Ao Tanaka involved in international rollercoaster with Leeds United man decision and twist with Japan
Ao Tanaka is away with Japan on international duty.
Leeds United star Ao Tanaka has been involved in an international rollercoaster with late twist representing Japan.
Leeds have eight players away on senior international duty and Tanaka was selected to start for Japan in the first of two October international friendlies against Paraguay on Friday morning.
Tanaka lined up alongside Kaishu Sano in centre midfield but his side fell 1-0 behind in the 20th minute as former Newcastle United midfielder Miguel Almiron fired Paraguay ahead.
Booked and then withdrawn
In a see-saw game, Japan equalised just six minutes later through Koki Ogawa but Paraguay went back ahead four minutes after the hour mark, just one minute after Tanaka had been booked.
The decision was then taken to substitute the booked Tanaka with 12 minutes left with Japan seemingly heading for defeat but the hosts served up one final twist as Ayase Ueda struck a 94th-minute equaliser to seal a 2-2 draw.