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Soccer: Japan see off Finland with Ogasawara super strike+
(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)FUKUROI, Japan, Feb. 18_(Kyodo) _ Mitsuo Ogasawara took a leaf out of David Beckham's book with a second-half wonder strike and created the other as Japan returned to winning ways with a 2-0 defeat of Finland in a home friendly on Saturday.
Tatsuhiko Kubo fired the home side in front with his first national team goal in well over a year in the 48th minute before Ogasawara scored with a superb effort from inside his own half to complete Japan's first win in World Cup year.
Both sides were missing several first-team regulars and Zico made three changes to the side that was outclassed by the United States.
Seiichiro Maki, who opened his account in the 3-2 defeat in San Francisco, started up front alongside Kubo in a 3-5-2 shape while Keisuke Tsuboi replaced Makoto Tanaka and Shinji Murai came in at the expense of Brazilian-born winger Alessandro Santos.
Neither side was able to create any chances of note in a tepid first half at Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, although Japan went close to taking the lead three minutes before the interval.
Shinji Ono put Akira Kaji clean through with a clever pass but Maki was unable to connect with the Gamba Osaka man's ball across the face of goal.
But injury-plagued Kubo, who made his long-awaited international comeback against the United States, brought the game to life when he prodded home Ogasawara's cross for his first Japan goal since June 2004.
Evoking memories of Beckham's famous long-range strike for Manchester United against Wimbledon in the 1996-1997 season -- a goal that thrust him into the limelight -- Ogasawara then sealed the win in the 57th.
Spotting Finland keeper Mikko Kaven off his line, the pint-sized midfielder let fly with a shot that seemed to hang in the cold night air for an eternity before nestling in the back of the net.
The result left Finland looking for their first win under new manager Roy Hodgson after a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia and a 1-0 defeat to South Korea at a friendly tournament in Riyadh last month.
After the Finland match, Japan begin their defense of the Asian Cup with a home qualifier against India on Wednesday and then travel to Germany to play a friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Feb. 28.
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