Japan narrowly beat New Zealand in friendly

Tokyo (AFP) – Shu Kurata smashed a late winner on Friday to give Japan a narrow 2-1 victory over New Zealand in their first international football friendly since they qualified for the World Cup. Following a scoreless first half, Cologne forward Yuya Osako netted a 50-minute penalty for Japan after a handball at Toyota Stadium.  New Zealand striker Chris Wood scored an equaliser nine minutes later, triggering an all-out offensive by Japan. On 87 minutes, Kurata scored his first goal for the Blue Samurai with a diving header, whipping up home fans in the heavy rain. “I pushed the ball

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