Japan Secure Late Equaliser in Draw Against Paraguay

On Friday, Japan secured a 2-2 home friendly draw against Paraguay after scoring an injury time equaliser as both teams intensified their preparations for the upcoming World Cup

Substitute Ayase Ueda headed home in the fourth minute of added time during the second half to earn Japan a draw in Osaka

Miguel Almiron, formerly of Newcastle United, gave Paraguay the lead midway through the first half before Koki Ogawa levelled the score for Japan five minutes later

Diego Gomez of Brighton scored a 64th-minute header for Paraguay, who claimed the sixth and final direct World Cup qualification spot from South America

Paraguay will travel to Seoul to face South Korea in a friendly on Tuesday while Japan meet Brazil in Tokyo the same day

Japan were without several key players due to injury including Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma and Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo

Almiron, now with Atlanta United in Major League Soccer, missed a clear chance to score when he passed across goal instead of shooting despite being through on goal

He corrected this error a minute later by scoring the opening goal, leaping to control a through ball before striking it home with his left foot

Japan equalised five minutes later when Ogawa fired a powerful shot that Paraguay goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez parried high into the air only for the ball to drop back over the line

Japan's Takumi Minamino scored early in the second half but the goal was disallowed for offside

Paraguay took the lead when Juan Caceres assisted Gomez to direct a header past Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki

Ueda entered the game shortly before full time and salvaged a draw for Japan by converting a late cross into the penalty area