Thanks to a goal from Tamada Keiji three minutes into the extra time of the game, defending champions Japan edged Bahrainof 4-3 to enter the final of current Asian Cup at Shan Dong stadium Tuesday.

Japan, who played the game with ten men in the pitch for most of the game, forced Bahrain to extra time after a 3-3 draw in the regular 90 minutes.

Bahrain, who already showed their talent when they forced host China to a 2-2 draw in the opening game of the tournament, opened the score only 6 minutes into the game when their superstar A'Ala Hubail beat Japan's defense and snatched the ball into the low corner of the net after an easy, but effective cooperation with their spearhead Husain Ali.

Japan, who won two of the last three Asian Cup titles and is considered as a rising world power after their second round appearance at the last World Cup, slowly found their pace after 10 minutes into the game when their spearhead Tamada Keiji's shoot was denied by Bahrain's bar.

Nine minutes late, defending champion Japan's Tamada Keiji wasted another chance to score after he mysteriously missed an easy cross from Santos Alessandro who successfully beat Bahrain's ferocious defense on the right side out of the box.

Japan received another blow in the 41st minute when their Endo Yasuhito was fired out off the pitch by referee Maidin Shamsui of Singapore after he beat his opponent on the face.

Ala Hubail, who has scored the last-minute equalizer against Qatar in their match in Beijing, almost took the advantage to add Bahrain's lead by the end of the first half after an effective cooperation with his teammates on the left side out the box, but only saw the ball flied over the bar.

Bahrain, who entered the Semi-finals after a thrilling 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Uzbekistan last Friday, seemed became exhausted after walking out of the resting room and lost their pace in the second half.

Japan, who looked more desperate to win the game and needed only 3 minutes into the second half to find the equalizer when their playmaker Nakata Koji headed the ball into the net by a corner kick.

Seven minutes late, Japanese spearhead Tamada Keiji finally found his pace and gave their fans a frenzy after taking the lead 2-1 after scoring Japan's second goal for this game.

Ala Hubail, who has scored 5 goals in this tournament and probably became the Golden Scorer of this tournament, equalized the game for Bahrain to 2-2 after snatching the ball into the right low corner of the net after an dazzling cooperation with his teammates.

In 85th minute, Bahrain's Duaij Naser scored for his team and changed the score to 3-2, but 5 minutes late, Japan's Yuji Nakazawa equalized the game to 3-3 and forced Bahrain to extra time of the game.

Japan, who gained their confidence after tiring with Bahrain in full time, took the winner only 3 minutes into the extra time when their spearhead Tamada Keiji, who just recovered from a knee injury before the game, made a sole goal after escaping Bahrain's entrapment trick.