Nahomi Kawasumi broke a scoreless deadlock midway through the second half as Women's World Cup champion Japan edged Australia 1-0 in a London Olympic qualifier Monday.
"Nadeshiko" Japan stayed top of the table on a maximum nine points from three matches in the six-team, round-robin final Asian qualifying tournament in China.
Australia, the second-highest ranked team in the tournament at No. 9 in the world, remained on three points.
Kawasumi scored her second goal of the tournament in the 62nd minute with a left-foot strike from inside the box at Shandong Sports Center.
Despite hitting the winner, Kawasumi was not fully satisfied with her performance in a post-match interview.
"We always struggle in matches against defense-minded opponents," Kawasumi said. "I had some chances to score in the first half but missed them all. I'll have to really reflect on that. I have to admit we're a bit tired, having played three matches in five days."