Japan, S. Korea Through to Olympic Soccer Semis

Shootout Win: S. Korea will join both the Japanese men and women in entering the Olympic soccer semifinals.

East Asian soccer teams are enjoying unprecedented success in London, with both the Japanese men and women and the South Korean men through to the semifinals.

The Japanese women booked their first-ever berth in an Olympics semifinal with a 2-0 win over favored Brazil despite being outplayed throughout most of the match. Brazil controlled the play for most of the game but failed to convert numerous opportunities. Japan, on the other hand, managed to put together two brief but successful counter-attacks that led to scores by strikers Yuki Ogimi and Shinobu Ohno.

The Brazilian coach was so frustrated with his team that he committed the ultimate Olympics gaffe of putting down his winning opponent.

“To see our team have so many opportunities and not score, and see the other team playing only at the back and scoring two goals is a tragedy,” said Jorge Barcellos. “The football that Japan presented didn’t deserve to win.”

The Japanese women will face France Monday for a chance to reprise the World Cup final against the US women who are favored against their semifinal opponent Canada.

Last July the Japanese women had stunned the world by beating the US to win the World Cup in Germany. Prior to the London Games, the best Olympics showing by Japanese women was making the quarterfinals in 2004 in Athens. They lost that match to the US 1-2.

On Saturday Japan’s men’s team took a cue from the women to cruise past Egypt 3-0.

Kensuke Nagai got the scoring started in the 14th minute when he kicked the ball into an empty net after Egypt goalkeeper Ahmed El Shenawi collided with one of his own defenders. Goalie Shuichi Gonda then saved a solid dipping shot by Mohamed El Neny to keep Japan ahead. A 78th minute header by team captain Maya Yoshida was quickly followed by another header by Yuki Otsu.

Egypt played played with 10 men after Saadeldin Saad was ejected in the 41st minute for fouling Japan forward Manabu Saito during a goal attempt.

The win booked Japan’s second Olympic semifinal. The first was in 1968 when Japan lost 0-5 to Hungary, then won the bronze-medal match 2-0 over Mexico — the team they will face in Tuesday’s semifinals match.

South Korea won its first-ever Olympic semifinal berth Saturday by beating Britain 5-4 in penalty kicks after the teams failed to break a 1-1 tie in 30 minutes of extra time. The penalty kicks were tied 4-4 when S. Korea goalkeeper Lee Bum-young set up the win by punching away Daniel Sturridge’s kick to the right side of the goal. Then Ki Sung-yueng scored the winning penalty kick.

In regulation play South Korea’s Ji Dong-won opened scoring in the 29th minute with a long-range shot. A penalty kick by Aaron Ramsey six minutes later evened the score. Ramsey had the opportunity to put Britain ahead with another penalty kick a short time later but the attempt was saved by the Korean keeper.

S. Korea has by far the tougher opponent Tuesday when it will take on tournament favorite Brazil. But the Koreans are heading into the match with strong momentum, having won 19 straight games as a team.