BAMBOLIM: Shimpei Fukuoka and Takefusa Kubo netted a brace each in a dominant performance by Japan as they laid down a marker in their AFC U-16 Championship India 2016 Group B opener with a 7-0 thrashing of Vietnam on Friday at GMC Stadium.
Kubo opened the scoring in the 15 minute with a superb set-piece strike before Japan captain Fukuoka made it 2-0 before the half hour mark.
Fukuoka completed the brace in the 50th minute, Kubo added another superb individual effort and provided the assist for Takumu Kemmotsu’s goal before Hirota Yamada made the final score 7-0 as Japan lept to the top of the Group B ahead of Kyrgyzstan who earlier handed Australia a shock 1-0 defeat.
And with five minutes of the first half remaining, Japan had their third.
Miyashiro received the ball from Yukinari Sugawara’s throw-in, turned his marker and from the edge of the box unleashed a left-footed strike into the top corner of the goal that left Nhat Truong no chance.
But the Japan skipper didn’t have to wait long for his second as Nhat Truong’s punch from a corner lacked distance and Fukuoka towered above the Vietnam defenders to head home powerfully from the penalty spot for his side’s fourth of the night.
With Japan running rampant, it was no surprise when they netted again in the 64 minutes, nor of the identity of the scorer.
After a penetrative run into the left-hand side of the area, Kubo deceived goalkeeper and defenders alike as he drilled home from an acute angle when the cross had looked more the likely option.
Substitute Kemmotsu nodded home Yubo’s free-kick with 11 minutes remaining before forward Yamada’s 85th minute strike from inside the penalty area made the final score 7-0 as Japan issued a stark early warning to the rest of the competition.
Earlier, Kyrgyzstan pulled off the first shock of the tournament as Adilet Kanybekov’s 75th-minute penalty secured a 1-0 upset win over powerhouse Australia in the Group B opener.
The substitute had not been long on the field when Gulzhigit Borbubaev was brought down in the penalty area and it was Kanybekov who stepped up to slot the spot-kick home past Suman to spark frenzied celebration amongst his teammates on and off the field.
