Keisuke Honda scored for the third consecutive game as defending champions Japan finally confirmed their place in the quarter-finals of the tournament as 2–0 win over a brave Jordan completed a 100% record in Group D. The four-time winners only needed a point in front of a 25,000 crowd at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium having earlier beaten Palestine and Iraq, but Honda's 24th-minute strike and a late second from Shinji Kagawa saw Javier Aguirre's side claim the win; meanwhile this meant for the first time ever in Jordan's Asian Cup participation, they'd failed to qualify into the knockout stage; and also for the first time in Asian Cup history, Jordan lost to Japan, having drawn Japan twice in 2004 and 2011. Having ended Jordan's hopes of an appearance in the last eight as Iraq claimed second place in Group D after beating Palestine in Canberra, Japan would face Group C runners-up the United Arab Emirates in Sydney on 23 January for a place in the semi-finals. Japan coach Aguirre named the same side for a third consecutive game with the defending champions only needing a point to qualify for the quarter-finals as Group D winners, while opposite number Ray Wilkins made one change with Anas Bani Yaseen returning from suspension to replace Saeed Murjan and with Jordan needing to at least avoid defeat to keep their quarter-final hopes alive, Ray Wilkins' side showed their intentions, lining up in an attacking 4-3-3 formation and pressing Japan from the first whistle.