Qatar, Jan 15 (News On Japan) –
In a dramatic begin to their quest for Asian Cup supremacy, Japan’s Samurai Blue, eyeing their first title in three appearances, battled from behind to clinch a 4-2 victory towards Vietnam of their group stage debut.
Kicking off on January 12 in Qatar, the 24-team Asian Cup witnessed a high-octane Sunday conflict between Seventeenth-ranked Japan and 94th-ranked Vietnam, led by former Japan coach Philippe Troussier. The Japanese squad, that includes key gamers Wataru Endo and Junya Ito, together with rising stars from the Paris Olympic technology corresponding to Masahiro Hosoya and Ayane Suzuki, showcased their depth and flexibility.
Japan drew first blood within the eleventh minute via Takumi Minamino, pouncing on a rebound from the sport’s preliminary nook. Vietnam, nonetheless, struck again rapidly with a nook header, taking a shocking lead with a Thirty third-minute free-kick. Japan managed to equalize simply earlier than the tip of the primary half when Minamino scored his second objective after receiving a via move within the penalty space. Shortly after, Keito Nakamura scored with an excellent right-footed shot into the correct nook of the objective, placing Japan forward. Later within the second half, substitute Kisei Ueda added one other objective, securing Japan’s 4-2 victory, extending Japan’s worldwide A-match profitable streak to 10 video games. The Blue Samurai subsequent face 63rd-ranked Iraq on January 19.
Double scorer Minamino shared his ideas: “Overcoming the deficit and taking the leading again showed our resilience. We’re not through yet, so we’ll keep our focus sharp for Iraq.”
Captain Endo, pivotal in Minamino’s second objective, mirrored: “Despite early setbacks, we stayed composed, regrouped, and turned the tide. This win sets a significant tone for our campaign.”
Keito Nakamura commented on Vietnam’s technique and his profitable objective, “We knew Vietnam would play defensively and look for counterattacks, but once the game started, it was more intense than I had imagined.”
Coach Hajime Moriyasu mirrored on the match as a invaluable lesson, “The first game taught us that there are no easy battles in the Asian Cup. We have to reflect on the fact that we fell behind, but it’s a confidence booster for the future that the players stayed calm and managed to turn the game around when it didn’t go as planned.”
Source: NHK