Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
A second-half blitz secured Japan a resounding 7-0 triumph over Lambton Jaffas in the Samurai Blue’s final AFC Asian Cup friendly game.
The local Newcastle side produced a spirited first-half, conceding only once to a Yashuito Endo penalty, before Japan, one of the Asian Cup favourites, clicked into gear after the break of the hour-long fixture.
With coach Javier Aguirre rotating his team from the side that beat Auckland City 2-0 days earlier, it was Japan’s most capped player to open the scoring from the spot following an error from Lambton defender Michael Sessions.
Aguirre made two changes at the break introducing Shoya Nakajima and Takashi Inui, with both replacements producing immediate results.
Nakajima doubled the lead with his first touch two minutes into the second-half before Gen Shoji and Hiroshi Kiyotake quickly added to the lead.
Inui netted a quick fire brace which sandwiched a Yu Kobayashi strike as Japan finished the fixture strongly.
Aguirre’s men begin their AFC Asian Cup title defence on January 12 with a Group D clash against Palestine in Newcastle.