The Japan football team thrashed Hong Kong 4-nil in the semifinals of the Hangzhou Asian Games on Wednesday, crushing the hope of the city's team to continue their historic run in Asiad. Although Japan controlled the possession in the first half, Hong Kong did have some chances but players failed to find the net. Japan put Hong Kong under pressure throughout the second half, with Shota Hino scoring a header in the 54th minute as the Japanese team continued to assault Hong Kong's penalty box with threatening passes. Separately, South Korea defeated Uzbekistan 2-1 in the semifinals, moving to the brink of their third straight gold medal. Japan will meet South Korea in the gold medal match scheduled on Saturday (Oct 7), while Hong Kong will face Uzbekistan on the same day to fight for a bronze medal.
