In the early morning of May 4, Beijing time, the U23 Asian Cup came to an end, and the Japanese Olympic Games defeated Uzbekistan 1-0 to take revenge on the Uzbekistan Olympic Games, becoming the first team in the history of the U23 Asian Cup to win the championship twice, and at the same time won the 2024 Olympic Games men's football finals, which is the eighth time that Japan has qualified for the Olympic Games.
In the first two rounds of the knockout round, Japan defeated Qatar and Iraq, while Uzbekistan defeated Saudi Arabia and Indonesia 2-0, both teams advanced to the finals and secured their tickets until the Paris Olympics. This match is not only the final battle between the two teams for the championship of this tournament, but also an important battle to witness the coronation of the double champions, with Japan winning the second Asian Cup and Uzbekistan winning the third edition, and whoever wins will become the first team in the history of the U23 Asian Cup to win the championship twice.
In addition, this game is also a revenge battle for Japan. The two sides have met twice before in the U23 Asian Cup, and in the quarterfinals in 2018, Japan lost 0-4 to Uzbekistan, and the referee on duty at that time was the famous Chinese whistle Fu Ming. In the semi-finals of 2022, the two teams met again, Japan lost 0-2 again, and suffered a double kill in 4 years. Now the two sides are ushering in the third meeting, whether Uzbekistan completes three kills, or Japan successfully takes revenge, has also become a major attraction in this final.
Uzbekistan started the game aggressively, repeatedly threatening the Japanese defence with efficient through balls. Kusa intimidated his opponent with a succession of shots. Japan, on the other hand, took a more cautious approach, using their signature passes to stabilise the tempo of the game and look for counter-attacking opportunities. Despite catching up in possession, Japan's high-press press was a little impatient and was soon shown two yellow cards.
Uzbekistan continued to create frequent hazards up front, forcing Japan's backline to be in a state of high tension on several occasions. Janolidinov's long-range lob shot hit the woodwork and was just a little closer to the goal. In contrast, Japan's attack in the first half was more bleak, with just one shot on goal. Uzbekistan, on the other hand, had as many as nine shots on goal in the half. Uzbekistan's impact contrasted sharply with Japan's possession and patience.
The two sides stepped up the tempo in the second half, and in the 64th minute, Gyanov's shot from a tight angle was very threatening, and Reio Kokubo once again proved his worth. In the 77th minute, Uzbekistan goalkeeper Nematov took a risk to knock down the opposing player, and the referee decisively showed a yellow card.
In the final period, the Japanese offensive was ferocious, creating continuous opportunities to penetrate the Uzbek defense. In the 92nd minute, Kaede Yamada sent a low shot into the bottom right corner of the goal with a low shot from outside the penalty area, and finally broke the deadlock, and Japan took the lead. Uzbekistan fought back with all their might, and in the 98th minute, Odilov's header caused a handball foul by the opposing defender, and the referee reviewed VAR to award a penalty, but Japanese goalkeeper Reio Kokubo saved Rakhmonaliev's penalty and kept the goal intact. At the end of the game, Japan defeated Uzbekistan 1-0 to win the championship, ending the two-game losing streak against Uzbekistan in the Asian Cup, and played a beautiful revenge battle. Goalkeeper Reio Kokubo, who made a miraculous contribution to the victory, has already burst into tears.
Japan, with a population of 125 million, became the sixth winner of the U23 Asian Cup and the first country to win the U23 Asian Cup twice, while Iraq, South Korea, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia have all won only once.
At the same time as winning the championship, Japan's grouping for the 2024 Olympic Games has been officially revealed:
Group A: France, USA, New Zealand, Indonesia vs Guinea winner
Group B: Argentina, Morocco, Iraq, Ukraine
Group C: Uzbekistan, Spain, Egypt, Dominica
Group D: Japan, Paraguay, Mali, Israel