China continued their 17-year winless run against Japan and placed second after a 1-1 draw in the East Asian Cup here on Sunday.

 

The hosts ranked second after two matches, a victory over their arch rivals would guarantee China the champion of this tournament.

 

Compared to the last match against DPR Korea, China's head coach Alain Perrin made eight changes in the starting line-up, with key player Zheng Zhi who played full 180 minutes in the first two matches being benched from the beginning of the match.

 

Japan almost took the lead just 4 minutes into the game as Takashi Usami's banana kick out of the box hit the bar.

 

Wu Lei put the hosts ahead in the 10th minute when the Shanghai SIPG player sent his right-footed shot near the edge of the box into the net from a perfect pass of Wu Xi.

 

Japan hit the equalizer as Tomoaki Makino fed Yuki Muto from the left wing and he squared for Muto to drill home in a close-range.

 

In an early fixture, South Korea played to a scoreless match against DPR Korea to claim the title of the East Asian Cup.

 

China's head coach Alain Perrin said that he was a little disappointed with the draw.

 

"It's a little disappointing, we had a good start and some good opportunities in the first half, so I am not satisfied with the final score we got, but I am pleased to see that my players showcased their fighting spirit," said Perrin.

 

Perrin arranged 3 different formations in the 3 matches of the four-nation tournament, saying "we have some players injured, so we made some adjustments, the World Cup qualifications are closing, the change will contribute to improving our ability."

(Xinhua)