Asian Games: Japan crush Palestine football hopes

INCHEON: Defending champions Japan hammered Palestine 4-0 on Thursday to set up an Asian Games quarter-final clash with South Korea, while 10-man China crashed out against Thailand.

Wataru Endo, Musashi Suzuki, Takuma Arano and Riki Harakawa scored the goals that ended the Palestinians´ impressive run in the tournament.

In other second round games, South Korea beat Hong Kong 3-0, while Jordan dealt with Kyrgyzstan 2-0 after extra time to book their quarter-final slots.

The Jordanians now play Thailand, who beat China 2-0 with two spectacular Adisak Kraisorn goals.

Palestine, who won their qualifying group, struggled to create chances and their goal was soon under siege.

Endo smashed home a one-two with Suzuki to make it 1-0 for Japan in the 17th minute.

Suzuki headed in a right-wing cross by Harakawa for his fifth goal of the tournament midway through the first half. Within a minute of coming on as second-half substitute for Suzuki, Arano shot home the third and in the 82nd minute, Harakawa picked up a rebound of Gakuto Notsuda´s close-range effort for the fourth.

China´s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals shrank in the 33rd minute when defender Ting Yang was ordered off for a scything foul.Soon after the second half started, Charyl Chappuis brilliantly backheeled the ball in the penalty area and Kraisorn smashed the ball past Fang Jingqi in China´s goal.

In the 76th minute, Feng saved Chanathip Songkrasin´s shot and Kraisorn was on hand to hit home the rebound.

China, despite dominating the Asian Games for decades, have never won the football tournament despite pouring huge resources into the team.

Kyrgyzstan fought hard to keep Jordan out for 90 minutes, but goals from Ahmad Alessawi and substitute Ahmad Almardi in the first half of extra time broke the resistance of the Central Asian side. (AFP)