Yuji Nakazawa came off the bench to grab a late winner as Japan edged archrival South Korea 1-0 at the East Asian championship Sunday but the result was of little significance as China clinched the title on the final day of the biennial event.
Japan's Yuji Nakazawa celebrates scoring the only goal of the game Sunday against South Korea
in Taegu.
A 1-0 loss to North Korea and a draw against China meant Japan had only pride to play for at Taegu World Cup Stadium but defender Nakazawa sealed a smash-and-grab raid with a left-footed effort, giving Japan a runnerup finish for the second time in a row.
A 12th-minute penalty from Li Yan and a clinical strike from Xie Hui gave China a 2-0 win over North Korea earlier in the day.