The Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder – the only player on the pitch currently playing his club football outside of East Asia - made all the difference with a sweetly hit 28th-minute goal, which ultimately secured Paulo Bento’s first piece of silverware as national team coach.

Earlier, China PR defeated Hong Kong 2-0 to finish third.

The Nadeshiko only needed a draw to win the competition, but Momiki made sure the prize was safe when she calmly dispatched a spot-kick which broke an 88-minute deadlock at Busan Gudeok Stadium.

Korea Republic’s defeat, their first under newly appointed head coach Colin Bell, saw them finish the tournament in second place, while China PR secured third earlier in the day with a 1-0 win over Tokyo 2020 Qualifiers rivals Chinese Taipei.

Paulo Bento’s charges claimed a 1-0 win over China PR in the men’s competition, while the Korea Republic women's team ended a nine-month winless streak with a convincing 3-0 victory over Chinese Taipei, with both tournaments now set to be decided by Korea Republic-Japan clashes in midweek.

A Mana Iwabuchi hat-trick helped the Nadeshiko to a 3-0 win over China PR in the women’s tournament, while Hajime Moriyasu’s men’s side proved far too strong for Hong Kong in a 5-0 success.

Late goals in either half helped Paulo Bento’s side to a 2-0 win over Hong Kong, while Asako Takakura’s Nadeshiko showed why they are Asian champions with a 9-0 victory.

J1 League pair Musashi Suzuki and Genta Miura found the back of the net for Hajime Moriyasu’s side, who became the only team to finish the tournament’s opening day with a perfect three points.

The East Asian regional competition, which features men’s and women’s championships played concurrently, will continue on a round-robin basis until next Wednesday.

The-AFC.com highlights the ins and outs across the Continent.