Seiichiro Maki scored twice as defending champions Japan recovered from a goal deficit to beat spirited cohost Vietnam 4-1, the victory sending Ivica Osim's men into the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup finals as winners of Group B.
After Keita Suzuki had sliced into his own net on seven minutes to send shockwaves through My Dinh Stadium on Monday evening, under-fire forward Maki chested in the equalizer five minutes later after a delicious piece of trickery from Shunsuke Nakamura on the left had set up the chance.
Yasuhito Endo showed Nakamura-like mastery from a dead-ball situation just after the half-hour mark, with his free-kick from the left side of the area flying past 'keeper Duong Hong Son to put Japan ahead.