Japan beat S Korea to win East Asian Cup

Japan's Komano Yuichi (C) holds up the trophy after beating South Korea in the East Asian Cup football match in Seoul on July 28, 2013. (AFP/Jung Yeon-Je)

SEOUL: Japan claimed the East Asian Cup for the first time Sunday with a 2-1 win for the men's team over hosts South Korea, crushing China's hopes of taking home some silverware.

At the Jamsil Olympic Stadium in Seoul, Yoichiro Kakitani grabbed a brace for the champions, including the vital clincher in injury time, which gave Japan seven points at the end of the tournament, two ahead of China.

Earlier on Sunday, China had defeated Australia 4-3 but had to wait for the final tournament game to know whether they had won overall.

South Korea and China have each won two East Asian Cups, while Japan has been the runner-up three times.

South Korea, without a goal in their two previous matches, appeared intent on ending the drought from the onset, but they dominated the ball to no avail in the opening 20 minutes.

Japan then surprised South Korea with Kakitani's breakaway goal in the 24th. Toshihiro Aoyama delivered a looping pass from his own zone to send Kakitani in alone on the South Korean goalkeeper Jung Sung-Ryong and the Cerezo Osaka striker rolled it in to give his side the lead.

Japan's advantage, however, lasted only eight minutes. Yun Il-Lok, after an accomplished give-and-go with Lee Seung-Gi, struck the ball into the top right corner, out of keeper Shusaku Nishikawa's reach.

The teams engaged in some back-and-forth action in the second half, though neither mounted much pressure until Kakitani finally broke the tie.

The 23-year-old forward found himself at the right place at the right time, as he banged home a rebound after Jung made a stop on Genki Haraguchi.

The match began under some tension from the stands.

South Korean fans jeered at the start of the Japanese national anthem and later hung a gigantic banner that read, "There is no future for people who have forgotten their past", aimed at Japan's reluctance to acknowledge its colonial and militaristic past.

The banner was taken down after the first half.

From the Japanese cheering section, fans waved the military flag of the Rising Sun before they were asked to put it away. The flag is a symbol of Japan's imperialistic past and South Koreans have balked at its public display.

Earlier on Sunday, China poured in three second-half goals and held off a last-minute Australian charge for the narrow victory.