Keisuke Honda scores Japan's 1,000th goal

DOHA (AFP)– World Cup hero Keisuke Honda has led Japan to yet another milestone after scoring their 1,000th international goal in the controversial 2-1 win over Syria at the Asian Cup.

The CSKA Moscow midfielder slotted in the winner through the legs of Syrian goalkeeper Mosab Balhous from a penalty in the 82nd minute to move Japan closer to an Asian Cup quarter-final spot from a tight Group B on Thursday.

"It was a little bit shaky but I was relieved it went through," the 24-year-old with bleached blond hair told Japanese media.

"The result was alright."

The goal came only six minutes after Syria had equalised from a penalty awarded after Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima had been red-carded for bringing down a Syrian player who had been flagged offside.

Japan's first international goal was scored by Ryuzo Shimizu in 1923 in Osaka, when they lost 2-1 to the Philippines at the Far East championships.

"We must win the next match," Honda said as Japan, with four points, prepared for their final group match on Monday against fellow three-time champions Saudi Arabia, who crashed out of contention with two straight losses.

"The Saudis are stronger than Syria or Jordan. We want to out-fight them, but it is going to be close."

Honda has been heralded as the future of Japanese football by the domestic media for his eye-catching achievements since moving to VVV Venlo from J-League Nagoya Grampus in 2008.

After two successful years in Holland, where he was hailed'Kaiser Keisuke', he joined the Moscow side a year ago.

With a goal and an assist, Honda helped CSKA to a 3-2 aggregate victory over Sevilla in the Champions League, becoming the first Japanese player to reach the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club tournament.

He scored in the 1-0 upset of Cameroon in South Africa in June for Japan's first World Cup win on foreign soil.

His left-foot free kick also produced the opening goal in the 3-1 rout of Denmark that led Japan, 2002 co-hosts, to the World Cup last 16 for the first time abroad.

Japan Football Association president Junji Ogura told media in Tokyo that the 1,000th goal should be feted as part of his organisation's 90th anniversary celebrations this year.

"It is a good idea to display his boots at our Japan Football Museum," he said."Maybe he knew it would be the 1,000th goal all along."

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