SALONIKA, Greece, Aug 12 (AFP) - Paraguay defeated Asian powerhouses Japan 4-3 to open their Olympic football campaign with a deserved win here Thursday.
Goals from striker Pablo Gimenez, Edgar Barreto, Jose Cardozo and Aureliano Torres secured the Group B points for the Paraguayans, who withstood a fierce late rally from Japan to clinch victory.
Japan's goals came via two spotkicks by Feyenoord's former Asian player of the year Shinji Ono and a late effort by striker Yoshito Okubo.
Paraguay were fired into an early lead when striker Gimenez lashed a close-range effort past Japan keeper Hitoshi Sogahata after just five minutes.
The goal rocked Japan, who have lavished resources on their Olympic squad ever since winning a bronze medal at the 1968 Mexico Games.
But the slick passing Japanese were soon back on level terms after Paraguay defender Carlos Gamarra upended striker Daiki Takamatsu in the penalty area.
Ono stepped up to convert a 22nd minute spotkick and level the score.
Yet Japanese hopes of taking something from the match were snuffed out in the remaining minutes of the half as Paraguay struck twice to go 3-1 up.
The South Americans took a fluky lead on 25 minutes when a free-kick from Barreto took a huge deflection off the wall to wrongfoot Sogahata.
But there was nothing lucky about Paraguay's third on 37 minutes. A lightning-fast breakout saw Gimenez race away down the right channel, before sweeping the ball to Cardozo who tucked the cross away with aplomb.
Throwing caution to the wind, Japan pressed forward relentlessly at the start of the second half and pulled a goal back in the 54th minute when Ono scored his second from the spot after a dubious penalty decision.
Paraguay were not to be denied however and Japan often looked vulnerable to the counter-attack. Midway through the second half Aureliano Torres restored Paraguay's two-goal lead with a thunderous shot that flew in from 25 yards.
Japan scrambled an 81st minute goal from Yoshito Okubo to set up a tense finale but the Paraguayans held on.