Football
9y

Japan win in Vahid Halilhodzic's debut; South Korea held to draw

Shinji Okazaki and Keisuke Honda scored second-half goals as Japan beat Tunisia 2-0 on Friday in their first game under new coach Vahid Halilhodzic.

Halilhodzic brought Honda and Okazaki into the game early in the second half, and the moves paid off.

Okazaki scored on a header off a Honda cross in the 78th minute, and Honda doubled the advantage five minutes later when he picked up a loose ball and fired past goalkeeper Moez Ben Cherifia from close range.

Halilhodzic, who guided Algeria to the last 16 of the World Cup last year, took over from Javier Aguirre after the Mexican was fired last month amidst a match-fixing scandal.

South Korea were held to a 1-1 draw by Uzbekistan in their first game since their defeat to Australia in the Asian Cup final.

Ja-Cheol Koo headed in the opener from a corner kick for the hosts in the 15 minute. Uzbekistan equalised when Sardor Rashidov rounded the keeper and crossed to Zokhir Kuziboyev, whose deflection carried the ball just over the line.

South Korea's Jung-Hyub Lee and Dong-Ho Jeong both left the game with apparent injuries.

Canada earned just their second win since 2012 by defeating Guatemala 1-0 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Marcus Haber scored the only goal in the 16th minute, by breaking loose in the box area and heading home Kyle Bekker's corner kick.

Goals from MLS players Giles Barnes and Darren Mattocks rallied Jamaica back from an early deficit to defeat Venezuela 2-1.

Gabriel Cichero scored the opener for Venezuela in the 13th minute but Barnes equalised two minutes later, before Mattocks won it in the second half.

Haiti managed a 2-2 draw in China thanks to goals from Jeff Louis and Wilde Donald Guerrier.

China erased two Haitian leads through Han Peng and Yu Dabao but could not find a winner.

Roman Torres' diving header gave Panama a 1-0 win at Trinidad and Tobago.

Defender Sam Pierre Mendy scored in the first half and hosts Gambia defeated Mauritania 1-0.

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