All Whites fall to Japan in hard-fought Kirin Cup final in front of 60,000

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doan-ritsu/WUWvT7l3/"]Ritsu Doan[/a] scored a 71st-minute winner for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/ULXPdOUj/"]Japan[/a] after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/rLctHkpU/"]New Zealand[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/old-benjamin/4MoD7F1A/"]Ben Old[/a] cancelled out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ueda-ayase/8Ssd0upn/"]Ayase Ueda[/a]'s opener in the first half.[/p][p]Japan are looking to win the Asian Cup for the first time since 2011 when the tournament kicks off in Saudi Arabia in January.[/p][p]Their win over New Zealand in front of over 60,000 fans at Tokyo's National Stadium saw them lift the Kirin Cup, after beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ecuador/8tbm8Tri/"]Ecuador[/a] on penalties in the semi-finals last week.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/panama/OWKqbCfi/"]Panama[/a] beat Ecuador 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the third-place match earlier in the day.[/p][p]Japan also beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/uruguay/xMk44orG/"]Uruguay[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/venezuela/raj05RS9/"]Venezuela[/a] at home in this international window.[/p][p]The matches were their first since being eliminated by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brazil/I9l9aqLq/"]Brazil[/a] in the last 16 at the World Cup in North America.[/p][embed guid="fd7fc7f5-4a20-4f45-a569-491ecedc17f4" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW2SpwU8FFs" social-type="youtube" /][p]Japan had several early chances to take the lead against New Zealand, with forward Doan causing havoc in the opposition's defence.[/p][p]Ueda eventually made one count just before the half-hour mark, slotting home from close range for his fourth goal in four games.[/p][p]New Zealand looked like they could be in for a long evening, but instead they hit straight back when Old pounced for the equaliser four minutes later.[/p][p]Japan pushed for a winner in the second half, and New Zealand goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paulsen-alex/AF8MfxI4/"]Alex Paulsen[/a] denied [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tanaka-ao/4lYAoXQu/"]Ao Tanaka[/a] with a fantastic acrobatic save.[/p][p]But the home team stuck to the task and were rewarded when Doan swept home another slick passing move.[/p][p]Japan have been drawn in a first-round group with holders [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/qatar/zqzHL77i/"]Qatar[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/thailand/zHgBrkd7/"]Thailand[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/indonesia/88ErHiT9/"]Indonesia[/a] at the Asian Cup.[/p][p]It will be coach Hajime Moriyasu's last tournament in charge before he hands over to the incoming [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/oiwa-go/GlZOPTEo/"]Go Oiwa[/a][/p]