Being Blue Through and Through (BBTandT): Olympic Football Tournament Match Report: Mexico 3-1 Japan

Friday, 10 August 2012

Olympic Football Tournament Match Report: Mexico 3-1 Japan

For the second time in four days I found myself at Pompey's second home, Wembley Stadium, for a match in the Mens Olympic Football Tournament. This time it was the semi-final match between Mexico (who I'd seen on Saturday August 4th against Senegal) and the highly fancied Japan, who had beaten one of the pre-tournament favourites Spain earlier in the tournament. How lucky am I? Here are some pictures and my match report.

My view of the pitch at Wembley Stadium

The flags of those countries participating in the Olympic Football Tournament.

Images Of Wembley Stadium Before The Match

View of the Arch and Bobby Moore statue, looking up Olympic Way to the stadium.

The London Olympics 2012 Logo on the outside of Wembley Stadium.

Arch reflection.

Fans Outside Wembley Stadium Before The Match

Fans I / IV

Fans II / IV

Fans III/ IV

Fans IV / IV

Match Report
Mexico came from a goal down in the Semi-Final of the Men's Olympic Football Tournament to beat Japan 3-1 in another entertaining match at Wembley Stadium.

Yuki Otsu's teriffic early strike from outside the penalty area was cancelled out by a set piece header from Marco Fabian.

Mexico added two more goals in the second half through Oribe Peralta and substitute Javier Cortes. Peralta's goal was as stunning as the one scored by Otsu.

With plenty of vocal backing from another large Wembley Stadium crowd, a technically gifted Mexico team were worthy winners against a Japan team that started very brightly but faded as the game progressed.

Their victory sets up an intriguing Gold Metal Match against Brazil who cruised through their semi-final against South Korea, the penalty shootout conquers of Stuart Pearce's Great Britain team.

The two teams line up for the national anthems.

Japan opened the scoring in the 12th minute. Keigo Higashi passed to Otsu on the left hand edge of the penalty area and the midfielder shaped to shoot and struck a super right footed half-volley from 20 yards that bent away from Jose Corona in the Mexico goal and in to the top corner. It was Otsu's third goal of the Tournament, he also scored in the victories over Spain and Egypt.

Mexico didn't panic and slowly made their way back in to the game. Dos Santos and Fabian both had chances to equalise. The effort from Dos Santos should have been put away as the TV replays on the big screens showed, the goal was gaping and so were the mouths of the stunned Mexican fans as they watched in disbelief. Somehow the Tottenham Hotspur player shot wide.

Mexico did get a deserved equaliser in the 31st minute when that man Dos Santos fired in a corner which was flicked on at the near post, possibly by a Japan defender and Fabián, unmarked in the six yard box, reacted well to head home from close range. The decision that led to the corner kick looked incorrect (it should have been a goal kick) but it was too late for Japan and the teams went in at half time on level terms.

Match action I / II.

HT: Mexico 1-1 Japan

Dos Santos, one of the brightest players for Mexico, was substituted at half time having been injured during the first half.

Both sides strived to create openings in the early stages of the second half but neither could force a breakthrough until just after the hour mark when Mexico took the lead.

Oribe Peralta firstly shot powerfully with his left foot from the edge of the penalty area which was easily dealt with by Japan's goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda.

Gonda quickly rolled the ball out to Takahiro Ohgihara on the edge of the box but the midfielder perhaps not expecting it pondered on the ball for too long, lost control and the persistent Peralta stole back possession and fired an unstoppable right footed shot in to the top right corner. It was a fantastic goal, oozing with peachiness (;-D).

In an effort to get themselves back in to contention Japan made three substitutions but they had the opposite effect and seemed to disrupt rather then reinvigorate their play.

Match Action II/II.

As the match entered added time and with Japan pressing forward for an equaliser their defense became exposed and Mexico secured victory with a third goal through a move which started down the right hand side, just outside Japan's penalty.

Javier Cortes collected a beautiful backheel from Peralta, cut inside and unleashed a shot underneath goalkeeper Corona. Excellent skill and another great goal.

Bring on the Brazilians!

Match highlights can be seen by clicking on the following link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19172723

FT: Mexico 3-1 Japan

Mexicoline-up: Jose CORONA, Israel JIMENEZ, Carlos SALCIDO, Hiram MIER, Darvin CHAVEZ, Marco FABIAN, Oribe PERALTA, Giovani DOS SANTOS (replaced at HT by Raul JIMENEZ), Javier AQUINO (replaced by Javier CORTES in added time at the end of the 2H), Diego REYES, Jorge ENRIQUEZ. Substitutes: Hector HERRERA, Javier CORTES, Raul JIMENEZ, Nestor VIDRIO, Miguel PONCE, Nestor ARAUJO, Jose RODRIGUEZ. Coach: Luis Fernando TENA.

Japan line-up: Shuichi GONDA (GK), Yuhei TOKUNAGA, Takahiro OHGIHARA (replaced by Manabu SAITO in the 83^rd minute), Hiroki SAKAI, Maya YOSHIDA, Yuki OTSU, Keigo HIGASHI (replaced by Kenyu SUGIMOTO in the 71^st minute), Kensuke NAGAI, Daisuke SUZUKI, Hotaru YAMAGUCHI, Hiroshi KIYOTAKE (replaced by Takashi USAMI in the 77^th minute). Substitutes: Taisuke MURAMATSU, Kazuya YAMAMURA, Kenyu SUGIMOTO, Gotoku SAKAI, Takashi USAMI, Manabu SAITO, Shunsuke ANDO. Coach: Takashi SEKIZUKA.

Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Italy)

Attendance: 82,372

Man Of The Match: Oribe Peralta gets my vote.

Next Up: Mexico will play Brazil in the final, again at Wembley Stadium, on Saturday August 11th, 14:50 BST. Brazil beat South Korea 3-0 in the other semi-final. Japan and South Korea will play for the bronze medal on Friday August 10th.