BANGKOK - Japan showed why they will be a force to be reckoned with at the AFC Futsal Championships with an 8-2 drubbing of Chinese Taipei at the Nimibutr Stadium.
One of the pre-tournament favourites, Sergio Sapo's side produced a dominant display in seeing off their lowly Group B opponents, with Yuki Kanayama and Kenichiro Kogure both scoring twice.
Japan went ahead in spectacular fashion when Daisuke Ono weaved his way across the pitch before rifling a right-footed shot into the top corner past keeper Pan Wei-chih.
They continued to rain shots down on Pan's goal as chance after chance went begging and they were made to pay for their profligacy when Chinese Taipei drew level against the run of play.
Chang Fu-hsiang beat Hisao Sadanaga in a race to the ball and the former rounded the Japanese keeper before rolling the ball into an empty net.
But Japan regained the lead when Kanayama was on hand at the back post to convert a low pass before Kogure's cross was sliced into his own net by a Chinese Taipei defender.
Yusuke Komiyama netted the fourth when his first-time strike from Kohei Harada's lay-off took a deflection before finding the top corner and Japan were cruising by the interval.
It was a similar story after the break. Kotaro Inaba made it 5-1 with a low, left-foot shot after he was allowed space to run and Kanayama grabbed his second with the simplest of tap-ins into an empty net from Kogure's cut-back.
Kogure then netted Japan's seventh with a fine effort, twisting and turning to wrong-foot two defenders before drilling home a left-foot shot.
Chang claimed his and Chinese Taipei's second goal when he bundled home after a long ball had caught the Japanese defence napping but Kogure bagged a brace with a low shot that found its way under Pan.
