Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Jiangyin: Japan got their defence of the AFC U23 Championship title with a 1-0 win over Palestine in their Group B opener on Wednesday.
Ko Itakura’s first half goal sealed victory for Japan, placing them level with DPR Korea at the top of the standings.
Japan dominated possession in the opening minutes and in their first real attempt, Shion Inoue picked up a loose ball in the box but struck the bar in the fifth minute at the Jiangyin Stadium.
Palestine, however, held formation tightly and looked to play on the counter, but Ko found an opening and was left unguarded after dribbling outside the box to hit home in the 20th minute.
Whenever in possession, Ayman Sandouqa’s charges tried to make the best of every run, but the defending champions were apt in defensive situations.
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/stretching_out.html
