Quick-fire first-half goals from Moeka Minami and Mina Tanaka steered Japan to a 2-0 win over Brazil in a women’s soccer international friendly on Sunday, ending a two-game trip to the country with a win and a loss against the South Americans.
Nadeshiko Japan, eighth in the FIFA rankings, avenged its 4-3 defeat on Thursday to the ninth-ranked Brazilians as it played its final game before the Paris Olympics Asian qualifiers in February, when it faces North Korea twice.
The visitors survived an early scare when 17-year-old center-back Toko Koga almost scored a second-minute own goal at Cicero Pompeu de Toledo Stadium in Sao Paulo as her pass back to the goal evaded keeper Momoko Tanaka and hit the right-hand post.
Defender Minami’s volley off Jun Endo’s corner deflected into the net in the 17th minute before forward Mina Tanaka’s instinctive strike from 30 meters out two minutes later caught Brazil keeper Leticia Izidoro Lima by surprise and found the bottom corner.
Momoko Tanaka made a fine double save on the half-hour mark to keep the home team off the scoresheet, while Brazil failed to capitalize on her catching mistake early in the second half as Japan saw the game out.