home side began brightly, Koji Yamase missing a gilt-edged chance in the fifth minute.

Defender Tulio went close with a header before Kengo Nakamura’s long-range drive was tipped wide by goalkeeper Derlis Gomez just before halftime.

The Paraguayans, currently top of South America’s World Cup qualifying standings, shaded the second half, Gonzalez clutching his head in disbelief after his horror miss.

A Jorge Nunez free kick flashed just wide but Japan held on to give Okada his first trophy since taking charge for a second time last December.

“It helped relieve the tightness to play,” said Shunsuke Nakamura, who missed Saturday’s Ivory Coast game with a muscle injury.

“We played a good first half but we went off the boil in the second half. We gave the ball away too easily. We need to address that problem in the World Cup qualifiers.”