# Japan Wins 1-0 Against North Korea... North and Central America World Cup Preliminary Group B ‘3 Consecutive Wins + Lead’ Tanaka of Japan scores the winning goal in the 2nd minute of the first half... North Korea recorded 1 win and 2 losses. Japanese soccer beat North Korea hard and won three games in a row in the second qualifying round of the Asian region for the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup. **[바카라사이트 추천](https://www.outlookindia.com/plugin-play/2023년-한국을-대표하는-카지노-사이트-best-10-news-326663)** The Japanese national team won 1-0 in the third match of Group B of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Asian region second qualifying round against North Korea held at the New National Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan on the 21st. Japan (9 points, goal difference +11), which had not conceded a goal for three consecutive wins, maintained its lead in Group B. However, it was an unsatisfactory victory for Japan, which defeated Myanmar 5-0 in the first game and Syria 5-0 in the second game. After losing 0-1 to Syria in the first game, North Korea (3 points, goal difference +3), which rose to the top by winning 6-1 in the second game against Myanmar, was unable to overcome Japan's wall and pondered over its second defeat. At the stadium on this day, the [North Korean](https://boosty.to/outlookindia/posts/068fd777-19ab-490f-b60d-f7931ea05567) cheering squad drew attention by hanging placards in the stands that read, “Win, Joseon,” and “Let’s show off the glory of the Republic,” and waving the North Korean flag. Japan, ranked 18th in the FIFA rankings, scored just 2 minutes after kickoff in the first half, defeating North Korea (ranked 114th). Right winger Ritsu Doan gave a pass from the right corner of the goal area toward the front of the penalty area, and central midfielder Ao Tanaka fired the ball with his right foot into the right corner of the North Korean goal. Japan, which quickly found a goal, attacked North Korea even harder. In the 3rd minute of the first half, Maeda Daizen, who played as a two-top striker, put strong pressure on North Korea's right fullback Kim Gyeong-seok, who was in the build-up, and stole the ball, then hit a left-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area that missed the goal. Japan was disappointed that Doan's left-footed shot from the front of the penalty area in the 13th minute of the first half was blocked by the goalkeeper. Japan, who was unable to break through North Korea's defense after conceding a goal, ended the first half without any additional goals in the 44th minute of the first half when Doan, who received a pass from [Ayase Ueda](https://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/cristellecruz/diary/202408030000/), hit a left-footed shot from the front of the penalty area, which was blocked by the goalkeeper's super save. Japan maintained 80% ball possession during the first half and attempted 6 shots (including 2 effective shots), but North Korea was dragged around with only 'zero shots'. North Korea missed a decisive scoring opportunity in the second minute of the second half when Han Kwang-sung's left-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area hit the Japanese goalkeeper's hand and hit the right post. In the ensuing situation, Baek Chung-seong's left-footed shot shook the net, but the assistant referee's foul flag was raised and the goal was declared invalid. North Korean players surrounded the referee and protested, requesting video review (VAR), but to no avail. VAR will not be used in the second qualifying round in Asia. With the atmosphere rising, North Korea continued to increase the number of shots fired by [Kang Kuk-cheol](https://outlookindia.diary.ru/p222080233_mens-volleyball-hyundai-capital-choi-min-ho.htm)'s surprise mid-range shot in the 11th minute of the second half. Japan, who had been intimidated for a while, increased the intensity of its attack, but failed to score an additional goal and had to be satisfied with a 1-goal difference victory.