Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007

KLAGENFURT, Austria (Kyodo) Substitute Kisho Yano struck an injury-time winner as Japan produced an astonishing comeback to beat Euro 2008 cohost Switzerland 4-3 to win a four-nation friendly tournament in Austria on Tuesday.

Midfielder Daisuke Matsui (middle) attacks with a dribble in the first half of an international friendly match against Euro 2008 cohost Switzerland at Woerthersee Stadium in Klagenfurt, Austria, on Tuesday. Japan successfully came back from a 2-0 deficit at halftime to grab a dramatic 4-3 victory. KYODO PHOTO

Japan looked out for the count after two quick-fire goals from Ludovic Magnin and Blaise Nkufo in the first half put the Swiss in control at Woerthersee Stadium, one of eight venues across Austria and Switzerland to stage Euro 2008 games next summer.

But Japan came roaring back and Shunsuke Nakamura gave the visitors a 3-2 lead with the second of two penalties with 12 minutes remaining and Yano stabbed home two minutes into stoppage time to snatch it for the visitors after Johan Djourou had leveled for the Swiss.

"It's a good job there are two halves," joked Japan coach Ivica Osim.

"The players gave the Swiss too much respect and didn't concentrate properly in the first half, but they corrected that after the break and were able to control the second half.

"However, while we may have won, we still conceded three goals and it wasn't the greatest performance. What we have learned is that we must stay focused at the start of the game," added Osim.

Japan, which lost 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw against Austria on Friday, finished atop of the four-team standings with four points from two games.

Under the tournament's format, three points are awarded for a win in regulation, two for a penalty shootout win and one for a shootout loss.

Chile beat Austria 2-0 in the day's other game in Vienna. Chile and the Swiss finished with three points each with the Austrians finishing last with two.

In Klagenfurt, Magnin gave the Swiss an 11th-minute lead when he bent a free kick around the Japan wall and inside Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi's right-hand post and there was worse to follow for the Japanese moments later.

Marcus Tulio Tanaka conceded a penalty after handling the ball during a challenge with Nkufo and the Congo-born striker kept his cool to sweep home the spot kick.

Japan struggled to find a way back although Daisuke Matsui went close to pulling one back on 31 minutes. The Le Mans midfielder found himself in space on the right flank and did well to cut inside Philippe Senderos but saw his shot fizz just over Diego Benaglio's cross bar.

Nakamura put Japan back in the game from the spot early in the second half after the lively Matsui had been wrestled to the ground by Valon Behrami and Osim's men were unlucky to draw level following a flurry of chances.

Tranquillo Barnetta headed against the post at the other end but Japan deservedly drew level when Seiichiro Maki muscled his way past Behrami to plant a firm header past Benaglio.

Behrami was again the villain as he pulled down Maki in the box and Nakamura made no mistake from the spot for the second time but the Swiss equalized when Djourou bundled home fellow substitute Hakan Yakin's corner.

But just as the game appeared to be heading for penalties, Yano reacted to slam home his first Japan goal after Kengo Nakamura's shot had been superbly saved by Benaglio.

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