SOCCER Japan coach Ivica Osim put his health first by refusing to watching his side’s penalty shootout victory over Australia in the Asian Cup quarter-finals. [REUTERS]

SOCCER Japan enhanced its bid for a third straight continental title by edging pre-tournament favorite and World Cup nemesis Australia on penalties in Saturday’s quarterfinals. [INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE]

SOCCER Australia have begun to turn the screw on Japan ahead of their Asian Cup quarter-final on Saturday by claiming the pressure was all on the defending champions. [GUARDIAN]

SOCCER Holders Japan stormed into the Asian Cup quarter-finals with a clinical 4-1 demolition of co-hosts Vietnam on Monday. [REUTERS]

SOCCER Japan took a big step toward the quarterfinals and ensured the United Arab Emirates became the first team eliminated from the Asian Cup after a 3-1 win victory in Group B on Friday. [INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE]

SOCCER Celtic playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura wants Japan to take a more direct approach when the defending champions take on United Arab Emirates in a crunch Group B meeting at the Asian Cup on Friday. [KYODO]

SOCCER Former Yokohama FC striker Alemao died in a car accident on Sunday, the local newspaper Globo reported in its online edition. He was 23. [KYODO]

SOCCER Defending champion Japan started this year’s Asian Cup mediocrely with a 1-1 tie with low-ranked Qatar, in the opening Group B game held in Hanoi, Vietnam.

SOCCER Japan and Nigeria booked their places in the knockout stages of the Under-20 World Cup with victories against Costa Rica and Scotland on Wednesday. [REUTERS]

SOCCER Japan coach Ivica Osim has warned of the good skills of opponents Qatar ahead of the sides’ showdown in their Asian Cup opener next week. [AFP]

SOCCER Japan beat Scotland 3-1 in Group F at the FIFA U-20 World Cup thanks in part to a costly error by the Scottish goalkeeper that led to a goal by Yasuhito Morishima. [INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE]

SOCCER Jubilo Iwata midfielder Naoya Kikuchi has been sacked by the J-League club after being arrested earlier this month for having sex with a 15-year-old girl. [REUTERS]

SOCCER Striker Ryoichi Maeda has jeopardised his place in Japan’s Asian Cup squad by putting club before country at this week’s training camp. The Jubilo Iwata forward, who has recently recovered from knee surgery, admitted he did not train flat out because of this weekend’s crunch J-League game with champions Urawa Reds. [REUTERS]

SOCCER Japan’s Asian Cup preparations have gone from bad to worse after only 10 players turned up for the squad’s training camp. [REUTERS]