Japan wanted to win after the unexpected loss in the group match where Korea won 3-1. And after coming back twice in the game, the victory was theirs. Japan won 5-4 (1-3, 2-0, 1-1, 1-0) after a thrilling match that ended in sudden death.
After the first period, where Korea had a three-goal lead after two goals by Baek Hee Lee and one by JunohLee, it looked like the match would end with a Korean victory, just like it had done in the group match. However, Ichiro Ueda gave his team hope when he evened out the score to 1-3 with only 40 seconds left on the clock.
Japan came back energized in the second period. Naoki Matsuba scored 2-3 early on and he also scored 3-3 after 10 minutes, assisted both times by Takuma Akagami. This meant that it was still anyone’s game before the third period.
The match was even in the third period. Korea took the lead after KiWung Lee scored in an open goal, after the ball hit the rim and ended up right in front of him, just fifty seconds in to the third period.
Japan evened the score during power play in the middle of the period. It only took the Japanese two seconds to take advantage of the power play. Shohei Kurata scored 4-4 and that meant sudden death.
And it was all about Japan. Shohei Kurata scored the winning goal after only 60 seconds, after Japan had stopped a Korean attack, and the cheering was ear-deafening. Japan ended up in 15th place and Korea in 16th.
Photo: Rasmus Tynander.
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