Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2014 World Cup after a 1-1 draw with Australia Tuesday.
The Samurais needed one point to clinch one of the top two spots in Group B of the AFC qualifiers. The team dominated possession and had a number of prime chances to score against Australia. However, the Japanese looked headed for their second straight loss when Australia's Tommy Oar scored in the 82nd minute. However, a handball late in the match enabled the Japanese to earn a penalty shot. Keisuke Honda scored and clinched his team's World Cup berth. The midfielder leads all players in the AFC qualifiers with five goals; he had not played in the last two games for Japan.
"I had some personal emotion then... But apart from my personal feeling, that goal took Japan to the World Cup, and I'm satisfied with that," Honda told FIFA.com.
"Honda is a special player," Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said. "He has two important qualities: he's strong physically and he's strong mentally. That was his first full 90-minute game since November and he was spectacular."
"I have achieved one of the goals I was hired for," Zaccheroni noted about his team's status. "But just qualifying is not enough. We have a very strong commitment to playing well so we will aim even higher in Brazil."
Honda added that the team had come a long way thanks to more players competing for European clubs.
"Now that so many Japanese players are playing in European leagues, some of them are playing for big clubs. Those players have shown what they have learned through European league experiences on the pitch for the national team. That's been shown in our latest results," added the CSKA Moscow midfielder.
Australia jumped into third place in the group with seven points; they have two games remaining and must over take Oman in order to earn an automatic berth to the World Cup.
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