Japan took revenge for its 2002 Asian U-20 Championship Final loss with a dramatic and improbable golden-goal victory over archrival South Korea to advance to the quarterfinals of the World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates on Monday.
Two goals from second-half substitute Daisuke Sakata, including a golden goal in the last minute of the first extra-time period, sent Japan through to the last eight, where it will now play the winner of the Brazil and Slovakia clash in Dubai on Friday.
The South Koreans took control of the match from the outset and Cho Won Hee should have given them the lead early on but failed to keep his header down and nodded harmlessly over the bar.
Up against a disciplined South Korean side and hindered by a cluttered midfield, Japan was only rarely able to show its trademark flair in the first 45 minutes. Some neat play between Hiroto Mogi and Yutaro Abe found Sho Naruoka alone in the box but his shot went wide of the mark after 33 minutes.