Football: Germain nets again, Japan beat S. Korea in East Asian final
Germain scored his fifth goal of the tournament just eight minutes into the winner-take-all finale, volleying in a cross from Yuki Soma at Yongin Mireu Stadium in a Seoul suburb.
A week earlier, the 30-year-old Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker netted four times in the Samurai Blue's 6-1 opening win over Hong Kong when he made his national team debut.
"My players made a great effort," Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu said. "They showed the pride of the J-League and the depth of our national team. The way they played this tournament made it difficult for me to select the World Cup squad."
Japan's E-1 squad was selected entirely from the domestic J-League. The South Korean squad did not include players such as Tottenham star Son Heung Min, either.
Japan and South Korea came into the match after both defeated China and Hong Kong in the four-team, round-robin event.
South Korea first went close to scoring, with Na Sang Ho's shot hitting the far post in the seventh minute.
The Koreans ramped up their attack in the second half, but Japan hung tough to defend dangerous situations en route to their third overall E-1 title.
With the latest victory, Japan improved their win-loss record against South Korea to 16-40 with 23 draws. Both teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Earlier Tuesday, China edged Hong Kong 1-0 thanks to a 20th-minute goal from Huang Zhengyu.
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