NEWS

Japan downed Tajikistan 4-0 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on Friday for their fourth straight win in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup.

With Uzbekistan beating DPR Korea 1-0 later in the day, Japan advanced to the final round together with Uzbekistan from Group C with two matches remaining in the round.
Japan and Uzbekistan both improved their points totals to an unbeatable 10 while DPR Korea and Tajikistan have three points and zero points, respectively.
FC Tokyo defender Yasuyuki Konno scored the opener in the 36th minute, Stuttgart forward Shinji Okazaki struck twice in the second half and substitute forward Ryoichi Maeda of Jubilo Iwata scored the other goal.
Japan are unbeaten in their last 16 games under Alberto Zaccheroni.
Tajikistan, who lost 8-0 in Japan, came out aggressively and tried their luck from long range.
The Japanese players struggled to get used to the rough pitch early on but the visitors started connecting better from midway through the first half.
Tajikistan threatened the Japanese goal in the 29th minute when Dilshod Vasiev hit the post with a blistering 25-meter shot.
The opening goal came in the 36th minute when Konno reacted neatly to a rebound from a Kengo Nakamura shot that was saved by the Tajikistan keeper.
Japan enjoyed the greater possession and went on the attack, with Shinji Kagawa of Borussia Dortmund at the center of most of Japan’s best moves.
The Samurai Blue doubled their lead in the 61st minute when Okazaki rose to head home a Kagawa cross at the far post.
The home team came close around the 70-minute mark when Khurshed Makhmudov had a shot that went close.
In the 82nd minute, Maeda, who replaced forward Mike Havenaar, took a pass from Shingo Nakamura just outside the box, dribbled past a couple of defenders and crashed the ball into the roof of the net.
In stoppage time, Japan passed around the ball before Okazaki took a pass from substitute midfielder Hiroshi Kiyotake and fired home a crisp shot with his right foot.
Japan will next play DPR Korea on Tuesday in Pyongyang.