OSAKA: Japan banged in two goals in an eight-minute blitz to set-up a 2-1 win over Australia in a key Asian Cup warm-up in Osaka on Tuesday.

The Australians created the better chances in a scoreless first half but were overrun by the Blue Samurai in the second term.

Japanese substitute Yasuyuki Konno opened the scoring in the 61st minute when he headed the ball into the Australian net after being left unmarked then striker Shinji Okazaki added a second with a spectacular back heel.

Japan missed a string of chances to increase their lead before the Australians pulled one back in stoppage time when the Socceroos’ best player Tim Cahill, who only came on as a late substitute, scored off a header.

“I said last week, I’ll affect the game in a positive way and I did,” Cahill told reporters.

“We played fantastic tonight. We just got to believe.

“We’re fearless. We have nothing to lose. I’m just buzzing for the Asian Cup.”

Despite Cahill’s confidence, Japan are looming as the likely favorites to defend their Asian Cup title when the tournament takes place in Australia in January.

The teams met in the final in 2011, with Japan winning 1-0 in extra-time, and Tuesday’s match was both country’s last warm-up before the 16-nation tournament.

The Australians have lost eight of their last 12 matches and head coach Ange Postecoglou said they clearly needed to improve if they hoped to win on home soil but there were some good signs.

“We lost our shape in the second half. Our first half was positive but the way we let ourselves down, it’s disappointing,” he told reporters.

“I don’t regret bringing Timmy on that late. I needed to blood players. We let ourselves down.

“We still have to get details right. I thought tonight against a really good opponent, for 45-50 minutes we were good.”

Greece suspends Ranieri after Faeroe Island loss

Meantime, Greece’s Football Association has suspended national team coach Claudio Ranieri indefinitely after losing 1-0 at home to the Faeroe Islands in a European Championship qualifier.

An association statement issued at midnight Saturday said youth coach Costas Tsanas had been named interim manager for a friendly on Tuesday against Serbia on the island of Crete.

The statement gave no reason why Ranieri was suspended and not fired, though the action was widely seen as the result of an unresolved contract termination dispute.

Ranieri, 63, a former coach at Chelsea and leading Italian clubs, took over from national team coach Fernando Santos after Greece reached the second round of the World Cup in Brazil. But the national team slumped to three straight home defeats in Group F of the Euro qualifiers.