All of the European sides have been knocked out of the football tournament at the 2012 London Olympics and two Asian teams have made the semifinals, with Korea set to take on Brazil and Japan hoping to beat Mexico.

Although the odds may be stacked against them, if Korea and Japan win their respective matches early Wednesday it will set up the first all-Asian final in Olympic history. So far, Japan holds the Asian record at the Games by claiming a bronze medal in Mexico in 1968.

Japan caused a major upset by defeating Spain 1-0 en route to winning Group D. It also beat Morocco by the same score and played Honduras to a goalless draw. In the quarterfinals, the team stepped up its game and showed greater unity and cohesion to smash Egypt 3-0. Japan is fielding a relatively experienced side as six of its players ply their trade in Europe, including Yuki Otsu of Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany’s Bundesliga.

The whole of Japan was in rapture as the team advanced to an Olympic semifinal for the first time in 44 years. As the country is struggling to amass medals in other sports, high hopes are being pinned on its football team.

Japan's women's team has also reached the semifinals by beating Brazil, and will next face France on Tuesday for a shot at gold. Expectations of the national side are now at fever pitch as Japan won the women's World Cup in Germany last year.

Japan has secured just two gold medals in London so far, one in judo in the women's 57kg class and the other in the men's all-around in gymnastics, but its male judokas have failed to win a single gold for the first time at the Games.

Japan's Yuki Otsu (right) celebrates after scoring a goal against Egypt during the quarterfinals of the Olympic football tournament at Old Trafford in Manchester on early Sunday. /AP-Newsis

The whole of Japan was in rapture as the team advanced to an Olympic semifinal for the first time in 44 years. As the country is struggling to amass medals in other sports, high hopes are being pinned on its football team.

Japan's women's team has also reached the semifinals by beating Brazil, and will next face France on Tuesday for a shot at gold. Expectations of the national side are now at fever pitch as Japan won the women's World Cup in Germany last year.

Japan has secured just two gold medals in London so far, one in judo in the women's 57kg class and the other in the men's all-around in gymnastics, but its male judokas have failed to win a single gold for the first time at the Games.