Soma salvages honour for Japan in Kirin Cup

TOKYO, May 17 (AFP)

Naoki Soma blasted home an 86th minute goal to salvage a 1-1 draw for Japan against fellow World Cup finalists Paraguay in the Kirin Cup on Sunday. Brazilian-born striker Wagner Lopes was brought down just outside the area Soma fired home the equalizer with a right foot shot from Shoji Jos free kick. Paraguay took the lead in the seventh minute when defender Celso Rafael Ayalas headed in from Roberto Miguel Acunas corner. Paraguay slowed the game down to frustrate Japan. After their early goal, the South Americans relied on keeping possession and pumping up long passes to Catalino Rivarola and Acuna. But Hiroaki Morishima missed close shot in the 16th and 31st minutes. Lopes came on in the 63rd minute, but still Japan, who will be at their first World Cup finals at France 98, could not get a shot on target. "We had wanted to counter attack, but Paraguay played defensively after the early goal and we didnt have many chances," said Japans head coach Takeshi Okada. "We needed a goal so I changed to a four-back system 30 minutes into the second half. We were lucky we finally made it at the end,"   Okada admitted. Okada said he had not expected five attackers to be waiting around the goal for the seventh-minute corner kick when Paraguay went ahead. Paraguay coach Paulo Cesar Carpegiani said: "We were not at our best, but Im happy with the result, because my players were jet lagged and not in good condition."  Skipper Jose Luis Chilavert said "I was disappointed, because we couldnt put pressure on the Japanese and I missed a goal from a free kick. But we controled the match for most of the time."  Paraguay play the Czech Republic in Kobe on Thursday.