JAPAN DEFEATS NORTH KOREA 2-1 TO REACH WOMEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT AT THE PARIS OLYMPICS

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 TOKYO (AP) — Japan defeated North Korea 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the women’s soccer tournament at the upcoming Paris Olympics. But not without a tiny bit of VAR controversy.

The first match in the two-game series to determine one of Asia’s two qualifiers ended in a 0-0 draw on Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Japan had three clear standout players who helped book its tickets for Paris.

Japan won the silver medal in the 2012 Olympics but has never won gold in the women’s tournament. North Korea last competed in women’s soccer at the 2012 Olympics but has never won a medal.

“We want to move forward with the goal of winning a gold medal,” Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda said.

Ikeda coached the Japanese women in the 2023 World Cup and saw them lose in the quarterfinals to Sweden.

Hana Takahashi scored in the 26th, but it was Japanese goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita who scrambled late in the first half to stop a shot that was millimeters from crossing over the line.

Aoba Fujino put the match away with a header in the 76th to give Japan its second.

- STEPHEN WADE